Beats the Mongols or Arabs or Huns or Turks or Aztec or Revolutionary France or Soviets or Assyrians or...

Whether an empire was a good thing or a bad thing depends upon your point of view. Had their never been a Roman Empire none of us would be here today. But if you had been a Gaul at the time the time of Caesar's conquest - most definitely a bad thing.
The same for the British Empire. Many Indians suffered under the British Empire, but if India has not been part of the British Empire, the country we know as India would not exist today.

And why exactly is the existence of a country knows as India a good thing?

That's a good question. Political stability I suppose. Strength in unity.
Of course if you are from a separatist group you would definitely not agree. Most Indians that I know are happy for India to be united. Maybe be India wasn't the best example.
The USA would not have existed if it wasn't for the British - and I know they fought a war of independence from Britain, but let's face it the USA is the child of Britain (I am sure lots might disagree).

The Commonweatlh of Australia came into existence in 1901, well before the world wars. There was never a single colony of Australia, there were rather 6 separate colonies which eventually became the 6 states of a federated Australia. Independence from the UK was a gradual thing, still not 100% complete IMO, as QEII is very theoretically still head of state. In practice she doesn't use her reserve powers and we'd probably turf her if she did. Even her ceremonial role only applies when she pays us a visit which isn't often.

and thats when we get roadside potplants to hide the rubbish, little flags to wave and our pollies practise their pronounciation...ah independance!

its sooo embaressing [sic]

The British Empire was great a century ago. But unfortunately there was a USA that sat on the sidelines for most of the time while Britain fought its way to victory in 2 extra-big world wars.
Hard not for the USA to catch up and Britain to decline, eh?

Anyway, the British Empire has ended, and it probably has brought more good than bad. However the fall of it has created much problems. For example, many former colonies in Africa messed themselves up, for example Zimbabwe, which has the highest inflation today.

Well, the US may have been late in WW1 and WW2, but give them credit, they are at least determined to start WW3.

The US didn't try to stay out of the World Wars to steal Britain's preeminence. They stayed out because they, um, didn't want to fight a war!

And they entered both wars because they didn't want to fight a war, I guess ;)

Unrestricted submarine warfare on American shipping & Pearl Harbor.

The McCollum Memo

So we shouldn't plan for potential wars?

Why don't you just cite the Report From Iron Mountain, already?

But why was unrestricted submarine warfare on American shipping imposed? Because they were shipping equipment and financial aid across the Atlantic. The USA was in the war long before they actually sent troops to Europe.

The US would have sold to Germany but for the British blockade. They couldn't get to the Germans and the British were a major potential market for all kinds of products.

"The US would have sold to Germany but for the British blockade"

@Invictus - I don't believe that is true. FDR was keen to aid the British in every way possible short of going to war - he had a great deal of difficulty persuading the anti-war party in the Congress/Senate to declare full war against Germany due to the wish for isolation. It was only Pearl Harbour that changed that.

As for the aid - look at lend lease, the shepherding of convoys in and out of American waters with American warships, financial and productive assistance to Britain/Canada etc.

It's World War I. Sorry, that wasn't very clear.

I believe Invictus was referring to the First World War - The British navy was responsible for blockading key ports and cutting off vital trade routes and supplies to Germany from 1914. This both strangled German industry, and limited it's ability to get supplies and troops to the front line. It is very likely that without this blockade, America would have resumed trade with Germany - business as usual. The blockade was a key factor in winning the war, and it is arguable that without it Germany may well have won.

"So we shouldn't plan for potential wars?"

That wasn't a plan to defend against potential war. It was a strategy to engage in war.

I know your H.S. history books have deluded you into thinking that the US is the "good guy" who defeats evil, but you will need to start looking past your indoctrination to see things for what they are.

Sean: The Great Collisium of Rome which was not first or the only one alone saw the deaths of tens of thousands every year at the hight of it's use. Figure in a three centuries, and all the arenas thoughout the empire. Yes there was millions killed in the arena.

Darwyn, the US isn't some cartoonishly evil force that only causes misery and terror. Like any human institution, it's imperfect, but you really need to take off your black colored glasses when looking at it and always assuming the worst.

I read it and it was a strategy to be best prepared for when war came. But it was just a department memo, it's not like FDR and the military were plotting in some dark, smoke-filled room.

I thought the intent of this thread was to debate the positive and negative aspects of the former British Empire. My mistake. Oh, wait! That IS the intent of this thread!

Well, conversely, the US isn't some halo-bearing, saintly, fairy-godmother type humanitarian force either. It just seems that's how you depict it in most of your posts on the topic.

I suppose the difference is that you give the US government the benefit of the doubt, whereas I see no reason to give it that benefit. It's not like they earned it.

"I read it and it was a strategy to be best prepared for when war came."

lol...if by preparation you mean that it was a deliberate strategy to goad Japan into a war, then sure. And I realize it was just a dept. memo, but weren't ALL 8 points met?

Japan wanted war, you know. That memo seemed to be about how best to juggle a crippled Britain and an expansionist Japan. Japan was running amok in China at this time, remember.

Well from the sound of that post, it seems you are doing much less dismissing of the memo and more defending it.

Does Japan wanting war justify a plan to kill Americans in order to stop them running amok? That seems to be what you are saying there.

If Hitler had not declared war on the U.S. FDR would have had hard time justifying to the public going to war with Germany. The average American just wanted kick Japan's ass. If Hitler had been smart he would have let Japan take the beating from the U.S. and avoided U.S. involvement in Europe.

If Hitler had been smart, he wouldn't have attacked the Soviet Union, at least not until he had overcome Britain and France.

If Hitler was smart, he wouldn't have been Hitler.