I'm warming to _Imperial Twilight_ the later sections are exceptionally well-writen and researched about the Canton trade and about diplomatic operations from each side it's entrancing there's still occasional tendentiousness but now very outweight by the content
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it's ultimately a story about a vast and historical drug war that no one seems to talk about anymore the china-britain relationship is interesting but i find the early groping toward drug policy much more compelling
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china is currently trying to balance domestic policy with a drug wave against a balance of trade issue exacerbated by currency controls
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britain is trying very hard to respect china's sovereignty and actually making them angry in the process britain doesnt want to act like theyre enforcing british law in a chinese territory (for british traders), china wants them to for the love of god come get your boys
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local british campaigns against opium on social justice grounds came after the slave trade was abolished and the contemporary SJWs had to find something else to do
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people havent figured up drug policy yet but they REALLY didnt have it figured out back then the smart chinese minister wants to legalize and tax opium his opponent wants to kill addicts as deterrance, because "that worked even for the British" (brits did not do this)
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oooh, the emperor just demoted the guy who advocated legalization its on
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jesus chinese drug czar gets pissed at the smugglers and decides to send a message by executing a chinese drug smuggler in front of the British quarter this sparks in a riot, british are besieged until rescued by chinese police
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Replying to @eigenrobot
Is this Lin Zexu? Household name in China, more famous than the then emperor
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Replying to @eigenrobot
Yeah symbol of national pride etc Tbh though I immediately regretted the wording of that one when I sent it and was totally expecting the reply of "as opposed to the now emperor?"
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