| Topic: |
Politics > Politics-USA |
| User: |
"Robert Henderson" |
| Date: |
10 Jan 2004 11:58:40 AM |
| Object: |
What fools were were not to allow the Britsih to rule us |
Note:"Haji Abdullahad Sherzad's grandfather negotiated with British
officers during the Second Afghan War in 1878. At the age of 90, he is
Gandomak's biggest landowner."
"The Afghans were very foolish and silly," he said.
"The British wanted to develop our country. Had we let them stay we
would have been better off than Pakistan because the English ended up
helping their colonial conquests, Pakistan is now making atom bombs and
we can't even make a needle." THE DAILY TELEGRAPH Saturday, January 10,
2004
It would be interesting to know the result of a referendum in each of
our old colonies on the pros and cons of British rule.
Taking in the round, the British ruled the most benign of empires,
especially in its last century when the interests of the native
peoples was imperial policy. RH
--
Robert Henderson
philip@anywhere.demon.co.uk
Blair Scandal web site at http://www.geocities.com/blairscandal/
Personal web site at http://www.anywhere.demon.co.uk
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| User: "billy" |
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| Title: Re: What fools were were not to allow the Britsih to rule us |
11 Jan 2004 06:01:49 AM |
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"Robert Henderson" <Philip@anywhere.demon.co.uk> wrote in message
news:jfcGNXAQ1DAAFwve@anywhere.demon.co.uk...
Note:"Haji Abdullahad Sherzad's grandfather negotiated with British
officers during the Second Afghan War in 1878. At the age of 90, he is
Gandomak's biggest landowner."
"The Afghans were very foolish and silly," he said.
"The British wanted to develop our country. Had we let them stay we
would have been better off than Pakistan because the English ended up
helping their colonial conquests, Pakistan is now making atom bombs and
we can't even make a needle." THE DAILY TELEGRAPH Saturday, January 10,
2004
It would be interesting to know the result of a referendum in each of
our old colonies on the pros and cons of British rule.
Taking in the round, the British ruled the most benign of empires,
especially in its last century when the interests of the native
peoples was imperial policy. RH
--
Robert Henderson
****************
The truth will out!
And the truth is:
The British Empire was the most benign and beneficial of all Empires and
conferred enormous benefits upon those who were lucky enough to come under
its influence.
That wise old man of Afghanistan is honest enough and sensible enough to
admit it.
****************
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| User: "Andrew" |
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| Title: Re: What fools were were not to allow the Britsih to rule us |
11 Jan 2004 07:10:07 AM |
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It would be interesting to know the result of a referendum in each of
our old colonies on the pros and cons of British rule.
Taking in the round, the British ruled the most benign of empires,
especially in its last century when the interests of the native
peoples was imperial policy. RH
As many former British colonies have outperformed the United Kingdom
perhaps we should hand over control of Westminster to one of them.
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| User: "Robert Henderson" |
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| Title: Re: What fools were were not to allow the Britsih to rule us |
11 Jan 2004 09:10:58 AM |
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In article <47d92ed6.0401110510.6da1b73f@posting.google.com>, Andrew
<kid_chocolate@yahoo.com> writes
It would be interesting to know the result of a referendum in each of
our old colonies on the pros and cons of British rule.
Taking in the round, the British ruled the most benign of empires,
especially in its last century when the interests of the native
peoples was imperial policy. RH
As many former British colonies have outperformed the United Kingdom
Such as and by what criteria? RH
perhaps we should hand over control of Westminster to one of them.
--
Robert Henderson
philip@anywhere.demon.co.uk
Blair Scandal web site at http://www.geocities.com/blairscandal/
Personal web site at http://www.anywhere.demon.co.uk
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| User: "jackkincaid" |
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| Title: Re: What fools were were not to allow the Britsih to rule us |
10 Jan 2004 05:29:25 PM |
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Robert Henderson <Philip@anywhere.demon.co.uk> wrote in message news:<jfcGNXAQ1DAAFwve@anywhere.demon.co.uk>...
Taking in the round, the British ruled the most benign of empires,
especially in its last century when the interests of the native
peoples was imperial policy. RH
That's probably true, but doesn't tell us anything. You might argue
that a kick in the nuts is a 'more benign' form of physical assault
than an iron bar in the teeth, but it still wouldn't have much to
recommend it.
Not that I'm making a comparison. I think we should accept that
'imperialism' - the desire to expand the political, economic and
cultural spheres of influence of a given community - is 'natural', is
something almost every community on earth of any size has done (and is
therefore a misnomer, since they happen irrespective of imperial
leadership).
The British Empire was just one in a long list of empires, beginning
with the Persian and Sumerian (as far as we know), through Viking,
Greek and Roman; Bantu and Egyptian; Chinese and Indian; Arab, Turkish
and Mughal; Spanish, French, Dutch and Russian; on a smaller scale,
Khmer, Afrikaans, Portugese etc. The dregs of the Chinese and Russian
empires are still with is, and everywhere Islam predominates the
remains of the old caliphates, khanates and sultanates are
discernible, all the result of Arab imperial expansionism (hence the
ignorant acceptance of the confusion between 'Arab' and 'Muslim' in
discussion of the Kilroy affair).
The Moorish Empire was responsible for the geat mosque of Alhambra
(and indirectly, a few great European cathedrals); the Mughal empire
was responible for the Taj Mahal, among other things. The British
Empire was responsible for the spread of the English language; British
concepts of jurisprudence and parliamentary democracy, and the rule of
(man made) law; and largely responsible for the spread of
profit-making free trade, and industrialisation (including railways).
It depends on your point of view as to whether any of these things are
'better' than any other (as Kilroy is finding out). It also remains to
be seen what the nascent American empire will leave for history.
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| User: "Robert Henderson" |
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| Title: Re: What fools were were not to allow the Britsih to rule us |
11 Jan 2004 12:54:36 AM |
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In article <eb35fbed.0401101529.4ee19e8f@posting.google.com>,
jackkincaid <theovermind@another.com> writes
The Moorish Empire was responsible for the geat mosque of Alhambra
(and indirectly, a few great European cathedrals); the Mughal empire
was responible for the Taj Mahal, among other things.
The British empire engaged in massive and beautiful building projects,
eg New Delhi.
The British
Empire was responsible for the spread of the English language; British
concepts of jurisprudence and parliamentary democracy, and the rule of
(man made) law; and largely responsible for the spread of
profit-making free trade, and industrialisation (including railways).
The British Empire was responsible for the spread of modernity. It also
created America. RH
--
Robert Henderson
philip@anywhere.demon.co.uk
Blair Scandal web site at http://www.geocities.com/blairscandal/
Personal web site at http://www.anywhere.demon.co.uk
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