28/02/2026
Lefty’s sh*tes are so ignorant. I suppose that is what comes from a Comprehensive education. Dumbing down numpties.
When people talk about the British Empire they talk about land and people "Britain controlled 1/4 of the world"... actually it controlled FAR MORE... The Royal Navy controlled the seas... ALL the SEAS... for almost 250 years...
The colonies themselves were only part of the British Empire's story and power... many countries were adjuncts to the Empire, unofficial protectorates dependent on British power, garrisons, military officers, guarantees of security and trade. But that wasn't all...
On top of the controlling the seas for almost 250 years... the Empire established a global Imperial trade system in which over 68% of the world was dependent on or thrived off... Most of the Americas' became dependent on, and thrived off British Imperial trade. Other European Empires in Africa and the Far East also benefited from British Imperial trade and security (Belgian, Dutch, Portuguese). The Royal Navy controlling the Oceans, protected the trade routes.
With minor exceptions of WW1 and WW2, the British Army was a relatively small but highly professional force. In WW1 and WW2 the British Empire combined forces could boast 12 million men and women in uniform. The British could muster a small peacetime Army, but during WW1 and WW2 could mobilise millions of colonel troops from India, Africa, SE Asia, Hong Kong and China, the Middle East, Central Asia, the Mediterranean, the West Indies, Canada, Newfoundland and Labrador, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and British diasporas' in South America and elsewhere.
We called it Pax Britannica... it was an Empire upon which the sun never set... even to this day, through Britain's remaining territories the sun still doesn't set. However, as Britain lost the world's reserve currency in WW2, America gained the world's reserve currency. As the sun set on so many parts of the British Empire... it was replaced by Pax Americana in the form of military outposts, regional commands, diplomatic and global political power, cultural influence (fast food, Hollywood, s*x, drugs and rock & roll) trade and reserve currency.
Throughout much of human history Empires have existed, some more benevolent that others, some vast, some minor. Today is no different. The British Empire did far more good than harm, for example it was the only Empire to end slavery worldwide and police the end of the slave trade on land and sea for over 100 years at great cost in men and wealth.
To understand modern Empire we must understand what "Imperialism" is... it is the maintaining and extending of power over foreign nations by powerful nations, or transnational organisations, particularly through expansionism, employing both hard power (military and economic power) and soft power (diplomatic power and cultural imperialism). Imperialism focuses on establishing or maintaining hegemony and a more formal empire.
Examples of Imperial systems and Empire today could include the USA (the world's only superpower - with a declining grip over the world's reserve currency), Russia (a former Empire and today the world's largest nation state encompassing many smaller national identities and nations and exerting global power and influence), China - an Empire in all but name, encompassing many nationalities and languages, Islam (a global religion and cultural influence with its own language and systems), the EU (quote from José Manuel Barroso President of the European Commission: "I like to compare the EU as a creation to the organisation of empire. We have the dimension of empire” - which is of course correct!), BRICS (a political and economic organisation formed as a counterbalance to Western-dominated global institutions), "The collective West" / Western powers - are effectively a form of Empire comprising nations like the USA, France, UK and organisations like NATO, the EU and the IMF collectivising agenda and global policy and influence across the world. There are several other examples of modern "Empire" but I leave you with these for now.
