--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: MacGregor shrugged. 'More than the…" description: "\"“MacGregor shrugged. 'More than the population are opium addicts,' he said. 'Don't dismiss it like that,' she told him impatiently. 'I'm not dismissing..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a40/james-aldridge-23659_opium_macgregor-shrugged-more-than-the-populat_1969887.jpg" --- # MacGregor shrugged. 'More than the population are opium… ![“MacGregor shrugged. 'More than the population are opium addicts,' he said. 'Don't dismiss it like that,' she told him impatiently. 'I'm not dismissing it,' he said softly. 'I'm trying to show you what it really means.' 'But are they all like that?' 'Not that bad.' 'But why…' He lifted his hands…” quote by James Aldridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a40/james-aldridge-23659_opium_macgregor-shrugged-more-than-the-populat_1969887.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a40/james-aldridge-23659_opium_macgregor-shrugged-more-than-the-populat_1969887.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a40/james-aldridge-23659_opium_macgregor-shrugged-more-than-the-populat_1969887.jpg) > ““MacGregor shrugged. 'More than the population are opium addicts,' he said. 'Don't dismiss it like that,' she told him impatiently. 'I'm not dismissing it,' he said softly. 'I'm trying to show you what it really means.' 'But are they all like that?' 'Not that bad.' 'But why…' He lifted his hands. 'To forget the difficulty of keeping alive. To keep out the cold, to forget their hunger and their misery.' 'They ought to prevent it,' she said. 'Who ought to prevent it?' he asked slowly. 'I don't know. Who allows it? Who is responsible?' 'The gentlemen in Teheran to whom we give our unqualified support. Opium helps to keep the population too stupefied and too broken to do anything about their miserable conditions. We support men here, knowing that opium is part of their means of maintaining position and authority. If you really want to know who is responsible, I suppose we are. Some of our most influential friends in the Government are landlords of large opium growing areas.”” [James Aldridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-aldridge/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Discusses opium's role in oppression, questioning responsibility among authorities and societal structures. **In simple terms:** Opium sustains control, responsibility is shared. Key Takeaway Address systemic exploitation. Themes oppression responsibility addiction Mood somber thoughtful Type political philosophical When to use this quote - policy reform - public health - human rights advocacy Key Concepts political economy ethics Questions to Reflect On - Who truly bears responsibility? - How can societies break cycles? A Different Perspective Complex geopolitical factors complicate solutions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Opium](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opium/) [Opium Addicts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opium-addicts-1467975/) [Opium Growing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opium-growing-3301415/) [Opium Helps](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opium-helps-3301414/) [Population Opium](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/population-opium-3301416/) [Support Opium](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/support-opium-3301413/) ## Related quotes > [I feel that opiates - I include opium and all its derivatives, such as morphine, heroin, pantopon, etc. - are quite useless for any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-s-burroughs/i-feel-that-opiates-i-include-opium-and-all-its-derivatives-such-as/) [William S. Burroughs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-s-burroughs/) > [“You won't do this, my son! I won't have you waste your life. Musicians, artists, criminals, opium addicts ... You'll end up poor and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rana-dasgupta/you-won-t-do-this-my-son-i-won-t-have-you-waste-your-life-musicians/) [Rana Dasgupta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rana-dasgupta/) > [The dead drug leaves a ghost behind. At certain hours it haunts the house.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-cocteau/the-dead-drug-leaves-a-ghost-behind-at-certain-hours-it-haunts-the/) [Jean Cocteau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-cocteau/) > [Alcoholism, the opium habit and tobaccoism are a trio of poison habits which have been weighty handicaps to human progress during the last three…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-harvey-kellogg/alcoholism-the-opium-habit-and-tobaccoism-are-a-trio-of-poison-habits/) [John Harvey Kellogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-harvey-kellogg/) > [I think you can go back in history and look at what the effect in Asia and the world was of a divided, fractured…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-c-blair/i-think-you-can-go-back-in-history-and-look-at-what-the-effect-in/) [Dennis C. Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-c-blair/) > [Confucianism strongly condemned the use of drugs like opium.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-trout/confucianism-strongly-condemned-the-use-of-drugs-like-opium/) [Robert Trout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-trout/) > [What opium is instilled into all disaster? It shows formidable as we approach it, but there is at last no rough rasping friction,but the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/what-opium-is-instilled-into-all-disaster-it-shows-formidable-as-we/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Marxism is the opium of the Marxists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-robinson/marxism-is-the-opium-of-the-marxists/) [Joan Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-robinson/) > [We have used the Bible as if it was a mere special constable's handbook — an opium-dose for keeping beasts of burden patient while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-kingsley/we-have-used-the-bible-as-if-it-was-a-mere-special-constable-s/) [Charles Kingsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-kingsley/) > [By the time writing was invented, the Greeks and Egyptians had already learned to extract opium from poppies to facilitate sleep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-duff/by-the-time-writing-was-invented-the-greeks-and-egyptians-had-already/) [Kat Duff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-duff/) > [In order to increase his pleasures, man has intentionally added to the number and pressure of his needs, which in their original state were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/in-order-to-increase-his-pleasures-man-has-intentionally-added-to-the/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [Only the opium eater truly understands the pain of death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cheever/only-the-opium-eater-truly-understands-the-pain-of-death/) [John Cheever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cheever/) > [“Ô, Wanderess, Wanderess When did you feel your most euphoric kiss? Was I the source of your greatest bliss?