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When the sun will literally set on what's left of the British Empire

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Re: When the sun will literally set on what's left of the British Empire

#121

Post by ludicity »

lcvw wrote: post #118
tonymet wrote: post #115

Though empires are out of fashion , British colonies universally benefited from the British empire. The ones who are thriving today owe a huge debt of gratitude, and the languishing ones are that way because they decided not to continue the British tradition. The 20th century decline of the British empire is one of civilization's worst failures, on par with the decline of the Roman Empire.

I don’t think that is at all accurate. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_genocide

Yeah. I'm from Malaysia, and while we definitely benefited in many ways, to state that we do not still have massive and pervasive social issues as a result of colonization is insane. I'm glad you posted the link above and spoke up. I didn't even know where to start, but was worried someone might take the original comment seriously.

Re: When the sun will literally set on what's left of the British Empire

#122

Post by Eextra953 »

tonymet wrote: post #115

Though empires are out of fashion , British colonies universally benefited from the British empire. The ones who are thriving today owe a huge debt of gratitude, and the languishing ones are that way because they decided not to continue the British tradition. The 20th century decline of the British empire is one of civilization's worst failures, on par with the decline of the Roman Empire.

Thankful for what exactly?

Re: When the sun will literally set on what's left of the British Empire

#123

Post by andsoitis »

random9749832 wrote: post #10
rwmj wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The UK offered residence with a path to citizenship for all BNO holders in Hong Kong, which was pretty much the limits of the UK's power. What are we going to do? Invade Hong Kong? Hold China over a barrel by refusing to sell whatever it is we sell to China (Scotch whisky?) As for the Chagos islands, it's by far the best thing to get rid of them. There's no value at all and a lot of trouble keeping them.

I think you are just highlighting how the UK is losing agency in the world. At this rate it will become a museum.

> how the UK is losing agency in the world

Do you mean:

a) agency

b) influence

c) something else?

Re: When the sun will literally set on what's left of the British Empire

#124

Post by kelseyfrog »

tonymet wrote: post #115

Though empires are out of fashion , British colonies universally benefited from the British empire. The ones who are thriving today owe a huge debt of gratitude, and the languishing ones are that way because they decided not to continue the British tradition. The 20th century decline of the British empire is one of civilization's worst failures, on par with the decline of the Roman Empire.

It sounds like you're saying, "British colonialism was worth it." Am I getting that right?

I wonder what the aggregate sentiment of colonialism is in former British colonies.

Re: When the sun will literally set on what's left of the British Empire

#125

Post by closewith »

tonymet wrote: post #115

Though empires are out of fashion , British colonies universally benefited from the British empire. The ones who are thriving today owe a huge debt of gratitude, and the languishing ones are that way because they decided not to continue the British tradition. The 20th century decline of the British empire is one of civilization's worst failures, on par with the decline of the Roman Empire.

> Though empires are out of fashion , British colonies universally benefited from the British empire.

That's not at all true. There are many examples, but no need to look farther afield than Ireland, which has not yet recovered from the deliberate genocide of the Irish famine.

The island of Ireland had not yet reached the population it held pre-famine, and if Ireland had grown at the rate of its neighbours, it would now being closing in on 25 million+ instead of the ~7 million across the island.

> The ones who are thriving today owe a huge debt of gratitude, and the languishing ones are that way because they decided not to continue the British tradition.

Britain owes a debt to its colonies. The colonies owe nothing to it, except contempt.

> The 20th century decline of the British empire is one of civilization's worst failures, on par with the decline of the Roman Empire.

In a comment brimming with ignorance, this becomes absurd. The dissolution of the British empire is the great victory of the 20th century. A victory of human rights, decency, and even off the British population, who are disposable to the empire as foreign "subjects" were.

Re: When the sun will literally set on what's left of the British Empire

#126

Post by andrewaylett »

lifeisstillgood wrote: post #112
Waterluvian wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To be satisfyingly pedantic, my King isn’t the same King. Mine is the King of Canada. It just happens to be the same person as the King of England and the King of Australia ;)

Is that true? “”” Charles III, by the Grace of God, King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of His other Realms and Territories, Head of the Commonwealth, Defender of the Faith. “”” So in my head canon, he is the King of the UK and Canada … the same person and the same office. Ie there is no King of Canada officially - the title is always King of UK (first) and of other places as well … i…

Yep, it's absolutely true.

Reference: https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/crown-ca...

""" Queen Elizabeth II was the first of Canada's sovereigns to be proclaimed separately as Queen of Canada in 1953, when a Canadian law, the Royal Style and Titles Act, formally conferred upon her the title of "Queen of Canada". The proclamation reaffirmed the monarch’s role in Canada as independent of the monarch’s role in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms. """

Re: When the sun will literally set on what's left of the British Empire

#127

Post by decremental »

tonymet wrote: post #115

Though empires are out of fashion , British colonies universally benefited from the British empire. The ones who are thriving today owe a huge debt of gratitude, and the languishing ones are that way because they decided not to continue the British tradition. The 20th century decline of the British empire is one of civilization's worst failures, on par with the decline of the Roman Empire.

[dead]

Re: When the sun will literally set on what's left of the British Empire

#128

Post by jeromegv »

ludicity wrote: post #121
lcvw wrote: post #118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don’t think that is at all accurate. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_genocide

Yeah. I'm from Malaysia, and while we definitely benefited in many ways, to state that we do not still have massive and pervasive social issues as a result of colonization is insane. I'm glad you posted the link above and spoke up. I didn't even know where to start, but was worried someone might take the original comment seriously.

This viewpoint is still way too popular and was also used to genocide millions of indigenous people, we definitely need to keep speaking up against that.

Re: When the sun will literally set on what's left of the British Empire

#129

Post by jeromegv »

sys_64738 wrote: post #120
tonymet wrote: post #115

Though empires are out of fashion , British colonies universally benefited from the British empire. The ones who are thriving today owe a huge debt of gratitude, and the languishing ones are that way because they decided not to continue the British tradition. The 20th century decline of the British empire is one of civilization's worst failures, on par with the decline of the Roman Empire.

I remember asking this question to a work colleague from India almost 30 years ago. I asked something like if he hated the Brits for invading his land. He said on the contrary. They advanced their people so rapidly and efficiently through education and technical advances that would have taken hundreds of years by themselves. He said this allowed them to kick the British out once they had outlived their usefulness. Or…

So you found 1 person 30 years ago to justify colonialism?

Re: When the sun will literally set on what's left of the British Empire

#130

Post by Spooky23 »

sys_64738 wrote: post #120
tonymet wrote: post #115

Though empires are out of fashion , British colonies universally benefited from the British empire. The ones who are thriving today owe a huge debt of gratitude, and the languishing ones are that way because they decided not to continue the British tradition. The 20th century decline of the British empire is one of civilization's worst failures, on par with the decline of the Roman Empire.

I remember asking this question to a work colleague from India almost 30 years ago. I asked something like if he hated the Brits for invading his land. He said on the contrary. They advanced their people so rapidly and efficiently through education and technical advances that would have taken hundreds of years by themselves. He said this allowed them to kick the British out once they had outlived their usefulness. Or…

Like anything, it depends on your point of view and time.

My grandparents and their generation were all born in Ireland, and had a very different outlook than the people who remained and folks you talk to today there. People just want to live their lives.

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