Niall Ferguson - Empire: How Britain Made the Modern World - Empire for Sale 1/5

[Isk3ndar]

Standing up to Nazi Germany does not justify the numerous crimes the British empire committed pre-1939 nor does the Japanese rape of Nanking make the British crimes less worse. I am not saying that everything the British empire did was bad but in this documentary Ferguson is way too apologetic.

[TheLiberalKnight]

@Isk3ndar You are a Belgian. Belgian war crimes in the Congo were the worst in the 19th century. Therefore, you should shut the fuck up, and before telling the British (the greatest success story since Rome) to apologize, you should publicly apologize and admit the Belgians were the worst war criminals of the Victorian age.

Bloody hypocritical continental fool.

[Isk3ndar]

@TheLiberalKnight I fail to see the relevance of my nationality, what has Belgian history to do with this? I never denied the horrors brought upon the Congolese by the Belgians. Anyway seeing you call the British empire the greatest success story since Rome (and by that seemingly ignoring the negative effects of British colonialism) it's a waste of time going any further in this discussion.

[TheLiberalKnight]

@Isk3ndar The British Empire had some negative impacts, but the negative impacts are the ONLY impacts that are recorded or talked about. The truth is, the positive impacts of the British Empire outweighed the negatives tenfold.

I will NOT be lectured by a Belgian about colonial issues. Britain's colonial record is the best of all European powers, we even gave many blacks the right to vote in the dominions. Other Europeans were simply brutal, especially the Germans.

[Isk3ndar]

@TheLiberalKnight You are blaming others an all too negative approach, yet you (and Niall Ferguson) take an all too positive approach in my opinion. The British were pioneers in abolishing slave trade yet, after the Portuguese, the British transported the most Africans, as slaves, to the colonies. History is not black or white, you can't justify every misstep with things the empire did right. Of course this also goes the other way around.

[TheLiberalKnight]

@Isk3ndar I focus only on the positives because 95% of historians ONLY focus on the negatives of the empire. I am actively trying to be a counterweight.

The problem with people like you is that you put the 1700-1800 empire into the same catagory as the 1800-1950 empire. Why not see the positive side? Lord Parlmerston felt like banning slavery in south America so he sent warships to Brazil and they duly complied. Is that not decency by force?

[wenjilu]

Ferguson's opening argument is flawed. The British fought time again against nastier empires because of conflicting national and political interests, not because it was the lofty good guy. The fact that it did should not be used to exonerate it's past evils. Much less claiming it was out to save civilisation.

[picklemonster1001]

@wenjilu the way the world has come to be for the likes of you and me is because of western imperialism. And it so happens that the accumulation of a British empire in the end was a massive help in being able to suppress the fast Growing Empire of Nazi Germany.. Who's intentions were .. well.. You should know from the history books!

Do I agree with imperialism? No. But everything happens for a reason and a better world has arisen from the ashes.

Australia and America are amazing outcomes :)

[manchesterfellow]

@wenjilu you missed the point of Ferguson's opening scenes. The point wasn't that we saved the world, it was that we wasn't as evil as some would have you believe. It was that you should judge the British Empire by the standards and morals of it's time.

Get it?

[umjackd]

I think it would have been nice if he mentioned that the declaration of Jihad from Istanbul actually did more harm in Ottoman Turkey than in India, because the Ottoman Empire was not just a Muslim empire, but a cosmopolitan one.

[shantanu6]

this is criminal to justify british crimes against humanity..have you heard of "jalianwala bagh genocide" in india, total callosuness in crushing ind movement of 1857 in india..bbc should be ashamed of maing such documentories..be human plz

[DrZenith]

re:Falklands. Our Argentine friend, below, should respect facts. No Argentine has ever lived there. The inhabitants are of British stock and prefer to remain British rather than citizens of a country with a corrupt political élite (today Kirchner, yesterday Peron ) with constant military coups up to 1983. Argentina has NO claim on these islands and should be satisfied with the vast land area it already owns.

[DrZenith]

How right Ferguson is when he states that the British Empire justified its existence by its war against Nazi Germany and so coming to the rescue of civilization. The rest of Europe should be thankful that the British didn't do a deal with Germany (like the vile Molotov-Ribbentrop treaty to carve up Poland) and that they fought alone for two years until the U.S. was forced into the conflict after Pearl Harbor in late 1941.

