The ugly legacy of the British empire

[Urbanguerrilla]

"What links the suspected murder of China-based British businessman, Neil Heywood, with the part-publication of long-hidden colonial files from the last decade of the British empire? Why, Foreign Office and M16 secrecy, of course. Throw in Wednesday morning's news that Jack Straw is being sued by a Libyan over his alleged role in extraordinary rendition and the link is irresistible."

Colonial papers and the ugly legacy of empire | Michael White | UK news | guardian.co.uk

"Thousands of documents detailing some of the most shameful acts and crimes committed during the final years of the British empire were systematically destroyed to prevent them falling into the hands of post-independence governments, an official review has concluded."

Britain destroyed records of colonial crimes | UK news | The Guardian

 

[Katzndogz]

The entire world owes Britian a HUGE debt because of the civilization they spread among their colonies.

 

[Urbanguerrilla]

​

The entire world owes Britian a HUGE debt because of the civilization they spread among their colonies.

And they built the railways

 

[Artevelde]

The entire world owes Britian a HUGE debt because of the civilization they spread among their colonies.

I'll second that.

 

[Douger]

The entire world owes Britian a HUGE debt because of the civilization they spread among their colonies.

Let me translate that."Inbred whitey thinks brown people suck"

 

[editec]

There are many legacies of the British Empire, some are appealing and some not.

The greatest legacy extant is the fact that English is the dominant language of the world.

As to the Anglos bringing "civilization" to most of the world?

 

[Katzndogz]

The British ended the barbaric practices in India where widows were required to committ Suttess and burn themselves alive. They slaughtered the Thuggees and stopped their predations on innocent villagers. The British were the first to protect the antiquities of Egypt. The first to abolish slavery and didn't need a civil war to do so.

Much of what the British did (and the Dutch Boers too) in the more barbaric counties like those in Africa has been lost and reverted to barbarism.

 

[tigerbob]

The entire world owes Britian a HUGE debt because of the civilization they spread among their colonies.

Don't you consider that forcing views / policies / culture on another country and then expecting gratitude is perhaps a bit presumptuous? Or high handed? Or arrogant?

I don't think the world can be said to owe Britain anything. Among many countries, the legacy of colonialism is one of mistrust, antagonism and resentment, in some cases for good reason.

As always, with power comes the potential for abuse of power. There is little doubt that in many cases the power was abused. Anger about policies that are considered damaging will always last longer than gratitude for those that are thought to have brought positive change.

 

[Artevelde]

The entire world owes Britian a HUGE debt because of the civilization they spread among their colonies.

Don't you consider that forcing views / policies / culture on another country and then expecting gratitude is perhaps a bit presumptuous? Or high handed? Or arrogant?

I don't think the world can be said to owe Britain anything. Among many countries, the legacy of colonialism is one of mistrust, antagonism and resentment, in some cases for good reason.

As always, with power comes the potential for abuse of power. There is little doubt that in many cases the power was abused. Anger about policies that are considered damaging will always last longer than gratitude for those that are thought to have brought positive change.

At least the British built something.

 

[Artevelde]

The entire world owes Britian a HUGE debt because of the civilization they spread among their colonies.

Let me translate that."Inbred whitey thinks brown people suck"

Sorry it is to challenging for you to think outside of some easy slogans.

 

[Katzndogz]

The entire world owes Britian a HUGE debt because of the civilization they spread among their colonies.

Don't you consider that forcing views / policies / culture on another country and then expecting gratitude is perhaps a bit presumptuous? Or high handed? Or arrogant?

I don't think the world can be said to owe Britain anything. Among many countries, the legacy of colonialism is one of mistrust, antagonism and resentment, in some cases for good reason.

As always, with power comes the potential for abuse of power. There is little doubt that in many cases the power was abused. Anger about policies that are considered damaging will always last longer than gratitude for those that are thought to have brought positive change.

Forcing views and policies and even culture on another country is sometimes absolutely necessary.

It was certainly not wrong of Britian to end the practice of suttee in India. That was certainly forced. The commander of the British forces said the next time a woman was burned alive, the man or men who ordered it would have the same, then did it. It did not take very many male corpses for Indian men to abandon the practice. It was not wrong of Britian to end the practice of cannibalism in the African colonies they controlled.

