--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: An enormous semiofficial drug-smuggling…" description: "\"“An enormous semiofficial drug-smuggling operation was established in order to improve Britain's unfavorable balance of payments with China—the direct ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/440/tom-standage-21003_britain_an-enormous-semiofficial-drug-smuggling_1190039.png" --- # An enormous semiofficial drug-smuggling operation was… ![“An enormous semiofficial drug-smuggling operation was established in order to improve Britain's unfavorable balance of payments with China—the direct result of the British love of tea.” quote by Tom Standage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/440/tom-standage-21003_britain_an-enormous-semiofficial-drug-smuggling_1190039.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/440/tom-standage-21003_britain_an-enormous-semiofficial-drug-smuggling_1190039.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/440/tom-standage-21003_britain_an-enormous-semiofficial-drug-smuggling_1190039.png) > ““An enormous semiofficial drug-smuggling operation was established in order to improve Britain's unfavorable balance of payments with China—the direct result of the British love of tea.”” [Tom Standage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-standage/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Britain's love for tea led to a covert drug trade with China, showing how cultural habits can drive economic strategies. **In simple terms:** Tea love caused a drug-smuggling scheme. Key Takeaway Consider hidden costs of cultural habits. Themes economics culture trade drug trade Mood historical critical Type economic political When to use this quote - historical analysis - economic planning - cultural studies - government negotiations Key Concepts colonialism globalization policy making Questions to Reflect On - How do cultural preferences influence policy? - What ethical lines are crossed for profit? A Different Perspective Such schemes can have moral and legal repercussions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Britain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/britain/) [China](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/china/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Opium](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/opium/) [Smuggling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smuggling/) [Tea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tea/) ## Related quotes > [And the people who live in the southern part of my state do not have a secure environment. To wit, there are signs that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mccain/and-the-people-who-live-in-the-southern-part-of-my-state-do-not-have/) [John McCain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mccain/) > [“The drug smuggling today had, as its godparents, the bootleggers nearly a hundred years ago. The syndicates, the systems, the psyches were created back…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louise-penny/the-drug-smuggling-today-had-as-its-godparents-the-bootleggers-nearly/) [Louise Penny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louise-penny/) > [The fight against the drug smuggling is lost worldwide.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-mujica/the-fight-against-the-drug-smuggling-is-lost-worldwide/) [Jose Mujica](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-mujica/) > [“How about this? Hong Kong had been appropriated by British drug pushers in the 1840s. We wanted Chinese silk, porcelain, and spices. The Chinese…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mitchell/how-about-this-hong-kong-had-been-appropriated-by-british-drug/) [David Mitchell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mitchell/) > [Ten Delta Airlines baggage handlers were arrested for smuggling drugs into Detroit. Yeah, you can tell Delta was involved, because the drugs were supposed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-fallon/ten-delta-airlines-baggage-handlers-were-arrested-for-smuggling-drugs/) [Jimmy Fallon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-fallon/) > [I've never played a manipulative, drug-smuggling lesbian before. For me, it's pushing me in an area that's great. There are days when I'd read…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-prepon/i-ve-never-played-a-manipulative-drug-smuggling-lesbian-before-for-me/) [Laura Prepon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-prepon/) > [“Carhart didn't see how running a massive smuggling organization could be boring but then again he wasn't a sociopathic action junkie who didn't plan…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santino-hassell/carhart-didn-t-see-how-running-a-massive-smuggling-organization-could/) [Santino Hassell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santino-hassell/) > [Negro servants have been smuggling odds and ends out of white homes for generations, and white people have been delighted to have them do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-a-baldwin/negro-servants-have-been-smuggling-odds-and-ends-out-of-white-homes/) [James A. Baldwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-a-baldwin/) > [My mother was a Chinese trapeze artist in pre-war Paris Smuggling bombs for the underground. And she met my father at a fete in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/colin-meloy/my-mother-was-a-chinese-trapeze-artist-in-pre-war-paris-smuggling/) [Colin Meloy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/colin-meloy/) > [What every prime minister struggles with and every leader struggles with is how to balance the two objectives; firstly that of ensuring that all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-turnbull/what-every-prime-minister-struggles-with-and-every-leader-struggles/) [Malcolm Turnbull](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-turnbull/) > [After the revolution of 1979, Iran embarked on a policy of sectarianism. Iran began a policy of expanding its revolution, of interfering with the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adel-al-jubeir/after-the-revolution-of-1979-iran-embarked-on-a-policy-of/) [Adel al-Jubeir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adel-al-jubeir/) > [This guy had smuggler as a license plate in Washington. This were I say what a joke dude gets caught smuggling. Some people are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-mccarty/this-guy-had-smuggler-as-a-license-plate-in-washington-this-were-i/) [Kevin