The Dutch and the English did indeed beat the Superpower of their day...Spain...and I've always admired them for so doing. It took a number of factors to achieve that, not least the defeat of the Spanish Armada, but I think the writing was on the wall. Spain had overextended itself and was growing decadent and corrupt by the late 1500's. They were due for a fall. The USA is in quite the same position now, as far as I'm concerned. It happens to all overambitious empires eventually.

As for the UK, they're simply riding on the imperial coattails of Washington at present and sharing the spoils, having lost their own empire (the most successful one since Rome) by likewise overextending themselves and running out of money.

The Soviets also overextended themselves and lost their empire by the late 80's. Like I said, it happens to all these aggressive empires eventually. Washington's turn is well on the way.

I sympathize with none of them in their imperial aims, but I will say this: the British ran their empire with far more style and class than anyone else has in modern (post-Roman) times, and I can't help but admire them for how well they did it. I still live in an independent part of that empire, and I thoroughly enjoy reading about the great days of the British empire. See, Teribus, I happen to like the British. I always did like them. I don't like their present government policy in regards to America's wars, but that's just one thing...and it's temporary.