He seems to be saying that, because the UK isn't dominant now, it was never a hegemonic power. It's a strange argument to make.
I assume he's specifically taking issue with the OP's wording, "world hegemon". Which would imply British hegemony over the whole world. Personally I'd point out that Britain had genuine rivals to contend with rather than talk about the manufacture of my phone, but that's just me.
My point is that, according to geography, the Laws of History and all that's Holy, the UK was Destined to Rule the Waves, if we follow the OP.
If it was so magically predestined to rule over the world, I find it strange said hegemony lasted only for about a century and a half.
On the other hand a place like India has been a driver of world's affair at least as a goal to reach, for the better part of the last 3000 years, yet we do.not see any threads as to why that's the case
I find it strange that people need to take that teleological approach when it's fairly obvious those were exceptional circumstances that helped the UK in particular, and not some law of Heaven that would mean that, when it was barely an Island and was populated by hunter gathered, it was destined to rule the world.
Edit (cause this makes me particularly mad) : that type of thinking is particularly insane if we break it down.
With a Pod at - 5000BC...
How likely is it to have Europe as a separate polity from the Middle East
With a Pod at - 5000BC...
How likely is it to have a united state over the British Isles
With a Pod at - 5000BC...
How likely is it that a separate religion will develop, creating a strong trade divide in the Near East right after a bunch of steppe raiders somehow created the biggest empire the world has ever seen, creating a desire for spices that was fulfilled by Mediterranean city states
With a Pod at - 5000BC...
How likely is it that the Indian Mughal Empire will disintegrate at the time when England happens to start gaining an industrial advantage
And finally, because this one sums up the absurdity of it all:
With a Pod at - 5000BC...
How likely is it that the British Isles would control Tibet
Now, my dear friends who have voted that the UK had more than 40% chance of becoming hegemony, please tell me who the hegemon will be in 150 years, because I want to create a solid retirement fund for my grandchildren and I'd rather get started early.
For the sour cherry on top of the rant, this has been posted from London, apparently the inevitable capital of the World.