3 ms·

Opium had existed for a long time and the demand for it existed. British merchants responded to market demand and smart business people realized the ability to

by nickik 6y ago

Opium had existed for a long time and the demand for it existed. British merchants responded to market demand and smart business people realized the ability to grow it in India and places like that and then sell it in China. Its not like England had this huge imperial stockpile of opium laying around that they went out to find a buyer for. The opium supply grew because there was demand. The nature of drugs is that supply also induces some demand, but the idea that the British had some masterplan to get the China hooked on Opium is kind of conspiracy theory nonsense. Capitalism responds to market prices and the limits of the market regulations enforced on them.

enitihas 6y ago
Your comment makes it seem like "smart business people" should ignore Government bans on things even if the things are harmful as long as there is "demand" for them. So is it OK to export to banned drugs in the UK if there is demand for them, or if demand arises?
- 082349872349872 6y ago
  I think the brits are currently more concerned about chinese hedge funds: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-britain-china/british-lawmaker-says-uk-must-defend-its-companies-against-overseas-takeovers-ft-idUSKBN22Z0UR?il=0 https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-britai... "while Britain has prided itself on being an open economy with few restrictions on foreign ownership for decades, the basis for that model has been changed by the “rise in state capitalism with deep pockets”."
  - enitihas 6y ago
    > “rise in state capitalism with deep pockets”." I think that term was coined to describe the EIC.
    - 082349872349872 6y ago
      I was going to say that any potential hostile takeovers by chinese hedge funds probably wouldn't involve anything as kinetically hostile as the EIC's presidency armies, but a little surfing turned up 先丰服务集团 (Frontier Services Group)... What is the indian or chinese equivalent to "The Fox and the Crane"?
- nickik 6y ago
  I didn't make a point about the morality of what the merchants were doing. I was responding comment that made a false statement about some sort of British governmental stockpile of Opium that the clever British created the demand for in China. That is simply false, so I corrected it. To be sure, I do think selling Opium is a moral thing to do, but my point is that this is not government policy, but merchants seeing a demand and responding to it. Only when China Imperial Government comes in and destroyed British stores, do this escalate to a national level conflict. I think it was stupid for the Britain to start a war over it to be sure.

by nickik 6y ago

enitihas 6y ago

Your comment makes it seem like "smart business people" should ignore Government bans on things even if the things are harmful as long as there is "demand" for them. So is it OK to export to banned drugs in the UK if there is demand for them, or if demand arises?

082349872349872 6y ago
I think the brits are currently more concerned about chinese hedge funds: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-britain-china/british-lawmaker-says-uk-must-defend-its-companies-against-overseas-takeovers-ft-idUSKBN22Z0UR?il=0 https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-britai... "while Britain has prided itself on being an open economy with few restrictions on foreign ownership for decades, the basis for that model has been changed by the “rise in state capitalism with deep pockets”."
- enitihas 6y ago
  > “rise in state capitalism with deep pockets”." I think that term was coined to describe the EIC.
  - 082349872349872 6y ago
    I was going to say that any potential hostile takeovers by chinese hedge funds probably wouldn't involve anything as kinetically hostile as the EIC's presidency armies, but a little surfing turned up 先丰服务集团 (Frontier Services Group)... What is the indian or chinese equivalent to "The Fox and the Crane"?
nickik 6y ago
I didn't make a point about the morality of what the merchants were doing. I was responding comment that made a false statement about some sort of British governmental stockpile of Opium that the clever British created the demand for in China. That is simply false, so I corrected it. To be sure, I do think selling Opium is a moral thing to do, but my point is that this is not government policy, but merchants seeing a demand and responding to it. Only when China Imperial Government comes in and destroyed British stores, do this escalate to a national level conflict. I think it was stupid for the Britain to start a war over it to be sure.