While there is the potential for abuse of power, the exercise of power over the barbarians is generally a good idea. We might end up wtih an entirely different middle east if we stopped the abuse of women and honor killings forcibly and kept a boot on their necks for a few hundred years.

 

[Katzndogz]

If you come down to it, Rome's colonization of Britian was generally good for the British and so was the fights and invasions of the Vikings who forced changes in the British barbaric culture.

 

[Big Black Dog]

The British Empire spread fish and chips around the globe. We owe them big time.

 

[tigerbob]

The entire world owes Britian a HUGE debt because of the civilization they spread among their colonies.

Don't you consider that forcing views / policies / culture on another country and then expecting gratitude is perhaps a bit presumptuous? Or high handed? Or arrogant?

I don't think the world can be said to owe Britain anything. Among many countries, the legacy of colonialism is one of mistrust, antagonism and resentment, in some cases for good reason.

As always, with power comes the potential for abuse of power. There is little doubt that in many cases the power was abused. Anger about policies that are considered damaging will always last longer than gratitude for those that are thought to have brought positive change.

At least the British built something.

That's a rather empty observation. Perhaps you'd care to expand?

 

[tigerbob]

The entire world owes Britian a HUGE debt because of the civilization they spread among their colonies.

Don't you consider that forcing views / policies / culture on another country and then expecting gratitude is perhaps a bit presumptuous? Or high handed? Or arrogant?

I don't think the world can be said to owe Britain anything. Among many countries, the legacy of colonialism is one of mistrust, antagonism and resentment, in some cases for good reason.

As always, with power comes the potential for abuse of power. There is little doubt that in many cases the power was abused. Anger about policies that are considered damaging will always last longer than gratitude for those that are thought to have brought positive change.

Forcing views and policies and even culture on another country is sometimes absolutely necessary.

It was certainly not wrong of Britian to end the practice of suttee in India. That was certainly forced. The commander of the British forces said the next time a woman was burned alive, the man or men who ordered it would have the same, then did it. It did not take very many male corpses for Indian men to abandon the practice. It was not wrong of Britian to end the practice of cannibalism in the African colonies they controlled.

While there is the potential for abuse of power, the exercise of power over the barbarians is generally a good idea. We might end up wtih an entirely different middle east if we stopped the abuse of women and honor killings forcibly and kept a boot on their necks for a few hundred years.

I agree, but for every example of something you (or indeed I) consider "good", I can probably name another that many would consider "bad". Such is the nature of every Empires. It's a matter of perception.

 

[tigerbob]

If you come down to it, Rome's colonization of Britian was generally good for the British and so was the fights and invasions of the Vikings who forced changes in the British barbaric culture.

Well, I might observe that the Viking culture was equally barbaric, but I take your point.

 

[Urbanguerrilla]

If you come down to it, Rome's colonization of Britian was generally good for the British and so was the fights and invasions of the Vikings who forced changes in the British barbaric culture.

Well, I might observe that the Viking culture was equally barbaric, but I take your point.

But at least they believed in the one true god, Odin, and his only begotten son, Thor.

 

[Katzndogz]

If you come down to it, Rome's colonization of Britian was generally good for the British and so was the fights and invasions of the Vikings who forced changes in the British barbaric culture.

Well, I might observe that the Viking culture was equally barbaric, but I take your point.

While the Vikings were barbaric as were all the peoples of the time, the notions of respect for women and chivalry came from the Vikings. The notion of the "stiff upper lip" of the British and reputation for stoicism came directly from the Vikings. The Vikings gave the British savages the notion of Honor for honor's sake.

And the British carried that around the world.

 

[tigerbob]

If you come down to it, Rome's colonization of Britian was generally good for the British and so was the fights and invasions of the Vikings who forced changes in the British barbaric culture.

Well, I might observe that the Viking culture was equally barbaric, but I take your point.

While the Vikings were barbaric as were all the peoples of the time, the notions of respect for women and chivalry came from the Vikings. The notion of the "stiff upper lip" of the British and reputation for stoicism came directly from the Vikings. The Vikings gave the British savages the notion of Honor for honor's sake.

And the British carried that around the world.

Wow.

I had no idea I owed them so much.