The British Empire and Political Life

 

The British Empire and Political Life

Peter Schultz

 

             I have been reading a book entitled Legacy of Violence: A History of the British Empire, by Caroline Elkins, and it confirms my understanding that politics is biased toward, bends in the direction of violence, imperialism, war, injustice, and tyranny. The reasoning is quite simple.

 

            Great Britain was at its best when it had an empire that spanned the world. As one saying had it: “The sun never set on the British empire.” As reflected by its empire, Britain had achieved its greatest political, social, economic, and military accomplishments. And yet, undeniably, Britain’s empire was built on violence, injustice, imperialism, war, and tyranny. That is, “the glory” of the British empire was achieved only by means of violence, injustice, imperialism, war, and tyranny. Which is to say that the peak of the political life rests on violence, injustice, imperialism, war, and tyranny.

 

            So, if you wish to make America great, if you wish that the United States would achieve greatness, become the greatest empire that has ever existed, then you are embracing violence, injustice, imperialism, war, and tyranny, whether you recognize this or not. It’s just the way of the world, or, as Kurt Vonnegut would put it, “so it goes.”