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[ronnyd]

My great grand father policed the British Empire with his regiment between the wars.
I`ve got a foto somewhere of him with his mates sitting around  dirty great big machine gun
I think they used it to persuade the locals to stop expressing their 'freedoms' 

Oh yes, the Great Days of Empire that kept the rabble, peasants, under control.

Some of my teachers in the past, and colleagues of my military father, were really quite proud of that!

The truth is though that the British Empire was far more 'liberal' that many that had gone before, and considered really kind compared to the likes of the Soviet Union, and I suspect of the China today

But dissent was still ruthlessly suppressed when it was deemed required. 

Very true, but due to the nature of British governments eventually progress was made by "the peasants" to win their rights, often after sweat and blood being spilt, but "the people" got their in the end.  The Chartists of 1838-48 saw results in the latter half of that century, into the twentieth, and even the likes of India eventually won their independence, although more due to Britain being bankrupt than for any kindness!!

You just appear to have debunked your own theory there Lizzie. 

[Lizzie Zoom]

My great grand father policed the British Empire with his regiment between the wars.
I`ve got a foto somewhere of him with his mates sitting around  dirty great big machine gun
I think they used it to persuade the locals to stop expressing their 'freedoms' 

Oh yes, the Great Days of Empire that kept the rabble, peasants, under control.

Some of my teachers in the past, and colleagues of my military father, were really quite proud of that!

The truth is though that the British Empire was far more 'liberal' that many that had gone before, and considered really kind compared to the likes of the Soviet Union, and I suspect of the China today

But dissent was still ruthlessly suppressed when it was deemed required. 

Very true, but due to the nature of British governments eventually progress was made by "the peasants" to win their rights, often after sweat and blood being spilt, but "the people" got their in the end.  The Chartists of 1838-48 saw results in the latter half of that century, into the twentieth, and even the likes of India eventually won their independence, although more due to Britain being bankrupt than for any kindness!!

You just appear to have debunked your own theory there Lizzie. 

No and yes

Indian resistance to British rule had grown greatly, with much revolutionary action, and the likes of Gandhi worked hard to get the British to contemplate giving independence in the 1930's, with the British public "kindness" starting to think that would be a good idea.  The Second World hastened this move, and once that war was over Britain needed to quickly off load what had become a dreadful drain on finances that it did not have.  So, before even India was ready for it, Britain brought the independence forward to 1947.  So, India achieved its independence that it had been fighting for, but at dreadful human cost, and Britain lost the 'Jewel in the Crown' and the huge cost of maintaining rule.  Everyone - well not quite - eventually were happy to achieve their goals.

Now that is a short snapshot of what transpired.

[Sir Tigger KC]

I went out for a bike ride this afternoon and there were loads more cars on the road. 

Zipping around the empty country roads was much more fun! 

[Nick W]

No and yes

Indian resistance to British rule had grown greatly, with much revolutionary action, and the likes of Gandhi worked hard to get the British to contemplate giving independence in the 1930's, with the British public "kindness" starting to think that would be a good idea.  The Second World hastened this move, and once that war was over Britain needed to quickly off load what had become a dreadful drain on finances that it did not have.  So, before even India was ready for it, Britain brought the independence forward to 1947.  So, India achieved its independence that it had been fighting for, but at dreadful human cost, and Britain lost the 'Jewel in the Crown' and the huge cost of maintaining rule.  Everyone - well not quite - eventually were happy to achieve their goals.

Now that is a short snapshot of what transpired.

compare that to the disaster that France made of trying to keep its empire, and the mess that made in SE Asia and North Africa.