The Student Room Group

Why it was OK for UK to smuggle drugs into china but not for Afganistan to UK?

Seems a bit strange to me, the UK was more than happy enough to smuggle drugs into china for financial benefit, but when Afghanistan or [insert middle eastern country here] do it they get blown to pieces by NATO; its a bit hypocritic is all.

Did UK ever apologise for doing it btw? They really ****ed China over in the 19th century but they still got lots of their stolen treasures in the British museum lol

Scroll to see replies

Reply 1
I support Afghanistan's right to grow Opium - if the UK has problems, they should sort it out on their own side of the border
Reply 2
Nobody involved in that is alive today, it's like saying that you should apologise for the crimes of your great great grandfather.
Reply 3
Original post by james22
Nobody involved in that is alive today, it's like saying that you should apologise for the crimes of your great great grandfather.


If my grandad nicked £10 of yours, I'd still give back his £10.
Original post by locrian37
If my grandad nicked £10 of yours, I'd still give back his £10.


You'd be a fool to do that.
Reply 5
Original post by james22
Nobody involved in that is alive today, it's like saying that you should apologise for the crimes of your great great grandfather.


The people that hijacked the planes on 9/11 aren't alive today - still we attack their faction.
Reply 6
Ermm the Opium wars are a bit of a black spot in British history, no one is exactly saying it was a righteous and moral thing.
Original post by locrian37
Seems a bit strange to me, the UK was more than happy enough to smuggle drugs into china for financial benefit, but when Afghanistan or [insert middle eastern country here] do it they get blown to pieces by NATO; its a bit hypocritic is all.

Did UK ever apologise for doing it btw? They really ****ed China over in the 19th century but they still got lots of their stolen treasures in the British museum lol



The british museum still has the Elgin Marbles that were stolen by a rich aristocrat. I think it's important to acknowledge all the wrong doings of our historical forefathers, the slave trade was apologized for by David Livingstone. The Potato famine was also apologized by Blair. It's an act of diplomacy, if a country is going to be self-righteous then at least acknowledge whether we went wrong ourselves.
Original post by Doughnuts123
The british museum still has the Elgin Marbles that were stolen by a rich aristocrat.


They were given to us by the Ottomans with a permit. Elgin didn't 'steal' them. Also, he wasn't just some random aristocrat, he was ambassador to the Ottomans.
Original post by locrian37
Seems a bit strange to me, the UK was more than happy enough to smuggle drugs into china for financial benefit, but when Afghanistan or [insert middle eastern country here] do it they get blown to pieces by NATO; its a bit hypocritic is all.

Did UK ever apologise for doing it btw? They really ****ed China over in the 19th century but they still got lots of their stolen treasures in the British museum lol


Your argument doesn't make any sense. Just because a lot of atrocities were committed in the past by a country, does not mean that they can't then act against such crimes.

It's like saying that because Chemical Weapons were used in WW1, we should let all countries stockpile and use chemical weapons. Or the same for Nuclear bombs.

If the UK was currently smuggling drugs, then it would be wrong, but it isn't.
Original post by locrian37
If my grandad nicked £10 of yours, I'd still give back his £10.


Some of your ancestors were almost certainly racist because of the time period they lived in. Does that mean you should apologise to every coloured person? Does that mean it's hypocritical of you to say racism is abhorrent?
Reply 11
Original post by Swanbow
Ermm the Opium wars are a bit of a black spot in British history, no one is exactly saying it was a righteous and moral thing.


So nobody gonna apologise for it? I don't think history is that easy to rewrite

Original post by ThatPerson
Your argument doesn't make any sense. Just because a lot of atrocities were committed in the past by a country, does not mean that they can't then act against such crimes.

It's like saying that because Chemical Weapons were used in WW1, we should let all countries stockpile and use chemical weapons. Or the same for Nuclear bombs.

If the UK was currently smuggling drugs, then it would be wrong, but it isn't.


It did lol, guess people just don't wanna know what kinda dirt their country got up to. China wasn't in a position to do anything against the Five Allied Powers combined, and as a result, they pillaged and looted a lot of treasures from China, as well as getting a lot of civilians hooked onto opium for their own financial gains. If UK and France returned all their stolen treasures then I guess it would somewhat less "bad", but take it from the Chinese's perspective, having a bunch of foreigners steal your national treasures, parade them in front of you for centuries, and never having to apologise and repay it is utterly unfair. Even Germany had to pay reparation costs to WW2, which invalides your opinion really.

Original post by ThatPerson
Some of your ancestors were almost certainly racist because of the time period they lived in. Does that mean you should apologise to every coloured person? Does that mean it's hypocritical of you to say racism is abhorrent?


No, but if my ancestors stole a lot of priceless stuff, I'd say its definitely fair to return it to the people he stole them from.
Original post by james22
Nobody involved in that is alive today, it's like saying that you should apologise for the crimes of your great great grandfather.


So Turkey shouldn't apologise for the Armenian genocide and its right for refusing to do so? :holmes:
Reply 13
Original post by hollywoodbudgie
So Turkey shouldn't apologise for the Armenian genocide and its right for refusing to do so? :holmes:


No, I think he's saying the Turks should've killed them all while they had the chance
I don't understand why the Chinese government refused to take the reparation fee after the war with Japan
Reply 15
Original post by locrian37
So nobody gonna apologise for it? I don't think history is that easy to rewrite


And I demand that British descendenst of the Normans apologise for the Harrying of the North and that Norway pay compensation for their numerous raids on British coastal villages and towns.
Reply 16
I wasnt alive then and I don't do heroin now, also I don't vote - so it's nothing to do with me :smile:
Reply 17
Original post by Swanbow
And I demand that British descendenst of the Normans apologise for the Harrying of the North and that Norway pay compensation for their numerous raids on British coastal villages and towns.


sorry but medieval britain was savages, nothing of value was lost, unlike the chinese antiques that are worth millions in the international market, maybe some day you might find some rusty sword worth a few $$$ but until then stop crying about your own caseu
Reply 18
Original post by locrian37
sorry but medieval britain was savages, nothing of value was lost, unlike the chinese antiques that are worth millions in the international market, maybe some day you might find some rusty sword worth a few $$$ but until then stop crying about your own caseu



it is clear you are a rabid racist. i suspect you are not chinese either, just someone using this period of history as an excuse for your racism.

what are you?
(edited 10 years ago)
Original post by locrian37
Seems a bit strange to me, the UK was more than happy enough to smuggle drugs into china for financial benefit, but when Afghanistan or [insert middle eastern country here] do it they get blown to pieces by NATO; its a bit hypocritic is all.

At that time it wasn't illegal to sell drugs in the UK, so Afghanistan could (and maybe did!) sell opium to the UK!

Did UK ever apologise for doing it btw? They really ****ed China over in the 19th century but they still got lots of their stolen treasures in the British museum lol

Opium use probably wasn't responsible for China's failure to develop given that, as I said, opium use was legal and widespread in Britain which was the world's most industrialised and powerful country at the time.

It probably had more to do with the authoritarian bureaucracy that ruled China, a trend which had a lot to do with creating the prohibitionist drug policies. As far as I know the various governments of China have never apologised for being evil incompetent bastards.

Quick Reply

Latest