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The root comment actually cites a section describing the First Opium War, and then says that British imperialism pushed China from capitalism to communism. Alth

The root comment actually cites a section describing the First Opium War, and then says that British imperialism pushed China from capitalism to communism. Although they do not say specifically say that the period before the First Opium War is what they mean, they don't offer other clues as to the time period.

boomboomsubban 6y ago
>do not say specifically say that the period before the First Opium War is what they mean,they don't offer other clues as to the time period. The post is a reaction to the article, describing how the tea trade led to a capitalist system which later fell to Communism. There's no ambiguity.
- solidsnack9000 6y ago
  So in your view, there was a transition from mercantilism to capitalism following the First Opium War? And then a transition to communism thereafter?
  - boomboomsubban 6y ago
    It's not really "my view," but I read a rather convincing argument for it. https://aeon.co/essays/the-china-tea-trade-was-a-paradox-of-global-capitalism https://aeon.co/essays/the-china-tea-trade-was-a-paradox-of-...
    - solidsnack9000 6y ago
      It doesn't make sense to say that British imperialism led to communism from capitalism, if the starting point without British imperialism was mercantilism.
      - boomboomsubban 6y ago
        >Only with the rise and victory of the Communist Party in 1949, the nationalist lore goes, could the original shame of military defeat and colonialism be redeemed
        solidsnack9000 6y ago
        That's how the nationalist lore goes...but what makes it the truth?
        boomboomsubban 6y ago
        It's part of the ideology that drove their actions. How would one even attempt to show the statement was true? Either way, the era called capitalist should be clear.
        solidsnack9000 6y ago
        The question of whether British imperialism drove China away from capitalism is a historical question. Because the Chinese system was mercantilist before British imperialism, it isn't right to say that British imperialism drove China away from capitalism. If old ideology said that, it's incorrect, and we do the world a disservice by repeating it.

boomboomsubban 6y ago

>do not say specifically say that the period before the First Opium War is what they mean,they don't offer other clues as to the time period. The post is a reaction to the article, describing how the tea trade led to a capitalist system which later fell to Communism. There's no ambiguity.

solidsnack9000 6y ago
So in your view, there was a transition from mercantilism to capitalism following the First Opium War? And then a transition to communism thereafter?
- boomboomsubban 6y ago
  It's not really "my view," but I read a rather convincing argument for it. https://aeon.co/essays/the-china-tea-trade-was-a-paradox-of-global-capitalism https://aeon.co/essays/the-china-tea-trade-was-a-paradox-of-...
  - solidsnack9000 6y ago
    It doesn't make sense to say that British imperialism led to communism from capitalism, if the starting point without British imperialism was mercantilism.
    - boomboomsubban 6y ago
      >Only with the rise and victory of the Communist Party in 1949, the nationalist lore goes, could the original shame of military defeat and colonialism be redeemed
      - solidsnack9000 6y ago
        That's how the nationalist lore goes...but what makes it the truth?
        boomboomsubban 6y ago
        It's part of the ideology that drove their actions. How would one even attempt to show the statement was true? Either way, the era called capitalist should be clear.
        solidsnack9000 6y ago
        The question of whether British imperialism drove China away from capitalism is a historical question. Because the Chinese system was mercantilist before British imperialism, it isn't right to say that British imperialism drove China away from capitalism. If old ideology said that, it's incorrect, and we do the world a disservice by repeating it.