Greatest Empire Ever

[FiveParadox]

On a related note above, the amount of funds that the Monarchy is granted by the Parliament of the United Kingdom is not something that could compromise the capacity of the U.K. to protect itself and its colonies; Her Majesty the Queen of Canada (and the United Kingdom, of course) pays taxes within the United Kingdom and abroad, just as would anyone else.

I would not quite consider the United States to be an "empire" — perhaps somewhat absolute in their resolve to hold influence over every facet of life on Earth, but most certainly not an empire. An empire would imply some sort of undemocratic, or quasi-democratic Government.

 

[Jersay]

And I respect that if it is proven, does it alter history in any way?

No, probably not.

Also, have you guys noticed that no one has said that the Nazi empire is the greatest. It conquered most of Russia, all of Europe and parts of Africa. I don't think it is the greatest in any sense, but I would say it is one of the quickest and shortest lived empires.

 

[Daz_Hockey]

thats true, well mostly, suprised ou know about Old mr Pitt though, we will stop going on about old Georgie boy when someone stops over hyping the man, he was human, he could tell lies. Scotland/England/Wales and Ireland have been fighting against each other so long there's no point mentioning it, it's gone on so long, no-one is truely the innocent party come on, King James made the act of union, he was scottish, us english were made to join, the irish, now that was sturred up by the dutch, and the welsh, well I do feel sorry for the welsh.

but as I say, ok..please, please stop calling us brits too, were english, scottish, welsh or northern irish. Our empire couldnt have been that bad, ok slavery, torture and massicure were rife (they do teach us about the Kenyan uprising actually) but most of them still want to join the commonwealth, we were not like the french, spanish or portuguese, we did not subject the native to be forcefully made into christians.

but really, it just annoys us, as I expect it irritates canadians/ Australians / Kiwi's and many other countries when you go on about tyrannical English....we really wernt that bad.....as I said also, the french may hve treated the indians better, but when their patience wore thin they were evil. just dont think our empire hinged on america, it was a big world

 

[the caracal kid]

are you celtic, daz?

A funny joke one of my welsh friends likes to tell comparing myself (part scottish) to the scots (and how some things never change) is here in canada we have to deal with yanks to the south, and the scots have to deal with wanks to the south.

the english were brutal. they developed wonderful methods of brutality. how else does one build an empire like they did?

 

[Daz_Hockey]

sorry just a quick point, I've just come back from india actually, they respect the british, Ghandi respected the british, he fought for us in the boer war, they just wanted their independance, which was fine, they fought hard and deserved it, funny india kept most of our laws as well...so yes, they actually did like us, pakistan is the same if not more so, they pretty much kept all our laws.

Goa in india is a different matter, that was a portuguiese enclave where most of the population strangley are christians..they didnt give it up till 1961 and then not without a fight...now thats the difference

 

[Daz_Hockey]

yeah, my mum's family are welsh and my dad's lot come from old south wales, so yes Hockey is a welsh surname suprisingly, yeah the english loved a bit of torture.

My grandad was born the same place as St. Patrick supposedly

 

[I think not]

Re: RE: Greatest Empire Ever

"George Washington couldn't tell a lie, he admitted chopping down the cherry tree." That's the rest of it and that's where this old story comes from. Taking things out of context to ridicule a nation is very pathetic, do you honestly believe anyone here believes he NEVER LIED? Are their idiots who do? Sure! Since when is idiocy an American trait alone?

I know you don't like being called Brits, I learned that the hard way in a pub in London :lol: , I was waiting for you to say something, since you said it, I'll stop.

I never implied your empire hinged on America at all, it was a very big world and you guys had a nice chunk of it. Perhaps you should think of the mindset of Americans? We had a foreign ruler taxing us and we said no more. Now if we celebrate that every 4th of July, it is part of our history. Let me me put it to you another way, if the French can celebrate chopping the heads of their monarchy can't we do the same ousting a monarch?

 

[EagleSmack]

Re: RE: Greatest Empire Ever

because my American friend, I know you guys will NEVER admit this, but freedom & Liberty are all well and good, and so is hating Colonialism, but here's where it falls down:

WHEN UR SITTING ON A BLOODY CONTINENT THAT YOU STOLE FROM ANOTHER RACE AND C-O-L-O-N-I-S-E-D IT!!!

Ahem, besides which, when the war of independence (or as we like to call it in england, "the second civil war", or "The continent that wanted to be like the channel islands" happened, and we left ya, you did'nt say "oh gosh, this isnt our land, those nasty colonials took, lets give it back", no you were worse than we EVER were, thats why the natives sided with us.

