From the linked Article:
imports of opium (to the United States) increased from around 113,000 pounds in the 1840s to 1,500,000 pounds in 1909
Posted on 06/26/2017 4:43:36 PM PDT by Antoninus
Believe it or not, June 26 is the International Day against Drug Abuse and Drug Trafficking. In some circles in the US, advocating the legalization of recreational drugs is considered the correct, even "conservative" thing to do. Granted, these are less "conservative" circles than libertarian, but the cross-over is noticeable. For those with an historical horizon that extends back beyond the 1960s, there is no excuse for taking up this fashionable if foolhardy view.
The date of June 26 was chosen for the Day against Drug Abuse because it marks the anniversary of an event that could be known as the "Humen Opium Party" during which some 20,000 tons of contraband opium were dumped into the harbor at Humen in China.
Alarmed by the vast numbers of Chinese who had become addicted to opium, the Daoguang emperor appointed an official named Lin Zexu to cope with the problem. He was given the rank of "commissioner" and empowered to crush the opium trade.
Born in 1785, Commissioner Lin was the son of a prominent official in the Qing dynasty court. He soon achieved renown as an outstanding scholar and writer. During his early career, he established a reputation for intelligence and virtue, described by a more recent writer as: “a resolute and competent administrator, a just and fair applicator of the law and – most amazingly, bearing in mind his peers – incorruptible” [Booth, Opium, p. 129].
Unfortunately, at the heart of the issue were the merchants of a major foreign power — Great Britain. In order to balance out their trade deficit with China, the British began exporting opium into Chinese ports in large quantities. By the 1820s, opium had become the chief product exported into China by the British, with unsurprising results among the Chinese population. Following is a description of a typical opium den in China from a somewhat later source:
The room is four or five yards long and perhaps three wide low ceiling blackened with smoke and covered with black cobwebs. The floor is the bare earth the walls are black as soot save here and there where they are adorned with a few strips of red paper most of which bear inscriptions sounding like horrid mockery. Take one: "May all who enter here gain health and happiness." On all sides of this den are wooden benches like tables covered with a piece of matting and each furnished with lamp and pipe. Most of these were occupied with gaunt hollow eyed figures lying curled up some taking their first puffs others in different stages of prostration and stupefaction. [Taken from Friend of China, 1877, p. 106] Within a few months of his arrival at Canton, Commissioner Lin issued an edict demonstrating his resolve with typical Middle Kingdom contempt for foreigners:
“Let the Barbarians deliver to me every particle of opium on board their store-ships. There must not be the smallest atom concealed or withheld. And at the same time let the said Barbarians enter into a bond never hereafter to bring opium in their ships and to submit, should any be brought, to the extreme penalty of the law against the parties involved” [Hoe, The Taking of Hong Kong].
Commissioner Lin then posted a warning to the Chinese people of Canton which concluded as follows:
“Now then ye who smoke opium!...When ye take up the opium pipe to smoke, do one and all of you put the hand upon the heart, and ask yourselves: Do I deserve death or not? Ought I to leave off this hateful vice or not? People who have rebelled against heaven, who have injured their fellow-men, who have opposed reason, who have trampled on the five relations of mankind, who have set at defiance every rule of decency and propriety: methinks that though our sovereign’s laws may not slay them, yet with heaven and earth, gods and spirits, must exterminate them with their avenging lightning! Though you may escape our human punishments, think you that you can escape the punishment of heaven?” [Martin, Opium in China, p. 68].
But Lin's most audacious attempt to move the moral needle may have been a letter that he wrote directly to Queen Victoria, Britain's reigning monarch. While it is unclear whether the Queen actually read the letter or not, it ended up having little impact on the sad course of events. In the letter, Lin appeals to benevolence, justice, and logic:
"Suppose there were people from another country who carried opium for sale to England and seduced your people into buying and smoking it; certainly your honorable ruler would deeply hate it and be bitterly aroused. We have heard heretofore that your honorable ruler is kind and benevolent. Naturally you would not wish to give unto others what you yourself do not want.
