The ‘Opium War’ that Wasn’t
One hundred and sixty-six years ago this week, Lord Palmerston, the great British Foreign Secretary, sent a letter to the Imperial Chinese government that paved the way for the 1840-42 Anglo-Chinese conflict, the “Opium War.†It’s a brilliantly snappy name that sneakily prejudges the issue: The world is now convinced that the war was a case of commercial and imperialist British greed trying to force opium on the Chinese.If his talk is a provocative as his premise, it should certainly be an interesting time for anyone interested in the roots of contemporary drug policy and the geopolitics of illicit trade.The world is wrong.
Professor Harry Gelber is a Visiting Scholar at the Center for European Studies. He will be giving a talk on the “Opium War†at the Center for European Studies at 2:15 p.m. on Friday, February 24th.
On November 11th, we both mourn and celebrate the sacrifices of those who went forth and fought in the major wars of the 20th century. Veterans Day in the United States, Rememberance Day in Canada and Armistace Day in England all fall on the 11th of November, marking the anniversary of the end of the first World War. The poppy has long been the symbol of the brave soldiers who fought and died for freedom from tyranny. In honour of their sacrifices, poppies.org will observe a virtual moment of silence, with the somni-forum going off-line at 11am on November 11th. For more information on the traditional moment of silence in Canada, click 
