British merchants and policymakers often wanted access and revenue without paying for a permanent bureaucracy. Commercial disputes and support for cooperative local partners could still draw in soldiers and administrators, followed by direct rule. Protecting maritime trade therefore created political commitments that became hard and expensive to unwind. The campaign joke captures the gap between the benefits imperial advocates wanted and the governing costs they hoped to avoid.
Notable Point · 1:03:19-1:05:23
Imperial trade creates administrative commitments
Britain's preference for profitable trade without the expense of government could still lead to territorial control and costly administration.