[StrahOfTheSundjer]

@DrZenith

Should Czechoslovakia be thankful too? The British just made Nazi Germany stronger by letting Hitler annex Sudetenland and occupy the rest of the Czech lands (the Munich Agreement ). They did strike a deal, but when it turned out unprofitable to strengthen Germany they '' came to the rescue of civilization ''

[DrZenith]

@StrahOfTheSundjer Whoa there! I'm not speaking about the deplorably weak and gutless British policy of appeasement prior to 1939 and the final Franco-British declaration of war on Germany. What might have happened had the Brits and the French refused any compromise over Czechoslovakia in 1938 no-one can know. One thing is certain which is that Germany benefited greatly by having another year to rearm even further and were even stronger than in 1938.

[StrahOfTheSundjer]

@DrZenith

Glad we cleared that out :D

[MAPLESHELL74]

@jVlonzter Say this to the Decolonization Committee of the United Nations and we'll see what they think.

[MAPLESHELL74]

@jVlonzter ahaha!! You must prove it's true in an International Court. Starting with Decolonization Committee of the United Nations. Everything else is anectodotal. But you refuse to do it because you know that you would lost Las Malvinas. By geography and history, Las Malvinas fueron son y serán Argentinas.

[MAPLESHELL74]

Give us back The Falklands mother fuckers!! And dont suck more oil that is not yours!

You must to respect the Decolonization Committee of the United Nations.

Cheers from Argentina.

[Thicite]

@MAPLESHELL74 falklands were British before Argentina was even a country, hence they're more entitled to us

[MAPLESHELL74]

I'm from Argentina. The economy of my country was deformed through 150 years because of the british empire diplomacy, helped by our native oligarchy. George Cannig was a very important figure in this task. Until Peron took the power in 1945. Years later Churchill said: "Peron's fall is the best news I've received after our victory in World War" Why? Because we were your economic colony!! And this is why the most of people who don't want to sale the country to the U.S., vote today for CFK.

[samreznek]

I love this line at about 1:30... "We're used to being told the Empire was the bad guy. The so-called freedom fighters were the heros. But in truth, British Rule wasn't overthrown as punishment for wickedness, on the contrary. In the twentieth century the British Empire would justify its existence by coming to the rescue of civilization."

[TheDragonknee71]

Yeah liberals want you to feel guilty for what your ancestors did.Thats why Britain is being taken over so easy by the muslims.They are trying that shit here in the states.But they will not take my Bushmaster M4A2 from me.The older I get the less I have to lose.Semper Fi.I'm just saying you don't want a racecar in the red.Pulp Fiction.

[brentsrx7]

Or you could call it, why America is still trying to clean up the worlds shit.

[brentsrx7]

This should have been called how Britain fucked up the world. or even better. How Europe is responsible for the fucking middle ages, raping the world, then starting the most destructive wars in world history. That title would be much more accurate.

[jradetzky]

Like, does this dude really want us to believe that the British were doing good?

LOL

[FoxIceDaniels]

@jradetzky

i find that funny coming from someone who lives in Singapore, you might want to open a history book as to why your country exists.

[jradetzky]

@FoxIceDaniels LOL

[skiracr2fast4u]

@jradetzky HAH

[louiseobrien2065]

The British empire did a lot of good things, they treated their colonies better than a lot of other countries. WW2 was started by Germany because of how badly it was treated at the end of WW1. The Jewish people had been traitors to Germany during WW1 and afterwards, which is why they were killed.

[GaiusIuliusTaberna]

@louiseobrien2065 What the hell are you talking about? The "Jewish people" had nothing to do with Germany's defeat in World war one, the very premise that a religious or ethnic group could be monolithic and also responsible for a world even its patently absurd, primitive and foolish.

This is pure Nazi inspired nonsense!

[brentsrx7]

@louiseobrien2065 yep all of the Jews in Germany fought against Germany. Not some, not a very small minority. no, "THE JEWS" right? The last time i checked hundreds of Jews who earned the iron cross during WW1? but you wouldn't know that would you. Germany was mad, and there is a huge left wing uprising in the east beating and killing innocent foreigners or non Aryans.

[jradetzky]

@louiseobrien2065 Heil Hitler!

[brentsrx7]

The American Empire????

[di55illu5ioned]

@brentsrx7 Not with people like Bush And Barack Hussien Obama. War is neccesary to turn a profit, so there shall always be one, no matter the cost to human life.

