Scott Reynolds schrieb:
> 
> On 7/7/2003 5:34 PM, Silvio Franke wrote:
> 
> > Scott Reynolds schrieb:
> >
> >>It is interesting to ask oneself, however, why today there is a
> >>Commonwealth of Nations of which Britain and several former British
> >>colonies are members, but no Japanese Commonwealth (or perhaps the term
> >>should be Co-prosperity Sphere).
> >
> > The answer is quite simple. Japan lost the war. Britain not.
> 
> I don't think so. What is to prevent Japan from organizing its own
> Commonwealth of Nations and inviting its former colonies to join?
> Nothing but the fact that the answer would be a resounding no from every
> country receiving such an invitation.

I guess this is not an option for Japan. Maybe this could have been an 
option, if Japan would not have started the war in the Pacific or if 
it would at least have won it. And I think, that the former Japanese 
Colonies, would still have some kind of ties to Japan, if Japan 
wouldn't have lost the war.

> By the same token, what is to prevent current members of the British
> Commonwealth of Nations from pulling out of the organization, especially
> the ones that are sovereign nations in their own right? It seems to me
> that the Commonwealth members choose to remain in the organization
> because they perceive doing so to be in their own interest.

Yes, but what would be, if Britain would have lost the war. I don't 
think, that the Commonwealth would have survived a German victory in 
WWII.

Silvio
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Sometimes I feel the strong urge to march east...