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-payne/wanderess-wanderess-when-did-you-feel-your-most-euphoric-kiss-was-i/) [Roman Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-payne/) > [“Religion is opium for the masses”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikos-kazantzakis/religion-is-opium-for-the-masses/) [Nikos Kazantzakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikos-kazantzakis/) > [For ten thousand dollars, I'd endorse an opium pipe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fanny-brice/for-ten-thousand-dollars-i-d-endorse-an-opium-pipe/) [Fanny Brice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fanny-brice/) ## More by James Aldridge > [“If we do not stop these mar-makers not,...it will soon be too late. We are the only nation that can halt this crusade. It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-aldridge/if-we-do-not-stop-these-mar-makers-not-it-will-soon-be-too-late-we/) [James Aldridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-aldridge/) > [“The Americans love to play diplomacy by making scares. It's a crude method.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-aldridge/the-americans-love-to-play-diplomacy-by-making-scares-it-s-a-crude/) [James Aldridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-aldridge/) > [“Religious fanaticism is simply good politics in the middle-eastern countries.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-aldridge/religious-fanaticism-is-simply-good-politics-in-the-middle-eastern/) [James Aldridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-aldridge/) > [“Firstly, the Azerbaijanian struggle for a measure of autonomy and self-government is genuine and is locally inspired. The facts of history and existing conditions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-aldridge/firstly-the-azerbaijanian-struggle-for-a-measure-of-autonomy-and-self/) [James Aldridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-aldridge/) > [“America capital has taken up this easy banner of world disorder and we are simply the poor willing fools that follow on behind. We…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-aldridge/america-capital-has-taken-up-this-easy-banner-of-world-disorder-and/) [James Aldridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-aldridge/) > [“How do you English Socialists believe in Empire like that?' Steele said to Holmes. 'Empire is inimical to Democracy and it has no right…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-aldridge/how-do-you-english-socialists-believe-in-empire-like-that-steele-said/) [James Aldridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-aldridge/) > [“A man may have the right to criticize the Government, but I'm hanged if he has a right to brazenly use his free speech…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-aldridge/a-man-may-have-the-right-to-criticize-the-government-but-i-m-hanged/) [James Aldridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-aldridge/) > [“I'd like you to see that we are interfering too drastically. WE can't just assume so completely that Azerbaijan is in the hands of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-aldridge/i-d-like-you-to-see-that-we-are-interfering-too-drastically-we-can-t/) [James Aldridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-aldridge/) > [“This solid permanence in Foreign Office affairs had always antagonized MacGregor: there was something threatening and deadly and over-sure in it. The building itself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-aldridge/this-solid-permanence-in-foreign-office-affairs-had-always/) [James Aldridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-aldridge/) > [“Nothing that was said in here would decide MacGregor's fate. That decision was being made elsewhere. This was not the highest Court in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-aldridge/nothing-that-was-said-in-here-would-decide-macgregor-s-fate-that/) [James Aldridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-aldridge/) > [ “You are claiming that the Soviet authorities began and influenced the existence of the Democratic Party \[in Iran\]. That is the basis of all… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-aldridge/you-are-claiming-that-the-soviet-authorities-began-and-influenced-the/) [James Aldridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-aldridge/) > [“It's easy these days to buy a nation, but it's quite difficult to take it by force.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-aldridge/it-s-easy-these-days-to-buy-a-nation-but-it-s-quite-difficult-to-take/) [James Aldridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-aldridge/) > [“The Honourable Lady confuses the American people with American policy… It is the very generosity of the American people which makes it possible for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-aldridge/the-honourable-lady-confuses-the-american-people-with-american-policy/) [James Aldridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-aldridge/) > [“I have betrayed no confidence and no trust. I simply wrote a letter in which I stated the truth--for the Government or anybody else.'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-aldridge/i-have-betrayed-no-confidence-and-no-trust-i-simply-wrote-a-letter-in/) [James Aldridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-aldridge/) > [“I don't fancy bringing the Americans into this at all… They are inclined to take things over these days, and I have an idea…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-aldridge/i-don-t-fancy-bringing-the-americans-into-this-at-all-they-are/) [James Aldridge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-aldridge/) [Explore all 25 James Aldridge quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-aldridge/) ## More Opium quotes > [For ten thousand dollars, I'd endorse an opium pipe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fanny-brice/for-ten-thousand-dollars-i-d-endorse-an-opium-pipe/) [Fanny Brice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fanny-brice/) > [“Religion is opium for the masses”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikos-kazantzakis/religion-is-opium-for-the-masses/) [Nikos Kazantzakis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikos-kazantzakis/) > [“Ô, Wanderess, Wanderess When did you feel your most euphoric kiss? Was I the source of your greatest bliss?