Opium Trade in China Essay - 2566 Words

Opium and Trade Opium as a topic of discussion can lead to many arguments either for or against the introduction of the drug into the Chinese society. Initially, these opinions began to circulate upon its initial presentation to the people of China in the late eighteenth century and late nineteenth century when its popularity and reputation were rather miniscule and mysterious. On one side, arguments favored its legalization and actually praised its distributors because of the positive impact, albeit temporarily, for the people of China in a hallucinogenic manner and the importers from other countries, that it had overall. The other side of the spectrum aimed towards the complete ban of the drug and punishment for all users and†¦show more content†¦If the use of opium were permitted, then the impact would have been generally positive, in that, there would be fewer smugglers to worry about breaking the law, and more profit would actually have been given to the Chinese govern ment since they would be included in all financial affairs of this matter. On the other hand, basing this drug trade on purely moral and economic terms, the people of China would constantly be in a state of intoxication because they would no longer be able to think and process clearly without the influence of this drug inside of their system, further hampering their abilities and talents, while the economy of the Chinese government also would not be able to possess the buying power that they would have previously had when they uncontrolled smuggling occurred (Aurin 429). It was from this that led me to believe that during the prohibition of opium in China, although enacted in 1729 and then deemed legal in 1858, the welfare of the global economies increased in financial capability, especially in China, Britain, the United States, and India, throughout the entire nineteenth century, even though this was through illegal means. Considering both sides, I strongly believe that the reas on for the strength of the superpowers in worldly capitalism is due to the increased amount of smuggling, albeit illegal, of opiumShow MoreRelatedOpium Wars: The Trade Disputes over Opium between China and Britain 1804 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction â€Å"Opium entered China on the back of a camel, and ended up breaking the back of an entire nation† -Unknown This paper studies the trade disputes over opium between China and Britain and the two wars that resulted from these disputes in the 19th century. 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