Old Empire vs New Empire

[throdgrain]

heh 1640 i thought ? I may be wrong though...

 

[Will]

1745 was the second (and last) Jacobite rebellion, where we imported a short effeminate Frenchman to lead us.

 

[throdgrain]

Ahh yeah so it was . They got murdered too didnt they
Funny when you think about it, 50 or 60 years later the Scots troops were among the best and fiercest in the British army.

 

[Will]

We got past York (from what I remember) then retreated, eventually slaughtered at Culloden. Sacking York was a traditional part of invading England.

But, as always, we lost because we were fighting our mortal enemy, the Scots.

 

[throdgrain]

You was there ??

 

[Will]

A habit of being Scottish, when talking about past events, you tend to use phrases like "we".

 

[xane]

I think the entire Homo Sapiens race should apologise for the genocidal extermination of the Neanderthal race. I mean, if you want to keep going back in history for someone to blame, we might as well start there.

In response to the original question, the fact is Britain had the same "technology" in its empire as America does today. The reason why that word is in quotes is because the technology was not a machine but a political system based on liberalism.

Back in the Empire building days, Britain was the most liberal country in the world, it attracted the best thinkers who escaped from the more despotic countries to peddle their ideas in a more open and rational society where they wouldn't be oppressed, the liberal attitude also applied to economics and allowed the "ordinary" folk to start building business and generating wealth on a massive scale.

The liberal attitude also started to apply to the military, whereas previous "generals" were all titled gentry, the reorganisation of the British Army allowed any individual to make his mark and aspire on the battlefield, the result was a much stronger fighting force.

Whilst other countries struggled to maintain their Empires under a central despotic controlling influence that concentrated wealth into the hands of a few individuals, Britain franchised parts of its Empire to various businessmen or companies who treated it like thier own personal domain (someone already mentioned Rhodes).

This is essentially what America would like to do

 

[DaGaffer]

I think the whole mammal species should apologise to the dinosaurs for taking advantage of the Chicxulub asteroid and eating all their eggs.

 

[plightstar]

I always love the fact that the American War of Indepence started over tea rates and it was the French who ignited the war. Mind u without the French Navy and French Forces, Britain could have brought in loads of reinforcements and squashed the Americans.

Another piont why does the whole of USA Celebrate the war of independance when only 8 or is it 12 states got independance, everyone forgets nobody owned the middle and the West was either owned by the French the Spanish the English or the Mexicans.


Sry I just hate the Hollywood idea of America as one great Liberal Country joining togther byitself and destorying the British.

 

[throdgrain]

So do I. Bullshit piled upon bullshit so heavily even people over here believe it :/

 

[DaGaffer]

Originally posted by plightstar
I always love the fact that the American War of Indepence started over tea rates and it was the French who ignited the war. Mind u without the French Navy and French Forces, Britain could have brought in loads of reinforcements and squashed the Americans.

Another piont why does the whole of USA Celebrate the war of independance when only 8 or is it 12 states got independance, everyone forgets nobody owned the middle and the West was either owned by the French the Spanish the English or the Mexicans.


Sry I just hate the Hollywood idea of America as one great Liberal Country joining togther byitself and destorying the British.

Probably not tbh, our supply lines were too long, and Americans could fall back to their farms etc. Fact is, even then (it was 13 states btw) America was just too damn big to hold down against a well armed enemy who was as well (or better) armed than you are and whose generals went to the same schools. Once the war got to a shooting match we were unlikely to win. It could have easily have been resolved politically on quite a few occasions even after the shooting started - most of the Americans (except firebrands like Sam Adams) didn't see themselves as revolutionaries and saw themselves as Englishmen, including George Washington.

What difference does it make that US was only 13 states when it was formed? The celebration is the foundation of the US as a country not the foundation of the US as a country of 50 states. Are you saying that people living in New York are allowed to celebrate but people living in Hawaii shouldn't? Makes no sense.

 

[Deadmanwalking]

The british were actually unstoppable if it came to open field fighting. There troops were better trained, equiped and led.

erm.. yeah

 

[DaGaffer]

Originally posted by Deadmanwalking
The british were actually unstoppable if it came to open field fighting. There troops were better trained, equiped and led.

erm.. yeah

Hmm, you can make exactly the same claim for the Americans in Vietnam, and we know how that turned out... besides I'd actually debate that claim - the Americans had good leadership (eventually) and their use of rifles against the British muskets was a technological breakthrough so the 'equipment' argument isn't clear cut. Plus they had the one thing that can be a decisive factor in any war - motivation.

 

[plightstar]

Originally posted by DaGaffer
Are you saying that people living in New York are allowed to celebrate but people living in Hawaii shouldn't? Makes no sense.

Yes it make perfect sense, even our country has different celebrations across different county's and different parts of the country.

 

[DaGaffer]

Originally posted by plightstar
Yes it make perfect sense, even our country has different celebrations across different county's and different parts of the country.

But they're all Americans and it was the American War of Independence! Not the 'American (as it was in 1776) War of Indpendence'. You're being silly because you want to have a pop at the yanks, which is a noble pastime normally, but there are much better ways to have a go

 

[Deadmanwalking]

Like reinacting the British empire !!

I say we start wirh alaska and work our way out from that.

 

[Jonaldo]

England could've won the war in America but we saw what kind of people were being bred there and backed of cautiously, the correct move in my opinion.

 

[plightstar]

Originally posted by Jonaldo
England could've won the war in America but we saw what kind of people were being bred there and backed of cautiously, the correct move in my opinion.

Yes but its kinda back-fired now.