2026-07-16
In the 1800s the British and their western allies imported tea and other goods from China. However, China wanted payment in silver, which was in relatively short supply in the West.
So we grew opium poppies in India and shipped opioids to China to sell to the Chinese for silver, which we used to buy their tea, silk etc. The rulers of China objected to this "trade" (some might say "subversion") and tried to outlaw it, so the British and their allies / partners in crime sent their gunboats to subdue the Chinese military and reopen the opium market.
But does the Empire ever give up on lucrative but illegal trade? After all, if one market closes, another can be opened ...
(37 minutes)
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