1 Huey chopper was about $500,000 and look how many they needed as "Dust off's" never mind Troop carriers. Then Chinooks as carriers and Apaches for combat. That's just the helicopter "industry"

War=Money. Jobs for the masses and a stable economy.

[buldhana]

My view is completely opposite of Niall's. I think the British Empire was ran by plunderers .. who plundered India and other countries. But it was Hitler's idea to make Europe (Britain Included) it's colony was what made the British go to war with Germany. Countries like India should be thankful to Hitler who waged a war against England which cost England lot of money and the independence movement carried out in India .. Led the British to leave India and stop the looting!

[smoochym]

You are completely deluded if you think a German or Japanese form of empire would oi been better than the British, do you think they would of give you your independence so easily?

[Kelthuzad126]

@smoochym your right 110% the British empire done so much good, they had their darker days but i would much rather live under the British than the German or Japanese empire.

[laageen]

The Indians might think they were probably done in slightly if their GDP was 20 times higher than that of Great Brittian the time my ancestors arrived in South Africa. It would mean about 30 odd trillion USD today (PPP who knows, your living standards would have been too high too speculate). All in the past mate.

[cityflyguy]

Just to help anyone out, the correct order is: Episode 1= Why Britain?, E2= White Plague, E3= The Mission, E4= Heavens Breed, E5= Maxim Force, E6 Empire for Sale

[cheyaura]

When you spout hatred towards American or Britain or Israel you play right into the hands of their New World Order. You make it possible for them to attribute any crticism to Islamic Extremism or Anti-semitism. Muslim leaders are placed by Mossad and the Cia they have been doing it for Centuries. Open your eyes why do you think they let Muslim extremists live in America and Britain? So they can make the public believe the Islamic world is a threat.

[ardeestephen100]

Does this "New World Order" make any difference to your life?

It's all interesting to read and talk about, but really come on....no one is gonna give there life for anything on the "New World Order"

[hammad313]

Hitler for life.......

[hammad313]

@matty james

what the jewish basterds have done in Gaza the whole world has seen, so do not try to portray them as innocent and the AMerican bastards nwo running concentration camp in terms of jail, this is your fucking western civilization, looting ,raping, killing and distroying the civilization , and now USA is gonna begging Taliban to negotiate, now what happen to the crusader spirit, aint Three in One jesus coming to help your fucked up US army ?

[MattyJames25]

Who said anything about the Jews?

Great, stop using the internet - another "propaganda" tool of western civilization...

Taliban are fucked - killed Amanullah and captured Baradar.

Now go blow yourself up you forty year old virgin...

[rosihantu1]

@hammad313 Calm down there, you are going to have a heart attack. Prophet Muhammad (please beat upon him) abhors people who lose their temper.

[Phil1796]

wasnt the nking massacre the japs

[hammad313]

Her majesty , why can't you send your royal navy from your old stinky white ass to attack china again? why the fuck you white shits only attack the weak nations like Afghans and Iraqis shame on you bastards, you people are disgrace to humanity.

[MattyJames25]

Like you have the first clue about what humanity is... Don't you and your Pakistani elders have some innocent girls to gang rape?  Real tough guys you are.

[stealthpakfa]

americans are repulsive monsters.

americans get sick twisted pleasure in killing 2 year old babies in iraq and afghanistan then burning the body to hide the evidence.

thats what america is all about.

americans are a monstrous scum vulgar race that should have no right to be born on this planet.

i dont consider americans to be part of the human race. too evil to be humans.

its a birthright of americans to butcher 2 year old babies and smile and enjoy it in some mentally sick and twisted way.

[MattyJames25]

Dude, you're fucking crazy... You're imam is telling you nonsense... Try thinking for yourself for once, and actually meeting some Americans rather than just talking shit... You'll learn that Americans are not a "race" for one thing: we are from the entire world.

[stealthpakfa]

america and britain are the most evil nations in the history of the human race.

[acmedressform]

uhm i don't think so, no one nation has a lock on evil

[stealthpakfa]

Satan jerked off, the semen fell, and when it hit the earth, americans crawled out of the goo.

[MattyJames25]

Go rape a 9 year old girl and behead innocent Jews like your so called prophet did... Then talk to us about evil.

[stealthpakfa]

giving an american a nobel peace prize is like giving hitler a humanitarian award!

[MattyJames25]

haha...