After Britain, the country that benefited the most from the China trade—and, therefore, the global traffic in opium—was none other than the United States. And in the United States, unlike in Britain, it is well-established that the beneficiaries included many of the preeminent families, institutions, and individuals in the land.

[–] MammyWhammy@lemmy.ml 18 points 3 days ago (1 children)

What's funny is you can argue that the US forced the US to become addicted to opioids as well.

[–] eldavi@lemmy.ml 11 points 3 days ago

the US did it to itself 2x: first with tobacco and then with opioids.

[–] SippyCup@lemmy.ml 11 points 3 days ago

I will fight you on that.

The US was subjected to opioids the exact same way the Chinese were.

Powerful capitalists fucking throwing it at people to get them addicted.

[–] Agrajag@scribe.disroot.org 34 points 3 days ago

I'm sure it has been used at times by uncool people, but dragon flag goes hard

[–] fellagha@lemmygrad.ml 7 points 3 days ago

The US working class has been subjected to opium addiction. The US ruling class is subjecting itself to copium addiction.

[+] ThatGuyNamedZeus@feddit.org -7 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (2 children)

I live in a pretty rural area, I don't know anyone who's addicted to any type of opioid

now whenever I visit the biggest city in my state, there's fentanyl addicts and probably also meth and crack addicts in very alleyway and under every bridge. It's not safe to be outside at night in that town. you will absolutely get stabbed, shot and/or robbed. It's never happened to me. But I had to stay hotel there once a few years ago and I heard the drug addicts outside screaming all night.

it felt like a zombie movie

[–] Viking_Hippie@lemmy.dbzer0.com 23 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

I live in a pretty rural area, I don't know anyone

Could have just stopped there 🤷

The whole thing with meth and the like often being overrepresented in rural areas is that there's fewer people around to notice when you want to keep things secret.

This includes addiction, meth labs, secret pill mills and more.

Sure, cities are more convenient for distribution and the like, but if your main priority is secrecy, the boonies is where it's at.

When your next door neighbors are a mile away, you'd have the be very nosy to notice much of what they do.

whenever I visit the biggest city in my state, there's fentanyl addicts and probably also meth and crack addicts in very alleyway and under every bridge. It's not safe to be outside at night in that town. you will absolutely get stabbed, shot and/or robbed

Big rural conservative paranoia energy 🙄

My first time in New York, I accidentally got off the airport bus a couple of stops too early and walked through the infamous Jamaica, Queens neighborhood. In the middle of the night with all my luggage clearly labeling me a tourist.

I didn't get mugged or stabbed. Other than one guy politely hitting me up for a cigarette and then equally politely taking his leave, I was left alone entirely.

It's never happened to me.

See, THAT I do believe.

[–] SatansMaggotyCumFart@piefed.world 23 points 3 days ago (3 children)

The farmer’s daughter next to me hooks for fent and the one beside her cooks meth.

[–] BaroqueInMind@piefed.social 5 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago)

Does she have chronic pain or a debilitating mental illness and unable to afford medical care or is she simply a poor rural drug addict that enjoys living in squalor?

[–] miss_demeanour@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 points 3 days ago

That's very much the first line of a joke...

[–] ThatGuyNamedZeus@feddit.org 0 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Florida? Or maybe one of the states that borders northern Florida?

[–] SatansMaggotyCumFart@piefed.world 10 points 3 days ago

No, more north and west.