I am sure that the US is wonderful; I've heard so much about it, but the UK also is fantastic...I have lived there. Europe is fantastic what I have seen of it, and I love Bulgaria (yes; going through a redevelopment from the CCCP days; my dad's place of birth); but as is the case here in Oz; it is all made possible by a Free Market Economy with mostly sensible regulations (and yes; some dumb ones).You were the empire. Unlike past ones you were not the worst ones oppressing other nations into pure slavery. Even though that existed. The people in those nations were not the best to their own and Britain actually improved conditions in many of them. You stagnated and had rudimentary socialism in the 19th century. You also had first generation industrialization. Being a world ruler and growing social issues at home weakened you. Even if your citizens lived better than most on the planet. the problem for us all is that utopia does not exist and even in the richest nations there are people who will live in poverty.
So wtf Tommy is spewing is beyond me.
Greg