Mark A Shieh wrote:
> > > Oh, yes. Thank you so much for the opium and the reassuring
> > > battleships, it did wonders for our country.
Alan E Brain replied:
> > And thanks in return for the Tea. Had you not got us addicted to the
> > stuff, all that unpleasantness would never have happened. <g> also :)
Mark A Shieh then wrote:
> I thought it was the silk, and all that silver we were hoarding.
Definitely Tea. But you're right about the Silver.
Perhaps we should explain to the uninitiated?
About 100-150 years ago, the Chinese under the Manchu (ie from
Manchuria) dynasty had a little Contretemps with the Brits. The Opium
Wars. What had happened was that the Brits had developed a taste for
tea. The Chinese would only accept payment in silver. Not in Gold. Not
in Goods. Silver, and only silver, usually Mexican dollars.
Eventually, the Brits ran out of silver. They figured they had to get
some of it back. So they _dramatically_ increased the supply of opium
from a small trickle to a flood. The silver started coming back in via
the Black Market, and everyone was happy.
Except for the Chinese Government. Who had many, many faults. But who
did not like their citizens becoming drug addicts, and worse, dependent
for their supplies on a Foreign Power. So, the Chinese tried to do
exactly what the US DEA is doing at the moment. But they lost, and the
trade continued.
Fortunately for the Brits, the Chinese at the time were probably the
most racist people on earth. Having had a culture of unparalleled
civilisation, artistic merit, and technical excellence for literally
millenia, they could not conceive that a SubHuman/Barbarian/Foreign
Devil/Animal-Who-Walks-Like-A-Man could possibly be equal to them in
any area of technology, or any other field. It was unthinkable.
The Brits meanwhile, were almost as racist, but didn't mind learning
from the 'Chinks' the way they'd learned from their betters (eg the
Romans) in the past.
Chinese history, like the history of the USA from 1770-1820, is
particularly interesting, and not very well known. The Fundamentalist
Christian Tai Ping (Kingdom of Heavenly Peace) rebellion that slew
uncounted millions is just one area. As is the virulently Xenophobic
definitely highly patriotic Society of Harmonious/Righteous Fists aka
Boxers. Imagine the Rev Sung Moon with a machine gun, or Bruce Lee
driving a tank.
To anyone of British ancestry, like myself, the handover of Hong Kong
hopefully means we can forget about this shameful episode. It may have
been a source of shame to the Chinese people, but it was a source of
both shame and guilt for us. Just hope the UK hasn't sold the people of
HK down the river, the way they did Czechoslovakia in 1938...
--
aebrain_at_... <> <> How doth the little Crocodile
| Alan & Carmel Brain| xxxxx Improve his shining tail?
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Received on Sat Jul 05 1997 - 22:42:06 UTC
