British Empire's psychological effect on its population

Egypt about to get civilized

A brief historical recap that may provide some clues about the current North American hegemon







It is no longer a secret that parts of the Western hemisphere have become "the old world". This is primarily seen in the New England region of the United States. There are some glaring demonstrations of this phenomenon. One is billionaire oligarch mayor Bloomberg's admiration of the city of London and Amsterdam (and cheerful co-mingling with their managers). The other is the hideous and embarrassing media fawning over the recent hereditary mafia wedding that occurred in London. It appears that American elites have given up on the project of building a unique and divergent socioeconomic system of their own (1790s-1970s period). No longer proud experimenters competing with the old world, they are now happy to take socioeconomic marching orders and get swallowed up by the original oligarchical mother country. The growing frequency of British accents in upper hierarchies in Northeastern United States is very indicative. It is even written that a British accent sounds more authoritative and sells more product if used in commercials in this region!

Northeast is not only exhausted in terms of ideas but demographically as well. The 2010 census showed a major population loss to the southern states. By many metrics, Texas is now the most powerful and still vital center of the old American system (since they are a few decades behind in development of minimal state capitalism, have not managed to squeeze it dry yet, and have a population yet to be as totally demoralized as it is in the northeast).

Lets look at the British experience and see if anything can be glimpsed from their herd's development. 

A global oceanic empire with fragmented colonies separated by thousands of miles has an infantilizing effect on the citizenry. That is due to the constant relief of social tensions through colonial emigration and the crown's need to use its strongest people to control the conquered. British citizens who had physiological predisposition towards aggressiveness, impulsivity, and restlessness (Myers-Briggs personality types of ESTPs, ENTJs, ENTPs, ENFPs) always had a socially encouraged outlet. These hardy extroverted breeds could leave the socially rigid crowded home island to seek new financial and farming opportunities abroad at any time (go west, east, south young man). The frontier keeps growing as the oldest settled parts are thoroughly divided into real estate rentier turfs under the boot of the hereditary mafia clans. Many other hardy men who decide to stay get drafted anyway and their energy is expanded on suppressing and controlling alien cultures and weaker peoples. Then of course we have the prisoners being sent to penal colonies and various people pretty much kidnapped to be part of the navy (it wasn't uncommon to hit drunk poverty stricken young lads on the head near pubs and have them awaken on ships, I kid you not.)

No more lands to conquer

With the potential lower class trouble makers gone, the crown needs to worry less about actually allowing the people their say and share of the national resources. Lower classes are culturally (and genetically to a degree) purged of possible future leaders and centers of resistance. Paternalism from above is strengthened and becomes more impudent. Those that stay behind are either too physiologically weak, conservative, complacent and/or nationalistic (ESTJs, ISTJs, ISFJs, ESFJs) to stir too much social unrest. Social and economic reform is left to the elites (where aggressive extroverted genes become overly clustered and fine tuned through interbreeding). The number of elites is small and they are one big happy family who went to the same schools. 

Sometimes when social tension gets too great from some military reversal abroad or the economic situation getting desperate, the elites split the parliament and put on a show for the public. Some become "lords" and some become "representatives" of the commoners by deciphering what the commoners want through an upper class lens. In the end, there is always a cheerful compromise. Talented people of middle class status are encouraged to go abroad and become lords themselves within the occupied territories.

The vast majority of the population finds itself either under the boot and bayonet on the home island or in the middle of nowhere and next to hostile natives thousands of miles away. They then view the home island with a sense of nostalgia and admiration. They begin to view the home island as a trade partner and a protector against local rebellions. They start to forget how miserable and oppressive existence was back home. Their children and grandchildren definitely don't know the horrid conditions that made their parents leave (if they weren't drafted or sent to god forsaken lands as punishment for a crime). The crown is viewed as a kind father who brings civilization and not as a belt whipping parent. A super conservative parent who divides and conquers his own subjects. Whites are put against whites with English feeling superior to the Irish. Whites are united against the newer subjects and feel superior to Indians. Indians in turn, are drafted to oppress blacks and so on. (Remind you of anything yet?)

After some time, the British citizens don't even question this mode of existence as it becomes incredibly fine tuned and self perpetuating. The crown and parliament had hundreds of years to learn control and give candy or the belt when needed. British subjects stopped questioning those in charge. The stern crown even dared to call itself liberal, civilized, and enlightened just because it gave the older brothers some leeway in harassing the younger ones. British peoples got to run around the yard doing what they wish while their parent shook fists across the fence at the even more conservative Czars or Emperors next door. Of course the little ones had to do their chores daily.

Then finally came the two big wars and events where up to 3,000 British citizens were being butchered for the crown each day (Battle of the Somme). They also died in huge numbers defending London directly from planes. They started feeling a sense of empowerment and ownership for the first time. So the parent gave them a welfare state. Elites decided that if they continue whipping the older sons they will get punched in the face. So they gave some healthcare and split themselves not into lords and commoners this time but into Labour and Conservative factions. They still dined together, laughed, and were closer socially than republican and democrat heavy hitters in a certain former colony. This worked and the people left them alone. The people did not get a supreme court, constitution, socialism, or checks and balances. The "subjects" (!) still had a monarch whose children tabloids went crazy about. 

The British empire reduced the Brits to a groveling mass without true national identity (to upper classes it doesn't matter what color or nationality those at the bottom are) consuming American byproducts like Budweiser and MTV and being flooded by former colonials from Asia without any solution in sight. This system had the effect of stamping out the self confidence of most people left on the home island and depriving them of sense that they can control their destiny. England is now a rust belt dorm house saturated in alcohol, rapid Americanization due to lack of culture (one larger cultural vacuum sucking in another), and distrust of continental people trying to build something new. New England (new in name only) will continue to fall deeper into a similar hole if major changes are not undertaken by a now gradually awakening population.

There is a happy ending to all this. Parasitism cannot last forever and eats itself in the end (sorry you wont get those Libyan or Iraqi oil fields boys and girls). Once the extroverted aggressive genetics don't have sufficient release outlets and begin to build up, wondrous new experimental projects can begin.