Some scholars (sorry, I don't have the reference here) argue that even the British empire wasn't profitable for Britain as a whole. But it clearly benefited the upper classes, who were more important in decision-making.
Jim Devine
The British Empire operated on a capitalist basis, whether or not workers got some crumbs from the table (which they surely did.) The USSR did not. It subsidized its "colonies", as the NY Times article points out.
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