Re:The dystopian underworld of South Africa’s illegal gold m...
by sangnoir on Thursday February 23, 2023 @12:21PM
(#34913476)
> The UK doesn't seem to be bursting at the seams with prosperity these days. Switzerland does much better yet never had any colonies.
I dunno - Northern Ireland seems to be doing alright, current woes affecting the rest of the Kingdom (Britain) appear to be self-inflicted.
More seriously: I never claimed imperialism led to eternal prosperity. Pax Britania led to a very prosperous Britain - it is undeniable that imperialism is beneficial while it's happening: captive markets abroad support broader industrialization than just a single home market[1], and externalization of costs makes it cheaper/more "efficient".
1. Which Britain is relearning - as you noted, they are not exactly bursting at the seams with prosperity, post-Brexit
I dunno - Northern Ireland seems to be doing alright, current woes affecting the rest of the Kingdom (Britain) appear to be self-inflicted.
More seriously: I never claimed imperialism led to eternal prosperity. Pax Britania led to a very prosperous Britain - it is undeniable that imperialism is beneficial while it's happening: captive markets abroad support broader industrialization than just a single home market[1], and externalization of costs makes it cheaper/more "efficient".
1. Which Britain is relearning - as you noted, they are not exactly bursting at the seams with prosperity, post-Brexit