[stub for offtopicness / genericness]
The British banks and their tax heavens still very much control the world of money.
The commonwealth barely hangs together outside of the world of cricket.....
When the sun will literally set on what's left of the British Empire
51–60 of 356 posts
Re: When the sun will literally set on what's left of the British Empire
#52Re: When the sun will literally set on what's left of the British Empire
#53Earlier quoted context omitted.
Are you aware the UK is basically bankrupt? https://www.theguardian.com/business/2025/aug/26/more-pain-r...
Are you aware that is an impossible situation in the UK and that you should never listen to journalists or economists on this topic. They haven’t a clue what they are talking about. Look at the one month Treasury bill to see the actual situation.
> that you should never listen to journalists or economists on this topic
These journalists do not say that Britain is bankrupt. Their article was arbitrarily cited by someone else to support his claim about Britain.
Re: When the sun will literally set on what's left of the British Empire
#54[stub for offtopicness / genericness]
I wonder what will be the legacy of the British Empire. The Roman Empire lived on in a sense as many of the barbarian kingdoms purported to be continuations of the empire for a long time: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbarian_kingdoms . That hasn’t been the case with the British Empire.
Virtually ever state today has more in common with Western States in the 19th century than their political predecessors. It would correct to say that we are "Western Cores" with X cultural skin than the opposite. Within that core, whether it's common law, parliamentary systems, or even beachgoing as a recreational activity, the British contributed major parts that define our day to day life.
Re: When the sun will literally set on what's left of the British Empire
#55Re: When the sun will literally set on what's left of the British Empire
#56Earlier quoted context omitted.
And you think it would be ‘protecting’ the people of Hong Kong to argue with the CCP about it? Lulz Or that it’s ever been about ‘protecting’ anyone when the British Crown fights anyone over territory? As compared to asserting ownership? Not to mention the UK nearly lost it’s fight with Argentina - it wouldn’t even be pissing in the wind to go to war with China over Hong Kong.
How did Argentina “almost win” the Falklands war? I thought it was over almost before it started? Only thing that worked were some French missiles.
The UK had no ready means to replace their (far more significant than anyone expected) losses, and were at the very far end of their logistics chain. [https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falklands_War]. Which for the UK is crazy embarrassing. ‘Sun Never Sets on The British Empire’ and all.
They lost 6 ships (including 2 destroyers and 2 frigates), 24 helicopters, and 10 fighters + 255 KIA in the debacle. If the french hadn’t disabled those missiles, it would have been an even bigger mess. Do you think the UK gov’t wants to admit they got saved by the French?
If Argentina had their act even a little more together, or had even a little more commitment, there is nothing the UK could have done about it - except maybe nuke Buenos Aires. Which would probably have been a step too far, even for Thatcher.
Argentina was expecting zero resistance and got embarrassed they lost ships and soldiers too, and pulled out because it was making the Argentinian gov’t look bad.
But it was also really embarrassing for the UK. They had more losses there than they did fighting the Gulf War alongside the US.
In fact, since Northern Ireland, it took Afghanistan to even come close - and that was over a period of 10 years compared to ~ 6 months. [https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6605529d91a32...]
Re: When the sun will literally set on what's left of the British Empire
#57Earlier quoted context omitted.
I’m referring to the start of the agreement, not the end.
Fair, but why does that matter? The UK voluntarily relinquished control and handed HK back to the PRC
It did and I don’t think it could have gone to anyone else, leaving the choice as giving it to China, or keeping it.
The argument that it shouldn’t have gone to the CCP was one I heard from someone who lived there.
Re: When the sun will literally set on what's left of the British Empire
#58Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Do you think citizens of Hong Kong would choose the Chinese rule of today, or go back to British rule if they could? I think the people that lived there in 1997 would absolutely want to go back to British rule. But you have to remember that it's been nearly 30 years since it went to Chinese rule. All the young people there prefer Chinese rule, because they grew up with schools teaching them that the British were ba…
I don't think so, did you forget about the Umbrella Movement?
That was over a decade ago. There is almost an entire generation that has come up since then, being told China is good and British is bad. And in the meantime China made protesting illegal, and now rounds up and ships off anyone who protests.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/sep/28/i-was-so-naive...
But more importantly, it's more complicated than just China good/bad:
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/12/05/how-peopl...
However what that shows is that the majority of adults in HK (74%) feel an attachment to China, and in the meantime China is making it illegal to disagree with them.
Re: When the sun will literally set on what's left of the British Empire
#59Re: When the sun will literally set on what's left of the British Empire
#60Earlier quoted context omitted.
Fair, but why does that matter? The UK voluntarily relinquished control and handed HK back to the PRC
It did and I don’t think it could have gone to anyone else, leaving the choice as giving it to China, or keeping it. The argument that it shouldn’t have gone to the CCP was one I heard from someone who lived there.
Why not? The PRC is the successor state. It makes less sense to hand HK over to ROC because the ROC never had sovereignty over HK.