[Niamh.]

Originally Posted by Livia

The Empire built the infrastructure of many countries, like India for example, and gave them a system of government. I'm not saying the Empire was a good thing... it wasn't. But although it took a lot, it gave back a little. Today's Britain is very different. Today we have a Commonwealth of countries consisting mainly of ex-Empire nations. People don't have to be members, but many do because it's beneficial to them. Mozambique, for example, was never part of the British Empire but chooses to be a part of the Commonwealth.

An Indian man once said to me, "Thank God it was the British who took India. It could have been France - or even worse - Germany!" If it hadn't been Britain back then, it would have been someone else. Many European countries had empires, but they don't feel the need to continuously beat themselves up about it because it happened in the different generation.

Whether you gave them good infrastructure or not does not justify taking a country that doesn't want to be taken, with all due respect. I'm sure if ye still had control of the republic of Ireland our roads would be better too but I'd rather be Irish tbh.