We have also heard that the ships coming to Canton have all had regulations promulgated and given to them in which it is stated that it is not permitted to carry contraband goods. This indicates that the administrative orders of your honorable rule have been originally strict and clear. Only because the trading ships are numerous, heretofore perhaps they have not been examined with care. Now after this communication has been dispatched and you have clearly understood the strictness of the prohibitory laws of the Celestial Court, certainly you will not let your subjects dare again to violate the law."
Read Commissioner Lin's full Letter of Advice to Queen Victoria here.
Sadly, what Commissioner Lin failed to appreciate was just how far his own country had fallen behind the European West in terms of technological advances and military prowess. Caught somewhat off guard, the British merchants surrendered their opium under the pretense that their loss would be made good. Commissioner Lin proceeded to destroy all of the seized drug and cast it into the sea. The merchants were not compensated, and their perceived grievance soon precipitated a military response from the British. The result was the disastrous First Opium War. A reasonable summary of the depressing course of action during the war may be found here.
Following disastrous military defeats, the Qing court was forced to capitulate. For his role in the debacle, Commissioner Lin was demoted and exiled. The imperial court was forced to sign the Treaty of Nanking which was the first of the so-called "Unequal Treaties" between China and the western powers. In short, Qing China was forced to pay reparations to the British merchants for the opium which was destroyed, open additional ports to western trade, and cede Hong Kong as a colony. China continued to be open to the opium trade which would consume untold lives for decades to come.
Later, the British came to regret their part in the Opium War. Philanthropist John Passmore Edwards called it, "One of the most unjust and iniquitous crimes ever perpetrated by one nation on another." Future prime minister William Gladstone opined in a similar fashion: "A war more unjust in its origin, a war more calculated to cover this country with permanent disgrace, I do not know and have not read of." In the same periodical, a Mr. Omrad gave a fair assessment of Commissioner Lin's effort, saying:
"I hold that Commissioner Lin served us just right when the opium that was to have destroyed his countrymen was instead destroyed by him, and I honor the patriotism and admire the pluck of the brave commissioner who dared to step forth in defense of his country, simple justice, and common humanity against a nation so great and powerful as our own." So for those in our own day who participate in the recreational drug trade, would attempt to legalize it, or simply to acquiesce in the face of those political forces which seek to make these toxins more easily available in the name of "liberty", I would ask you to consider history. Understand that the wages paid by your intellectual ancestors were evil, destruction and death. You may succeed in making the use of such substances legal in this world, but like the British, you will not escape the punishment of heaven.
Firstly, the hypocrisy is irrelevant. There is a very strong national interest at stake in preventing runaway drug abuse as happened in China.
Secondly, you are badly misinformed as to what has actually been happening. The "War on Drugs" is not a war, it is a holding action. If it were a war, it would have wiped out drug suppliers years ago. It is an interdiction effort designed to hold the line as much as possible without upsetting the American people.
It is not a failure, it is actually a massive success. It is simply not allowed to be a complete success because nobody wants to unleash the forces on the drug suppliers that would end it with finality.
The normal progression of drugs in a society is a logistical growth curve. It takes effort to keep the drug menace from growing, and the efforts which have been expended have done exactly that.
Therefore it is not a failure, it is the best people can do without a strong resolve by the American people to eradicate the drug menace.
What a failed "war on drugs" looks like is China between 1840 and 1990. At least one hundred million people in China have died as a result of drugs shipped into that country. The availability of drugs is what collapsed their society and their Emperor form of government. (which had lasted 4,000 years prior to Opium shipped to them by the ton.)
Drugs nearly destroyed China, and they have only recently come back to what they would have been without hundreds of millions of their people addicted to opium.
From the linked Article:
imports of opium (to the United States) increased from around 113,000 pounds in the 1840s to 1,500,000 pounds in 1909
From the linked Article:
imports of opium (to the United States) increased from around 113,000 pounds in the 1840s to 1,500,000 pounds in 1909
Was that anywhere near China levels?
