>"Mass-murdering imperial nation" is a tautology. And
>in terms of mass murders attributable directly to
>viciousness and brutality rather than to the
>viciousness and brutality which were intrinsic to
>historically inevitable production relations, the
>British Empire was better than most. You can
>criticise a capitalist for being a monster, but not
>for being a capitalist, and the vast majority of the
>Empire's victims were victims of capitalism, not
>monstrosity.
It takes monsters for capitalism/imperialism to work, though.
But check out Mike Davis' new book, where you can read about the British administrators of India happily letting millions starve in the name of market prices and fiscal rectitude, and blaming the shiftlessness of the Indians for their dire situation. Monstrosity is one of several words that come to mind.
Doug