Incidentally there was no greater period of free trade in human history than under British hegemony. Even the US has not pursued unilateral free trade.

Also regarding Chesapeake, Britain’s century of hegemony came afterwards. Trafalgar came afterwards, and mattered a lot. Losing that battle doesn’t mean the navy wasn’t globally dominant in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

What’s the Bertrand Russell quote?

You can list a long series of reasons why they were weak and crap, ackshually. But presumably plenty about them was also not weak and crap otherwise they wouldn’t have ended up the global hegemon for a century. Certainly in terms of global trade dominance, at their peak nobody in history has come close, not China and not the USA.

Yeah no not really because none of the tariffs seem to be tied to human rights or exploitation. Otherwise you wouldn't be putting tariffs on your close, democratic allies.

Your post is kind of anti intellectual and retarded tbh.

Parliamentary democracy has a better track record, for sure.

Like I said, it's a pity, but for a city that claims to be Germany's "gateway to the world", its people are awfully parochial, small-minded, and terribly lacking in curiosity.

Anyway, you sound like me when I was about 19, lots of abstract theories and ideas without any ties to the real world we find ourselves in. I don't regret it but I'm glad I grew out of it . It's not stuff to be taken seriously. All the best.

Anyway.