5 ms·

Many of the great old East Coast fortunes were built on opium smuggling. Very interesting indeed. Could you please list a few or point to a link that does?

megaman22 8y ago
Here's one: http://www.wbur.org/commonhealth/2017/07/31/opium-boston-history http://www.wbur.org/commonhealth/2017/07/31/opium-boston-his... Most notably the Delanos, as in FDR, and the Forbes, as in John Forbes Kerry.
- 205guy 8y ago
  That was enlightening. I didn't know the US merchants were so involved in the Chinese opium "trade." That is in quotes because China had banned the opium and these people were bribing Chinese officials and smuggling the drugs ashore. From the article: "they use boats manned by dozens of rowers to speed past inspectors, sneak up the coast, and deliver opium beyond the official port". They were essentially the drug cartels of the 1800's. The article goes on to say how this drug money extracted from China was used to kick start the US's industrial revolution, and still funds universities and hospitals with grants from these fortunes. But I'm not sure I see any difference between the actions of those Americans then and the drug lords now.
EliRivers 8y ago
John Jacob Astor was certainly involved. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/heroin/etc/history.html https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/heroin/etc/hi...
perkee 8y ago
The Cabot family [1], one of the big Boston Brahmin families made their bones shipping slaves and opium. If the name is familiar, Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. was one of their most prominent sons. [1] https://www.britannica.com/topic/Cabot-family https://www.britannica.com/topic/Cabot-family [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Cabot_Lodge_Jr https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Cabot_Lodge_Jr.
- gowld 8y ago
  Yet another reason we need a strong estate tax to prevent intergenerational overaccumulation of wealth.
  - megaman22 8y ago
    Stealing someone's wealth away from their children just because they happen to die is one of the most repugnant things I can think of.
    - Clubber 8y ago
      How about Pablo Escobar's wealth?
      - megaman22 8y ago
        Seize his assets for being a mass-murdering, drug dealing shitlord, yes. Seize a portion from Jane Q Publique because she worked hard and invested wisely? No.
    - Maarten88 8y ago
      Why, philosophically, do you think that children of wealthy parents deserve to inherit that wealth more than anyone else? Is it luck that they are born rich? Are they the reincarnation of their deseased parent? Has God decided so? Would you also support changing the US to a monarchy? Is it different to be born into wealth than born into power?
      - megaman22 8y ago
        Because I don't believe in stealing other peoples' things just because they have them. And because I want to make sure that I am free to dispose of my property as I see fit and allow my children to reap the benefits of my labor, and the labor of the generations that have come before them, clawing our way up off of rock farms in northern New England to something better.

megaman22 8y ago

Here's one: http://www.wbur.org/commonhealth/2017/07/31/opium-boston-history http://www.wbur.org/commonhealth/2017/07/31/opium-boston-his... Most notably the Delanos, as in FDR, and the Forbes, as in John Forbes Kerry.

205guy 8y ago
That was enlightening. I didn't know the US merchants were so involved in the Chinese opium "trade." That is in quotes because China had banned the opium and these people were bribing Chinese officials and smuggling the drugs ashore. From the article: "they use boats manned by dozens of rowers to speed past inspectors, sneak up the coast, and deliver opium beyond the official port". They were essentially the drug cartels of the 1800's. The article goes on to say how this drug money extracted from China was used to kick start the US's industrial revolution, and still funds universities and hospitals with grants from these fortunes. But I'm not sure I see any difference between the actions of those Americans then and the drug lords now.

EliRivers 8y ago

John Jacob Astor was certainly involved. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/heroin/etc/history.html https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/heroin/etc/hi...

perkee 8y ago

The Cabot family [1], one of the big Boston Brahmin families made their bones shipping slaves and opium. If the name is familiar, Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. was one of their most prominent sons. [1] https://www.britannica.com/topic/Cabot-family https://www.britannica.com/topic/Cabot-family [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Cabot_Lodge_Jr https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Cabot_Lodge_Jr.

gowld 8y ago
Yet another reason we need a strong estate tax to prevent intergenerational overaccumulation of wealth.
- megaman22 8y ago
  Stealing someone's wealth away from their children just because they happen to die is one of the most repugnant things I can think of.
  - Clubber 8y ago
    How about Pablo Escobar's wealth?
    - megaman22 8y ago
      Seize his assets for being a mass-murdering, drug dealing shitlord, yes. Seize a portion from Jane Q Publique because she worked hard and invested wisely? No.
  - Maarten88 8y ago
    Why, philosophically, do you think that children of wealthy parents deserve to inherit that wealth more than anyone else? Is it luck that they are born rich? Are they the reincarnation of their deseased parent? Has God decided so? Would you also support changing the US to a monarchy? Is it different to be born into wealth than born into power?
    - megaman22 8y ago
      Because I don't believe in stealing other peoples' things just because they have them. And because I want to make sure that I am free to dispose of my property as I see fit and allow my children to reap the benefits of my labor, and the labor of the generations that have come before them, clawing our way up off of rock farms in northern New England to something better.