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-payne/wanderess-wanderess-when-did-you-feel-your-most-euphoric-kiss-was-i/) [Roman Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-payne/) > [Only the opium eater truly understands the pain of death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-cheever/only-the-opium-eater-truly-understands-the-pain-of-death/) [John Cheever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-cheever/) > [In order to increase his pleasures, man has intentionally added to the number and pressure of his needs, which in their original state were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-schopenhauer/in-order-to-increase-his-pleasures-man-has-intentionally-added-to-the/) [Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-schopenhauer/) > [By the time writing was invented, the Greeks and Egyptians had already learned to extract opium from poppies to facilitate sleep.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kat-duff/by-the-time-writing-was-invented-the-greeks-and-egyptians-had-already/) [Kat Duff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kat-duff/) > [We have used the Bible as if it was a mere special constable's handbook — an opium-dose for keeping beasts of burden patient while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-kingsley/we-have-used-the-bible-as-if-it-was-a-mere-special-constable-s/) [Charles Kingsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-kingsley/) > [Marxism is the opium of the Marxists.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-robinson/marxism-is-the-opium-of-the-marxists/) [Joan Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-robinson/) > [What opium is instilled into all disaster? It shows formidable as we approach it, but there is at last no rough rasping friction,but the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-waldo-emerson/what-opium-is-instilled-into-all-disaster-it-shows-formidable-as-we/) [Ralph Waldo Emerson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ralph-waldo-emerson/) > [Confucianism strongly condemned the use of drugs like opium.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-trout/confucianism-strongly-condemned-the-use-of-drugs-like-opium/) [Robert Trout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-trout/) > [I think you can go back in history and look at what the effect in Asia and the world was of a divided, fractured…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-c-blair/i-think-you-can-go-back-in-history-and-look-at-what-the-effect-in/) [Dennis C. Blair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-c-blair/) > [Alcoholism, the opium habit and tobaccoism are a trio of poison habits which have been weighty handicaps to human progress during the last three…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-harvey-kellogg/alcoholism-the-opium-habit-and-tobaccoism-are-a-trio-of-poison-habits/) [John Harvey Kellogg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-harvey-kellogg/) > [The dead drug leaves a ghost behind. At certain hours it haunts the house.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-cocteau/the-dead-drug-leaves-a-ghost-behind-at-certain-hours-it-haunts-the/) [Jean Cocteau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-cocteau/) > [It is not religion but revolution which is the opium of the people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/simone-weil/it-is-not-religion-but-revolution-which-is-the-opium-of-the-people/) [Simone Weil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/simone-weil/) > [“Central Intelligence cutting Meo opium fields! China Lobby copping poppies in Burma! How long this Addict government support our oil-burner matter-habit”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-ginsberg/central-intelligence-cutting-meo-opium-fields-china-lobby-copping/) [Allen Ginsberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-ginsberg/) [Browse all 198 Opium quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opium/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“MacGregor shrugged. 'More than the population are opium addicts,' he said. 'Don't dismiss it like that,' she told him impatiently. 'I'm not dismissing it,' he said softly. 'I'm trying to show you what it really means.' 'But are they all like that?' 'Not that bad.' 'But why…' He lifted his hands. 'To forget the difficulty of keeping alive. To keep out the cold, to forget their hunger and their misery.' 'They ought to prevent it,' she said. 'Who ought to prevent it?' he asked slowly. 'I don't know. Who allows it? Who is responsible?' 'The gentlemen in Teheran to whom we give our unqualified support. Opium helps to keep the population too stupefied and too broken to do anything about their miserable conditions. We support men here, knowing that opium is part of their means of maintaining position and authority. If you really want to know who is responsible, I suppose we are. Some of our most influential friends in the Government are landlords of large opium growing areas.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "James Aldridge" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-aldridge/macgregor-shrugged-more-than-the-population-are-opium-addicts-he-said/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Opium" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-aldridge/macgregor-shrugged-more-than-the-population-are-opium-addicts-he-said/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a40/james-aldridge-23659_opium_macgregor-shrugged-more-than-the-populat_1969887.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a40/james-aldridge-23659_opium_macgregor-shrugged-more-than-the-populat_1969887.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a40/james-aldridge-23659_opium_macgregor-shrugged-more-than-the-populat_1969887.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“MacGregor shrugged. 'More than the population are opium addicts,' he said. 'Don't dismiss it like that,' she…” — James Aldridge", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "James Aldridge", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-aldridge/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“MacGregor shrugged. 'More than the population...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-aldridge/macgregor-shrugged-more-than-the-population-are-opium-addicts-he-said/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-aldridge/macgregor-shrugged-more-than-the-population-are-opium-addicts-he-said/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```