Left Behind
The British Empire is long gone, its colonies independent, Britain’s fortunes much reduced. Did the world benefit from its existence? Was it a force for good or a force for evil? Or both?
A Force For Good?
Ardent supporters of everything British (read white, educated and British) are quick to point out that the British Empire did much good for the homeland and for the colonies they occupied.
At the surface, it seems an arguable point. The British brought effective Rule of Law (British law) to wherever they went which encouraged business by providing a reliable platform for contractual trade agreements and recourse in the courts. The Rule of Law was enforced by the British Army, Navy and police forces which also protected Britain and its colonies from outside incursions and (importantly to the British) from internal rebellions.
Servicing the needs of the colonial administration provided employment for many. The colonial administrations were organized and run efficiently and effectively ( with British interests always paramount) and allowed civil transactions to occur in a timely fashion and largely corruption-free. As