Some of the problems Great Britain has now, is due to its humanistic culture, in fact all the loss of power over all the colonies and all the former territories is due to the fact, that the rulers of these areas did not wish to be too harsh. Take Winston Churchill, the man that basically managed the decline of the empire, how was he? Well he was a kind man basically, and he fought for the positive values of Great Britain, freedom, freedom of speech, law, independence. When you truly believe these ideas, being a colonial ruler is very difficult, because you do not have the impetus to really use the force necessary to quell resistance, and in a way Mahatma Ghandi is a product of this. He used the humanistic core of Great Britain to tear India away from England.
At the same time, this basic decency, is also the strength of Great Britain, because everybody still do respect the opinions of the English. Churchill was also an example of this, his moral example and will was truly why he was so decisive in his mediation in the world affairs.
I think this lesson was a bit lost on the post empirical generations. The aftermath of the second world war called for implosion and demoralization. The loss was too great to really cope with, and there seemed no path to take after the loss. Well, there is another interesting example of colonies and imperialism that could reflect the solution too England. The Phoenicians had a truly magnificient colony; Carthage. It fostered illuminaries as Zeno and Hannibal the great. Long after the colony of Carthage had gained indepence from Phoenicia, it retained good contacts, and they created a kind of common wealth; sharing of ideas and sharing of ressources, but on an independent basis.
The same is the fact today; the sharing of ideas, the cooperation between armies and so on. England has the edge, that it is the oldest or, perhaps as not really true, because originally England was a Danish colony. But in the realm of the empire, England is the oldest member, and therefor has the deepest intellectual understanding of matters.
This preemince of the commonwealth, is there already, so why the depression? England has the opportunity to thrive among its former colonies, taking not a material lead, but an intellectual lead.
In these days, where the internet broadcasts all ideas easily, it can reach all those who listen.
G-d bless England, the land of the fairies and the trolls of the great writers.