Queen Elizabeth and the Empire

 

Queen Elizabeth died this week at age 96. She was one of the last world figures who was a participant in World War II. She was also the last monarch of the British Empire. When she became queen in 1952, the British Empire still existed, smaller than before the independence of India, but still an empire. Many leftists here and in other countries have reacted to her death with screeds attacking her and condemning the empire as evil. As usual they are wrong. (We have seen evil empires. The Soviet Union was one, and Xi is running one in China now, but leftists usually are not bothered by either of those.)

I would prefer a fully liberal world with no empires and no oppressive local governments. That is not the world of history or our present time. As a historical, rather than an absolute, matter the British Empire was a good thing. The British made their colonies in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East better places for human beings. Societies in most of those countries were closer to ones of liberal values and humane, civilized mores under the British than they were before the British arrived or have been since they left. Many of the former imperial possessions descended into tyranny, barbarism, mass murder, and savagery. The successful colony of Hong Kong is now under the heel of a communist dictator.

Against these facts the leftists have only that the British were of a different skin color from most of the people in their colonies. They claim that is decisive. That is worth noticing. It says something about what they think about the importance of liberal values and humane, civilized mores.