More interesting information from that linked article:
"The opium rush was at its most prevalent during the 1880s and 1890s, which coincided with the rise of the temperance movement."
The law of unintended consequences has always applied in spades to wars on substances.
"the Smoking Opium Exclusion Act banned the importation of opiates used purely for recreational use.
"However it's unclear if this act was part of anti-Chinese backlash as it was thought Chinese men were luring white women to have sex in the opium dens."
Calls into question whether there was a significant problem with opium as such.
‘Addiction among service men became so common that they started referring to it as “The Soldiers Disease.”’
The problems with this theory have been pointed out to you, and your response seems to boil down to that you hadn’t and wouldn’t investigate that information: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/3264470/replies?c=303
I count the deaths of Mao's "Great Leap Forward" and his communist revolution as a consequence of the societal collapse of China due to drugs.
In other words, if China did not have at one time about 1/2 of it's population addicted to drugs (that can be found at Druglibrary.org) Mao would have never came to power.
The 100 million number I cite is from the known deaths caused by Chairman Mao's rise to power. It is very likely that there were also 100 million deaths which are directly due to drug usage, but I am not aware of any good records which will prove this.
This book has a lot of good information in it on this subject, but it is mostly anecdotal accounts.
No it wasn't, and that's because it was never allowed enough time to get to that level. We stopped it before it got that bad by outlawing these drugs.
More interesting information from that linked article: "The opium rush was at its most prevalent during the 1880s and 1890s, which coincided with the rise of the temperance movement."
Post Civil War people were becoming aware of the dangers of drug addiction. Yes, several hundreds of thousands of former soldiers addicted to drugs would tend to make people aware that the stuff is dangerous, and so would therefore initiate a temperance movement to stop it.
That's one theory - another, no less consistent with that evidence, is that it was never going to get that bad.
addicted to drugs would tend to make people aware that the stuff is dangerous, and so would therefore initiate a temperance movement to stop it.
The temperance movement was not about opium: http://law.jrank.org/pages/10714/Temperance-Movement.html
The only problem pointed out to me in that linked message is that there is some disagreement as to the scale of the problem. Even David Cartwright (the author of the book cited) admits that "Soldier's Disease" was a real thing. He just argues that there were much fewer people addicted by opiates administered to ease the pain of war wounds than do others.
Read what David Courtwright said at this link.
Beyond that, I note your form of argument is to dig around in things I had written looking for material you could cherry pick instead of putting forth your own arguments based on your own research and experience.
I'm flattered that you felt the need to search my past commentary, but I think it's a poor substitute for a real argument.
"Just"?! Quantity is the crux of your claim.
Beyond that, I note your form of argument
When you're losing on substance, talk about form.
I'm a bit puzzled...hasn't the government labeled it a “War on Drugs”?
I tend to agree with you on the second point. If it were a true war on drugs, we would have had troops inside Messy-co by 15 miles. It could not have been nor will ever be a serious War on Drugs when the border remains wide open.
What should happen lickety split is all persons at the age of 18 should be drafted into military service unless unable physically. Those who cannot serve in the military should be drafted into a national service. Get these punks off the street, teach them how to become men/woman and take responsibility.
The end.
From the DEA:
"Many soldiers on both sides of the Civil War who were given morphine for their wounds became addicted to it, and this increased level of addiction continued throughout the nineteenth century and into the twentieth. In 1880, many drugs, including opium and cocaine, were legal — and, like some drugs today, seen as benign medicine not requiring a doctor’s care and oversight. Addiction skyrocketed. There were over 400,000 opium addicts in the U.S. That is twice as many per capita as there are today.
"By 1900, about one American in 200 was either a cocaine or opium addict."
So we had 400,000 opium addicts in 1880, many of whom were addicted Civil War veterans. The population of the US in 1880 was around 50M. That works out to an addiction rate of 0.8% in 1880. Now, in 1900 the addiction rate to either opium or cocaine was 1 in 200. That is an addiction rate of 0.5%.
So in 1880 there were 0.8% addicted to just opium vs 0.5% to either opium or cocaine in 1900. The DEA is telling us that addiction declined substantially between 1880 and 1900, despite these drugs being legal.
