I agree that English colonialism was awful. But I'm pretty sure that not all English folk cared about colonisation of other, "underdeveloped" countries. I'm pretty sure most English folk were just trying to survive while their English lords and oligarchs were stealing their food

some of my students are the kids of the significant Indian population in my area, and every so often the subject of England will come up in a lesson. those kids have some harsh words for the english. most of them have living relatives who remember the 40s famines there.

and yes, shit talking people who have societal power is generally more okay than doing the same with people who don't have societal power. "racism" against white americans is way more toothless than racism against, say, black americans.