Empires and Imperialism was: XBOX 360 2727

Economic disadvantage certainly is another issue.

But with Ireland not governed by foreigners, at least people weren't threatened with the loss of their inheritance for not converting to an artificial religion concocted by political authorities.

Of course, it is entirely proper to note that it is somewhat arrogant for we in the West to presume we know better than anyone else. But many of the countries in the Third World *are* obvious dictatorships.

The problem is, of course, we are hardly likely to send our children out to fight and die except when our self-interest is very clearly threatened. The imbalance of military force between the rich and the poor nations, while still great, is not what it was in the Victorian Era.

They are successful exporters only because they are low-wage countries. As that changes, continued growth will be less easy for them, as it has become for Taiwan and South Korea in their turn, after Japan.

They could well develop and become important countries. If China remains under a Communist dictatorship, then it could become a threat. (Really, it should be expelled from Tibet and Uighuristan while we have the chance.) But, ultimately, *all* the countries of the world developing is what I want, so that we have a whole world of countries like the ones in Europe - prosperous, stable, democratic, and peaceful.

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