https://wordpress.com/post/50ampfuse.blog/5357
I've taken one of the books from my collection (Jack Beeching's 1975 Historical Account of the Chinese Opium Wars) and did a review on my blog.
There are excerpts - historical precedent of using native population as "rebels" to destabilize a standing government that's in the way of business - and I try to make a comparison to the modern day Poppy production (and Opium, Heroin etc - the vast majority of the world's heroin supply (some say 90%) comes from Afghanistan poppy fields -- which we aren't really restricting in any meaningful way).
This is a REALLY GREAT book - check it out if you can.
PS: The blog is advertisement free / I don't intend to make money on it --- just trying to share some ideas
Have a nice Wednesday or whatever the "F" tomorrow is
it IS my birthday by the way --
so you fruit loops should all be NICE to me tomorrow ------ damnit
Author, Jack Beeching does an outstanding job of illuminating an oft-forgotten corner of history that I believe is as relevant today as it was in the 19th century - and for multiple reasons!
The book was written in 1975 and addresses the infamous (for those who still even know it happened that is...) "Chinese Opium Wars" waged by The British under Queen Victoria in the mid to late 1800's.
Not including additional pages for the index and sources / methods - my copy runs 331 page, and is a first edition.
I take only one issue with the book so I'll get that out of the way first - the physical material, actual pressing of the spine / pages is sub-standard. I recall seeing similar feedback online as well so its not just my specific copy. This book addresses a vital bit of history that we can ABSOLUTELY LEARN FROM - it's a pity that it was assembled little better than some throw away pulp fiction.
But onto the book and the history therein.
First, some brief context and orientation on where we are focusing in history.
There were actually two separate wars waged by the British - the first occurred in the 1840's and the second, later that century in the 1850's.
At this point in world history the British Empire was a major world power with one of the finest and most effective navies in the world.
By contrast, the Chinese were well behind the British in terms of technology even though they were a much older civilization.
Queen Victoria - Team Opium
The first thing that should jump out at you about this conflict is the moment of what I call "Naked History". The Opium Wars are still called just that -- because the British were fighting for their desire to import and sell -- OPIUM. It's not like they dressed u the conflict to market it to people like we do today (especially the USA unfortunately) - no one was bombing Chinese ports because they were
Long story made short the British needed a way to offset or reverse the flow of hard currency (silver) which was leaving their coffers (and national budget as well) and going to their colonies to pay for TEA.
This tragic, overlooked, sordid little corner of history has so many angles - but one of them is addiction - and the subsequent CONTROL that others may receive as a result of it. The British were addicted to tea - and in order to recover their ongoing loss of revenue - they started sponsoring Poppy cultivation in India (and parts of China as well I think) - with the specific purpose of IMPORTING it (on the street they call that "pushing" or "dealing", kids - and you go to jail for it) into China so as to generate Opium addiction within that civilization.
More Satisfied Customers of the British Opium "Trade" - (I can almost hear their loyal testimonies now!)
That's it -- there were no heroic 'other goals' from our British friends. And as you read the book you'll quickly acquire a growing appreciation for two (more probably) things:
I've taken one of the books from my collection (Jack Beeching's 1975 Historical Account of the Chinese Opium Wars) and did a review on my blog.
There are excerpts - historical precedent of using native population as "rebels" to destabilize a standing government that's in the way of business - and I try to make a comparison to the modern day Poppy production (and Opium, Heroin etc - the vast majority of the world's heroin supply (some say 90%) comes from Afghanistan poppy fields -- which we aren't really restricting in any meaningful way).
This is a REALLY GREAT book - check it out if you can.
PS: The blog is advertisement free / I don't intend to make money on it --- just trying to share some ideas
Have a nice Wednesday or whatever the "F" tomorrow is
it IS my birthday by the way --
so you fruit loops should all be NICE to me tomorrow ------ damnit
AN EXCERPT:
Author, Jack Beeching does an outstanding job of illuminating an oft-forgotten corner of history that I believe is as relevant today as it was in the 19th century - and for multiple reasons!
The book was written in 1975 and addresses the infamous (for those who still even know it happened that is...) "Chinese Opium Wars" waged by The British under Queen Victoria in the mid to late 1800's.
Not including additional pages for the index and sources / methods - my copy runs 331 page, and is a first edition.
I take only one issue with the book so I'll get that out of the way first - the physical material, actual pressing of the spine / pages is sub-standard. I recall seeing similar feedback online as well so its not just my specific copy. This book addresses a vital bit of history that we can ABSOLUTELY LEARN FROM - it's a pity that it was assembled little better than some throw away pulp fiction.
But onto the book and the history therein.
First, some brief context and orientation on where we are focusing in history.
There were actually two separate wars waged by the British - the first occurred in the 1840's and the second, later that century in the 1850's.
At this point in world history the British Empire was a major world power with one of the finest and most effective navies in the world.
By contrast, the Chinese were well behind the British in terms of technology even though they were a much older civilization.
Queen Victoria - Team Opium
The first thing that should jump out at you about this conflict is the moment of what I call "Naked History". The Opium Wars are still called just that -- because the British were fighting for their desire to import and sell -- OPIUM. It's not like they dressed u the conflict to market it to people like we do today (especially the USA unfortunately) - no one was bombing Chinese ports because they were
Long story made short the British needed a way to offset or reverse the flow of hard currency (silver) which was leaving their coffers (and national budget as well) and going to their colonies to pay for TEA.
This tragic, overlooked, sordid little corner of history has so many angles - but one of them is addiction - and the subsequent CONTROL that others may receive as a result of it. The British were addicted to tea - and in order to recover their ongoing loss of revenue - they started sponsoring Poppy cultivation in India (and parts of China as well I think) - with the specific purpose of IMPORTING it (on the street they call that "pushing" or "dealing", kids - and you go to jail for it) into China so as to generate Opium addiction within that civilization.
More Satisfied Customers of the British Opium "Trade" - (I can almost hear their loyal testimonies now!)
That's it -- there were no heroic 'other goals' from our British friends. And as you read the book you'll quickly acquire a growing appreciation for two (more probably) things:
