The Problem with Empire - Futopia

Empires are nothing but problems blowing in the sand. Sometimes as useful as a pane of glass. Sometimes more painful, when sticking out your neck!

In the UK, a long time ago, labour was swept into power with a landslide majority by an electorate with high expectations of a bright hopeful future. So let’s briefly look back at john smith who probably would have been prime minister; and where we can only imagine the path not taken.

Smith was a politician who had more of a smidge of affinity for the working class than his eventual successor. He probably would have reformed the public sector; but not carve it up and hand over the juicy morsels; sorry, tender out unproductive parts to private organisations. With smith’s untimely death, the mantle of leadership passed to margaret beckett. A lovely woman, but not really  galvanising the country by the scruff of its neck sort of leader. No matter how hard I try, I can never imagine margaret riding bareback on a shining white charger, with her enemies heads bouncing off her bosom!

But what of china and it's one belt one road initiative? There are currently 68 countries participating in the drive, which some might uncharitably view as the beginnings of a light-touch hegemony, eventually ushering in a loose empire. Yes china has human rights issues, along with most countries and all empires through the ages. The right to simply be, is a fight people have had to rekindle from generation to generation, and that’s only through records which haven’t been destroyed by religious zealots.

What of the king of trumponia and the crystal clouded future? I suppose the best we can hope for is that as long as stubby fingers fail to find buttons of doom, and a nest of inept incompetents are turfed out, then at least there’ll be one less agent of chaos ready to bring the world cascading into flames.

But when you hear countries talking about bringing freedom for your people, gather all your precious assets and squirrel them away safe and secure. Call black gold, nothing but dirty water, and the soil’s only fit for flushing. Then to all intents you’re too dirt poor, and hardly worth the enslavement.