Date Posted:21:31:40 03/19/07 Mon Author:Paul_G Author Host/IP: c-68-83-87-141.hsd1.de.comcast.net / 68.83.87.141 Subject: Re: Britain Versus America In reply to:
jantra
's message, "Re: Britain Versus America" on 13:36:49 03/18/07 Sun
America is to Britain what the Byzantine Empire was to Rome. It's a spinoff... if the British Empire was still around today, it probably wouldn't be too much different than what America is now, except the British would be more formally in control than we are.
I don't see too much of a union though, much beyond what we have now. Both countries are too independant to give up any real control. Plus I think the power discrepency will be too large... Britain is still gradually declining in prestige. In 100 years, you'll have more in common on a global scale with Holland or Sweden than you do with the US.
To answer the original question, the shift of power did occur between the world wars, but I think it had more to do with aircraft and submarine development than naval tonnage. The empire was doomed as soon as Bleriot flew across the channel. At that point the English channel was no longer much protection against the wars in Europe. It's much easier to get involved in wars when they never involve your own soil. The Atlantic and Pacific oceans are America's version of the english channel... still basically out of range of everything but ICBMs.