According to the rebuttal you cited.
"The only clear disagreement is the few who estimate the number of addicted Civil War veterans. Some claim 45,000 (Ashley, 1972 and 1978; Geis, 1973; Health PAC, 1970; and Kenny, 1972); others 400,000. (H. Jones and Jones, 1977; Lingeman, 1969; Schwartz, 1980; Starkey, 197 1; Summers et. al., 1975; and Westin and Shaffer, 1972)"
I think the lesser number of 45,000 is still a sufficient number to meet the "quantity" point I put forth.
45,000 new Drug addicts is a pretty good kickstart to a disease with a logistical growth curve.
And why would growth of addiction not continue in the manner that it occurred in China? What magic was going to stop it?
Yes, but they have not conducted it as they would a war. It is called a "War" so that politicians can create the impression that they take it seriously, but an impression is all it is.
I tend to agree with you on the second point. If it were a true war on drugs, we would have had troops inside Messy-co by 15 miles. It could not have been nor will ever be a serious War on Drugs when the border remains wide open.
And we would have wiped out growers in Columbia and Afghanistan. As it is, we pretty much leave them alone.
What should happen lickety split is all persons at the age of 18 should be drafted into military service unless unable physically. Those who cannot serve in the military should be drafted into a national service. Get these punks off the street, teach them how to become men/woman and take responsibility.
That was a task that used to be performed by parents. Nowadays too many kids grow up without a mature adult in their life teaching them what they ought to know to be an adult.
“45,000 new Drug addicts is a pretty good kickstart to a disease with a logistical growth curve.”
Courtwright confirms (https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=VxUuPa3cnLMC) the DEA’s numbers in showing that opiate addiction declined after 1890.
Because this isn't China - as I already posted:
“Genetic factors account for about half of the likelihood that an individual will develop addiction. Environmental factors interact with the person’s biology and affect the extent to which genetic factors exert their influence. Resiliencies the individual acquires (through parenting or later life experiences) can affect the extent to which genetic predispositions lead to the behavioral and other manifestations of addiction. Culture also plays a role in how addiction becomes actualized in persons with biological vulnerabilities to the development of addiction.” - American Society of Addiction Medicine
So now you are accepting the 400,000 number? 45,000 or 400,000, it's still a lot of people with which to kickstart an addiction epidemic.
So in 1880 there were 0.8% addicted to just opium vs 0.5% to either opium or cocaine in 1900. The DEA is telling us that addiction declined substantially between 1880 and 1900, despite these drugs being legal.
Your argument here is that because addiction rate declined in this period, this demonstrates that there would have been no runaway addiction problem?
There are several problems with drawing solid conclusions from these statistics. Firstly, I don't know how the DEA would know what sort of addiction rates they were suffering in 1900 because I don't know how they would have accurately polled all the drug users of that time period. Obviously they are relying on some sort of proxy factor to determine this, or they are merely putting forth some sort of wild @$$ed guess.
Wikipedia has this to say on the subject.
Opium usage had begun to decline by 1914 after rising dramatically in the post Civil War Era, peaking at around one-half million pounds per year in 1896
Secondly, you ignore that addiction can decline when addicted people die off, which they tend to do, especially if they are addicted to something like morphine or heroin. Perhaps the decline in addiction (if there was one) was due to the deaths of the addicts?
I do recall reading that societal opposition to drug usage was increasing in the 1890s and 1900s. I believe the first efforts by doctors to study the problem came about in the 1890s.
Well he and Musto, David F. ((1973). The American Disease: Origins of Narcotic Control. Yale Univ. pages 3-5.) need to get together and hash it out, because David F. Musto says opium usage was peaking in 1896.
Also I didn't see any quotes to support your claim at the site to which you provided the link.
Yes, we know it isn't China, but humans are humans no matter where on the globe they exist, and they are susceptible to the same afflictions wherever they reside.
Occidentals are just as susceptible to opium addiction as are Orientals.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.