Don’t be proud of the British Empire

RECENTLY I was listening to someone working in a local service outlet who was complaining about “people from over there” coming here, flashing the cash and being rude (i.e. queue-jumping).

I pointed out that this is how the British were also regarded when we first arrived in their countries. We would send in missionaries to “convert” them when they already had their own ancient religions, so these were promptly slaughtered as heathens. Up would roll the Royal Navy to bombard towns and land blood-thirsty troops who set about slaughtering them with some looting encouraged (soldiers’ perks).

The results can still be seen today when relics are presented for valuation on TV antique shows. Many leading English families grew exceedingly rich in consequence.

The real problem for those locals was that the British did not re-board the ships and sail off into the blue, but stayed to build forts, run up the Union flag, and welcome them to the growing British Empire.

We then set about introducing them to our style of democracy, after a fashion, which actually meant them doing things our way under our control. Law and order did prevail, but was brutally enforced with bullet and bayonet, while at the same time the country would be systematically looted of all its valuable natural resources.

Articles stamped “Made in England” flooded the country, sold at top-dollar with no market choice, so we had it win-win. Periodic local mutinies would break out and be put down with dreadful savagery (no TV coverage) with ringleaders strapped to cannon-muzzles and blown to Kingdom Come, and any dead left for the vultures to sort out. That kept the lid on for a while as they licked their wounds and plotted revenge. We ended up with “an empire on which The Sun never set” shown in older Atlases coloured pink.

Two costly wars ended that dream with us skint, desperately tired and our finest young people scattered around the globe in fields that would be “forever England” (no Jocks, Paddys, Gurkhas, colonial or Welsh troops then?).

Much was made as freedom was granted, but you can only free the enslaved, however the idea is packaged. Since then they may not have achieved utopia but they were glad to see us go. David Prichard Cardiff