stonewall23
Airman
- 71
- Dec 2, 2006
There was a time when no one could mine deep.Ireland does not have the ability to extract natural gas , but we allow a commercial company to explore and develop these gas fields for us. I'm quite sure the african nations would have the same relationship with commercial companies , to their benefit, without the British empire.The african nations would have got a lot more of the profits than they did.
I know what you are saying,and I'm sure you honestly belive,about this lenient empire .But , forgive me,you are viewing this attitude from the view of the oppressor not the oppressed.The British used bribery ,manipulation of local religious and political factions and and they always had an economic stranglehold on the countries the occupied.They were very good at the carrot and stick approch to the trouble some natives.The longer they stayed in a country the better they got at it,and it must be said the native population adapted to survive in their situation.Adapt and survive was how the empire survived longer than other empires but also because of the implisate treath of violence if the natives did not comply .In the last years of the war of independance ( 1918- 1921 ) the ordinary british tommy conducted themselves quite well, but the british goverment used the black and tans and auxilliers to terrorise the country.Their actions became news around the world .They turned ordinary people in to fervent republicans.My grandfather was shot at several time by the Tans while he worked on his allotment minding his own buissness.He was a medic at the somme and survived the war and was a pasifest the rest of his life but his brothers became active I.R .A men.( old I R A ).Discussing degrees of brutality is difficult if you have been on the reciving end of it.In modern parlance it was state sponsored terrorism .Trust me there was no leniant empire there.
I agree that meny peoples fought for ' mother country ' in both wars but meny also fought against the nazi's not for king or country.My uncle left Dublin in 1940 at18 and joined the R.A.F.He joined for excitment and to fight evil,not for the empire.
The british have left its mark on all they countries they occupied. the evolution of these countries has been helped in meny respects by Britian,But the degree of violence inflicted on these countries was just like any other empire clinging to power.They evolved more than most empires because they lasted longer than most.All empires are built on a foundation of violence and fear.American history books written shortly after the war with Mexico blamed Mexico totally for the war.Nothing was said about the brutality and crimes the american military inflicted on the mexicans .History written by the winner. But now History books are telling a different story, revision of history always takes time.Some day British history will admit the full horrors they inflicted on weaker nations just like all the other empires.You seem to hold on to this idea of leniant empire like a blanket to cover a multituide of sins.
I know what you are saying,and I'm sure you honestly belive,about this lenient empire .But , forgive me,you are viewing this attitude from the view of the oppressor not the oppressed.The British used bribery ,manipulation of local religious and political factions and and they always had an economic stranglehold on the countries the occupied.They were very good at the carrot and stick approch to the trouble some natives.The longer they stayed in a country the better they got at it,and it must be said the native population adapted to survive in their situation.Adapt and survive was how the empire survived longer than other empires but also because of the implisate treath of violence if the natives did not comply .In the last years of the war of independance ( 1918- 1921 ) the ordinary british tommy conducted themselves quite well, but the british goverment used the black and tans and auxilliers to terrorise the country.Their actions became news around the world .They turned ordinary people in to fervent republicans.My grandfather was shot at several time by the Tans while he worked on his allotment minding his own buissness.He was a medic at the somme and survived the war and was a pasifest the rest of his life but his brothers became active I.R .A men.( old I R A ).Discussing degrees of brutality is difficult if you have been on the reciving end of it.In modern parlance it was state sponsored terrorism .Trust me there was no leniant empire there.
I agree that meny peoples fought for ' mother country ' in both wars but meny also fought against the nazi's not for king or country.My uncle left Dublin in 1940 at18 and joined the R.A.F.He joined for excitment and to fight evil,not for the empire.
The british have left its mark on all they countries they occupied. the evolution of these countries has been helped in meny respects by Britian,But the degree of violence inflicted on these countries was just like any other empire clinging to power.They evolved more than most empires because they lasted longer than most.All empires are built on a foundation of violence and fear.American history books written shortly after the war with Mexico blamed Mexico totally for the war.Nothing was said about the brutality and crimes the american military inflicted on the mexicans .History written by the winner. But now History books are telling a different story, revision of history always takes time.Some day British history will admit the full horrors they inflicted on weaker nations just like all the other empires.You seem to hold on to this idea of leniant empire like a blanket to cover a multituide of sins.
