@Stepinside “Exploiting natural resources of other areas/peoples is a key factor in growth of empires. We benefited hugely from it, as did other empires.”
Unwise long term strategy. It’s the same area: the earth.
Did you see who was named ‘Greatest Leader of All Times’ in BBC World Histories? Unfamiliar name beat the likes of Churchill seemingly on the merit of how he approached empire building.
Historian Mark Lockwood wrote: “Though certainly an imperialist, Ranjit Singh represented a different, more enlightened, more inclusive model of state-building, and a much-needed path towards unity and toleration. We could still benefit from his example.”
Matt Elton: “And, at a time of global political tensions, it’s telling that Singh’s rule is interpreted as representing ideals of tolerance, freedom and cooperation.”
”We're just another empire (in rapid decline, relatively speaking). A lot of people still look back fondly to those days (the good parts only).”
The reluctance to confront the ‘bad parts’ of British Empire is also poor strategy. We need not be in decline if we Learn from the past in order to prepare for the future.
To quote Sun Tzu: “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.” (‘The Art of War’).