Can Britain ever become a superpower again?
Discuss issues related to the politics of the UK, such as the actions of any MP, any current or potential law, or any other factor affecting the British political system.
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Re: Can Britain ever become a superpower again?Only if Labour and Lib Dem parties disappear.(Original post by IanDangerously)
As I was writing a post in another topic earlier about Russia and their right to be a superpower, my mind rambled a bit and I started to wonder if Great Britain can ever become a political superpower on the international stage again.
90 years ago, the British Empire was accountable for approximately 25% of the entire worlds population, and Britain had control of 25% of the worlds landmass, therefore being able to completely dictate trade routes and international relations. A lot has changed in 90 years, clearly.
In 2008, Great Britian controls very little in the way of overseas territories, and have a population of only 58,000,000 residents, many having moved into the UK from other countries. We also seem to be losing the ability to defend ourselves politically, being subservient to the United States in their quest to capture resources, and being a part of the European Union, often have to accept group decisions that the country does not agree with or benefit from in any way.
So, with all this in mind, can Britain ever become a superpower again if desired? I know that we clearly will never compete with China in terms of population, but is there any way to maximise the economic power of the nation in order to compete in terms of financial position and ability to develop and expand faster and more sustainably than other nations?
Also, what would be the positives and negatives for the general population if it ever were to happen? -
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Re:Can Britain ever become a superpower again?Only if Britain abandons its Marxist/ equality agenda.(Original post by billydisco)
Only if Labour and Lib Dem parties disappear. -
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Re: Can Britain ever become a superpower again?Britain cannot be an individual superpower, our population and economy are simply too small.
Britain could however be a leading partner in a superpower be that the EU or Commonwealth, with an increasing population and good economic prospects we should be able to start reining in Germany in the future. -
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Re: Can Britain ever become a superpower again?Impossible - but why would you want to live in a superpower? It doesn't mean your life would be any better. Look at the US. There are around 20 countries in the world where the quality of life is ranked higher. Sure, the US are best in the world at bombing other countries and making the most cars, but it doesn't mean the people actually enjoy the best and longest lives. I know what I'd rather.
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Re: Can Britain ever become a superpower again?To be perfectly honest, Britain still is a superpower in many ways. That is to say, it still reaps the benefits of a colonial power.
It's just going through a textbook business stage. It's more profitable to outsource right now. America packs-the-punch and third world countries provide the resource. -
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Re: Can Britain ever become a superpower again?Britain is one of several "global" powers. Others include France, Germany, Japan, Russia and Brazil. The US is the only superpower. China soon will be.
(Original post by Hal.E.Lujah)
To be perfectly honest, Britain still is a superpower in many ways. That is to say, it still reaps the benefits of a colonial power.
It's just going through a textbook business stage. It's more profitable to outsource right now. America packs-the-punch and third world countries provide the resource. -
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Re: Can Britain ever become a superpower again?Define superpower? China is certainly considered one in most economic and historical circles I know.(Original post by HARRYPATRICK89)
Britain is one of several "global" powers. Others include France, Germany, Japan, Russia and Brazil. The US is the only superpower. China soon will be. -
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Re: Can Britain ever become a superpower again?It's a state that has a / THE dominant position in the world in that it can influence other countries in terms of economics and culture to its own advantage. There is only one country that can do that - the USA. Until 1989 there were two countries that could do that, but not to each other. So, until 1989 it could be argued that there were 2 super powers or no super powers.(Original post by Hal.E.Lujah)
Define superpower? China is certainly considered one in most economic and historical circles I know. -
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Re: Can Britain ever become a superpower again?Not a chance, we haven't got the economic strength or military strength of current 'superpowers' such as the US and China. You could debate whether we were actually a superpower to begin with depending on the definition of superpower.
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Re: Can Britain ever become a superpower again?No, but why would we have to be/want to be? What advantages does it have? I'm quite happy the way it is although would quite like us out of the EU, there doesn't seem to be much benefit with being part of it anymore, or at least with EU having less of our powers.
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Re: Can Britain ever become a superpower again?US is a superpower.
Britain, France, Russia and China are 'global' powers (they can use their influence around the world)
Countries like Germany, Japan, Brazil, India, Australia, Canada are regional powers. (When do you ever get Brazil telling Pakistan what to do...?) -
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Re: Can Britain ever become a superpower again?We were certainly a superpower pre-WW2 albeit one that was waning (Germany/Prussia had risen, Japan had Pacific dominance and the USA was already richer), of course the defining feature of WW2 bar Nazi's and Japan was the true sleeping giants of Russia and the USA had awoken.(Original post by nixonsjellybeans)
Not a chance, we haven't got the economic strength or military strength of current 'superpowers' such as the US and China. You could debate whether we were actually a superpower to begin with depending on the definition of superpower. -
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Re: Can Britain ever become a superpower again?As long as Britain gives it's inhabitants a high standard of living and is more than capable of defending itself when needed both politically and in terms of military then I will be happy. As mentioned by many others we don't have the population or land mass to be a super power but we can easily hold our own in the Top 10 nations maybe Top 5.
USA is miles out infront of anyone else people overestimate China's power remember they only have one Aircraft Carrier in their navy which was only finished this year and they still don't have any planes for it. As it stands the US would wipe the floor with China in a war and every other country for that matter. China will no doubt get more powerful but I don't see anyone topping the Americans off the top of the table for a long long time.
