: ▁How ▁can ▁the ▁same ▁nation ▁purs ue ▁two ▁lines ▁of ▁policy ▁so ▁rad ically ▁different ▁without ▁bew ilder ment , ▁be ▁desp otic ▁in ▁Asia ▁and ▁dem ocr atic ▁in ▁Australia , ▁be ▁in ▁the ▁East ▁at ▁once ▁the ▁greatest ▁M uss el man ▁Power ▁in ▁the ▁World   ... ▁and ▁at ▁the ▁same ▁time ▁in ▁the ▁West ▁be ▁the ▁for em ost ▁champion ▁of ▁free ▁thought ▁and ▁spiritual ▁religion . ▁ ▁Histor ian ▁Douglas ▁Pe ers ▁emphas izes ▁that ▁an ▁ideal ized ▁knowledge ▁of ▁the ▁Empire ▁per me ated ▁popular ▁and ▁el ite ▁thought ▁in ▁Britain ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century : ▁No ▁history ▁of ▁nin ete enth - century ▁Britain ▁can ▁be ▁complete ▁without ▁acknowled ging ▁the ▁impact ▁that ▁the ▁emp ire ▁had ▁in ▁fashion ing ▁political ▁culture , ▁inform ing ▁strateg ic ▁and ▁diplom atic ▁prior ities , ▁sh aping ▁social ▁institutions ▁and ▁cultural ▁practices , ▁and ▁determ ining , ▁at ▁least ▁in ▁part , ▁the ▁rate ▁and ▁direction ▁of ▁economic ▁development . ▁Moreover , ▁British ▁identity ▁was ▁bound ▁up ▁with ▁the ▁emp ire . ▁ ▁Polit icians ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁and ▁histor ians ▁ever ▁since ▁have ▁expl ored ▁whether ▁the ▁Empire ▁was ▁too ▁expensive ▁for ▁the ▁British ▁budget . ▁Joseph ▁Chamber lain ▁thought ▁so ▁but ▁he ▁had ▁little ▁success ▁at ▁the ▁Imperial ▁Conference ▁of ▁ 1 9 0 2 ▁asking ▁over se as ▁partners ▁to ▁increase ▁their ▁contribution . ▁Canada ▁and ▁Australia ▁spoke ▁of ▁fund ing ▁a ▁war ship — the ▁Canadian ▁Senate ▁voted ▁it ▁down