Is Britain a superpower?

A great power yes. A superpower definitively not

nah.

Cba to write out a mini thesis on this now, but I will just say that, regrettably, the UK is not.

The legacy of the Empire is possibly the most influential 'thing' of the world. Industrialisation, locomotion, urbanisation, language, and countless other facets. Of course this means something - but in reality not a lot now.

Reply 4

Morgsie

7

The Suez Crisis is what finally did it. The UK is able to through the EU.

The whole Internal Market which includes competition etc were British ideas which the EU adopted to keep the UK happy back in the 1980s. Eurosceptics fail to realise that their precious Margaret Thatcher singed the Single European Act which put these ideas into EU Law.

We have nukes and a place on the UNSC.

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 5

edwinemanuelposse

Almost 50% of whole the planet knows English speech , so u as a small island in the year 1700, did pretty well !!

Reply 6

HenryD

12

We're a major power on the world stage, but superpower is a term reserved for the nations at a point in time who outclass everyone else bar maybe 1 or two others completely. Right now, that's only the USA, give China and India a few years and then maybe, but us? Nope.

Reply 7

Original post by edwinemanuelposse

almost 50% of whole the planet knows english speech , so u as a small island in the year 1700, did pretty well !!

thank you we did ourselves

Reply 8

Hunter_scfc

You've answered a large part of the question yourself. The British Empire was a huge superpower. Now we are more vulnerable and can't be classed as a superpower.

Can i just add potential superpowers: you've missed out Russia. After the collapse of communism they went into massive poverty but due to their rich resources of natural gas and oil they have managed to turn themselves into a serious economic power.

Reply 9

St. Brynjar

We have a seat at the top table in the world, but we're not a superpower.

Reply 10

Original post by Hunter_scfc

You've answered a large part of the question yourself. The British Empire was a huge superpower. Now we are more vulnerable and can't be classed as a superpower.

Can i just add potential superpowers: you've missed out Russia. After the collapse of communism they went into massive poverty but due to their rich resources of natural gas and oil they have managed to turn themselves into a serious economic power.

Russia is absolutely not a serious economic power

Reply 11

St. Brynjar

As one of the BRICS Russia is certainly powerful.

Reply 12

Original post by St. Brynjar

As one of the BRICS Russia is certainly powerful.

Yes all-hail the great talking shop that is the BRICS

Reply 13

Hunter_scfc

Original post by jamesrobbo1

Russia is absolutely not a serious economic power

Expand?

Serious inequality i will give you that. I still see them as a economic strength mainly because of their natural resources.

Reply 14

DaveSmith99

14

The world is moving towards international co-operation, gone are the times of lone super powers.

Reply 15

Aj12

Original post by Hunter_scfc

Expand?

Serious inequality i will give you that. I still see them as a economic strength mainly because of their natural resources.

That's a weakness not a strength. Their economy is propped up by high resource prices, when the prices drop so will Russia's economy.

Reply 16

Josh93

11

The UK is and will continue to be a Great Power with significant global influence (culturally and economically, largely due to London) but nowhere near that of a superpower (the only current superpower being the US).

The UK isn't leading the EU because it can't even decide if it wants to be in the EU - if you choose to sit on the sidelines then you cannot expect to captain the team.

(edited 11 years ago)

Reply 17