Your point is an excellent one, Q! You say "(the)NWMP (were) really formed to protect the interests of the eastern elite"

Right on! I agree entirely with that. However, even though they were indeed formed to protect the interests of the eastern power elite in Canada, they managed to do an absolutely exceptional job of maintaining law and order in the Canadian West as opposed to the lawlessness and bloodshed in the USA territories to the south...and for that, I respect them.

There is no doubt whatsoever that they were sent out there to protect the interests of the moneyed elite back in Eastern Canada. What I find impressive about them is how well they managed to do it, however, in the sense of maintaining order, discipline, and consistent application of the civil laws. They really were an exceptionally fine police force at the time of their inception, and for a long time afterward. This was, I think, primarily due to the excellence of the officers who led them, and the consistency of British law. Although the British were unabashed imperialists and did EVERYTHING they did primarily for the benefit of a moneyed elite, they did it awfully well. They ran a far better organized empire than anyone else, and they set up a much better body of law and experienced much less corruption than the other empires did.

For that, I respect them, though I do not agree with their imperial ambitions any more than I agree with America's imperial ambitions...or Russia's...or Japan's....or Germany's...or anyone else's. I'm opposed to imperialism on principle, no matter who does it. I favor self-rule for all distinct nations....not rule imposed from abroad....and self-sufficiency...not mercantile/political domination from abroad.