News for hackers. Stuff that matters.
Re:The China tea trade was a paradox of global capitalism by boomboomsubban on Monday May 25, 2020 @10:42PM (#23306958)
By taking control of supply they were able to lower the sale cost, allowing more people to partake in the addictive substance. Making more people want opium isn't difficult.
Re:The China tea trade was a paradox of global capitalism by solidsnack9000 on Monday May 25, 2020 @11:30PM (#23307138)
The arrow of causality runs in the other direction. Lower prices meet unmet demand.

When one supplier takes control of supply, that doesn't generally lead to lower prices; but expanding production -- which the British did -- certainly can.