So indeed, You are a despotic, two-faced imperialist country, whatever way you cut it.

sorry just the facts

Yes, some of those Brits across the pond still are a little sore about having to tuck their tails between their legs and set sail to the land of endless rain.

 

[Daz_Hockey]

dude, I meant no offence, but at the time it wasnt a foreign monacy, as you know most of the colonists considered themselves english until about 10 years before the revolution.

I might point a little thing out to you why I seem a bit caught up in this bit, my mother's family name is Franklin, they supposedly are related to old Benji, you know about the bitter family dispute between father and son, my grandfather never stops going on about it I can hear him now "the SHAME of it!!"

 

[EagleSmack]

Re: RE: Greatest Empire Ever

Sorry anyway, I dont dislike America, or Americans, but you have to realise that most of the world doesnt see history from one point of view, I' came back a few months ago from a trip all around the USA, and I was shocked, it was almost like a cult, we question our authority here, of course so do you, but it's just different, we dont believe our historical figures were saints...no pun intended....but you are an empire

And you were an empire.

 

[Daz_Hockey]

Re: RE: Greatest Empire Ever

Sorry anyway, I dont dislike America, or Americans, but you have to realise that most of the world doesnt see history from one point of view, I' came back a few months ago from a trip all around the USA, and I was shocked, it was almost like a cult, we question our authority here, of course so do you, but it's just different, we dont believe our historical figures were saints...no pun intended....but you are an empire

And you were an empire.

yeah were a commonwealth of nations now

 

[FiveParadox]

A Commonwealth of Nations which, might I add, I am proud to be a citizen of.

 

[Daz_Hockey]

agreed....I wonder if any of the other former empire countries have anything like we do?

 

[I think not]

I didn't take offense to anything, as I said, I like the Brits...errr... I mean Welsh, English all that. Of course the colonialists considered themselves very much English, I would say much closer than ten years even. You have to realize that Americans have no ill feelings towards Great Britain, quite the contrary and this isn't recent.

And that's a hoot that Ben was a relative :lol:

 

[FiveParadox]

No, must of their anti-British sentiment was shifted toward Canada, eh?

 

[EagleSmack]

Re: RE: Greatest Empire Ever

come on you were rich, you are rich....you did not beat us, do you honestly think your "puny colony" would have survived Napoleon's roving eye if it wernt for the british empire patrolling the high sea's for 300 years?.

Washington was in it up to his neck with the merchants, they did not want the british in because they were making too much profit themselves, he was no hero.

The poor mases didnt arrive in america till long after we withdrew to the north, oh yes, most of the british population were VERY poor indeed, much poorer than the large land owners with their "pitch forks" lol.

if Britain honestly wanted America bck then, they would have taken it, if it took years they would have done it, the fact is the whole country was split on the issue, I bet they dont teach you about the UK Prime minister William Pitt the younger who died of a heart attack begging the parliment to stop taxing the americas?.

plus, you realise the real first world war was going on France vs. Britain, how the heck are wars paid for eh?, or did you wanna be ruled by the french, oh they were lovely, the fench indo-chinese begged us to stay or the japs too cus the french were so crewl

Read the book "Iron Tears" it is written by a British Author and using England's point of view. In a nut shell the war was UNWINNABLE for England. British troops only controled the area where they were at at that time. When they left the area it was the subjected to Colonial rule. Britain could not subdue all of the colonies and many high ranking figures in Britain said that it was foolish to think that Britain could subdue the colonies.

Britain had to deliver troops and supplies across the Atlantic. That was a long voyage.

The bottom line is that you were defeated militarily and politically. Even the battles that you won were costly. For example after the Battle of Bunker Hill, Gen Gage stated

"If we win anymore battles like this we will lose the war."

Here, here.

 

[Daz_Hockey]

And that's a hoot that Ben was a relative :lol:

yeah those Franklin's get about, although "Mr Hockey goes to canada" could be a story book

 

[I think not]

Re: RE: Greatest Empire Ever

No, must of their anti-British sentiment was shifted toward Canada, eh?

Yes I know Five, you like the black dress.

 

[FiveParadox]

YES I DO! lol

Well, hey, it's pretty.

Seriously though, I am proud to be a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. Her Majesty provides Canadians with a sense of continuity and stability (through both herself and her representatives in Canada and the Provinces); our system is built on back-ups. Our Order of Precedence can never be exhausted because there are failsafes to ensure that we always have a Premier in each Province, and a Prime Minister.

 

[Daz_Hockey]

I wish someone would give us a failsafe so we could smack tony blair around the head vigourously