McCarty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-mccarty/) > [“It wasn’t just one charmante,” Belle said slowly. “It was…dozens. It was like…they were helping all of them…escape….That’s why there were all of those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-braswell/it-wasn-t-just-one-charmante-belle-said-slowly-it-was-dozens-it-was/) [Liz Braswell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-braswell/) > [Smuggling poems out of prison in the soles of mt shoes i'm way past finding salvation in the arms of a woman, I look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raegan-butcher/smuggling-poems-out-of-prison-in-the-soles-of-mt-shoes-i-m-way-past/) [Raegan Butcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raegan-butcher/) > [I've done a bit of smuggling, I've run my share of grass. I made enough money to buy Miami, but I piss it away…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jimmy-buffett/i-ve-done-a-bit-of-smuggling-i-ve-run-my-share-of-grass-i-made-enough/) [Jimmy Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jimmy-buffett/) ## More by Tom Standage > [By tracing the careers of the four members of the Philosophical Breakfast Club, Laura Snyder has found a wonderful way not just to tell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-standage/by-tracing-the-careers-of-the-four-members-of-the-philosophical/) [Tom Standage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-standage/) > [“... civilization—a word that simply means "living in cities..." Excerpt From: Standage, Tom. “A History of the World In 6 Glasses.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-standage/civilization-a-word-that-simply-means-living-in-cities-excerpt-from/) [Tom Standage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-standage/) > [“A billion hours ago, human life appeared on earth. A billion minutes ago, Christianity emerged. A billion seconds ago, the Beatles changed music. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-standage/a-billion-hours-ago-human-life-appeared-on-earth-a-billion-minutes/) [Tom Standage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-standage/) > [“Stronger! stronger! grow they all, Who for Coca-Cola call. Brighter! brighter! thinkers think, When they Coca-Cola drink. —Coca-Cola advertising slogan, 1896”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-standage/stronger-stronger-grow-they-all-who-for-coca-cola-call-brighter/) [Tom Standage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-standage/) > [“But an oft-heard complaint, as companies spread their tentacles around the world and compete on a global playing field, is that globalization is merely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-standage/but-an-oft-heard-complaint-as-companies-spread-their-tentacles-around/) [Tom Standage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-standage/) > [“...people enjoy being able to articulate their interests and define themselves by selectively compiling and resharing content created by others”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-standage/people-enjoy-being-able-to-articulate-their-interests-and-define/) [Tom Standage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-standage/) > [“Coffeehouses were centers of self-education, literary and philosophical speculation, commercial innovation, and, in some cases, political fermentation. But above all they were clearinghouses for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-standage/coffeehouses-were-centers-of-self-education-literary-and/) [Tom Standage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-standage/) > [“The inclusion of lemon or lime juice in grog, made compulsory in 1795, therefore reduced the incidence of scurvy dramatically. And since beer contains…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-standage/the-inclusion-of-lemon-or-lime-juice-in-grog-made-compulsory-in-1795/) [Tom Standage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-standage/) > [“such a social-media environment; it is merely the most recent and most efficient way that humans have found to scratch a prehistoric itch. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-standage/such-a-social-media-environment-it-is-merely-the-most-recent-and-most/) [Tom Standage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-standage/) > [“John Adams, by then one of the country's founding fathers, wrote to a friend: "I know not why we should blush to confess that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-standage/john-adams-by-then-one-of-the-country-s-founding-fathers-wrote-to-a/) [Tom Standage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-standage/) > [“This original version of Coca-Cola contained a small amount of coca extract and therefore a trace of cocaine. (It was eliminated early in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-standage/this-original-version-of-coca-cola-contained-a-small-amount-of-coca/) [Tom Standage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-standage/) > [The Arabs understandably did everything they could to protect their monopoly. Coffee beans were treated before being shipped to ensure they were sterile and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-standage/the-arabs-understandably-did-everything-they-could-to-protect-their/) [Tom Standage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-standage/) > [“Ten years after the Boston Tea Party, tea was still far more popular than coffee, which only became the more popular drink in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-standage/ten-years-after-the-boston-tea-party-tea-was-still-far-more-popular/) [Tom Standage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-standage/) > [“Illness and death are not the only consequences of the lack of access to water; it also hinders education and economic development. Widespread illness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-standage/illness-and-death-are-not-the-only-consequences-of-the-lack-of-access/) [Tom Standage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-standage/) > [“According to an account in Anecdotes of the Telegraph, when his request was questioned, the man ran off, "grinning a horrible, ghastly smile".”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-standage/according-to-an-account-in-anecdotes-of-the-telegraph-when-his/) [Tom Standage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-standage/) [Explore all 30 Tom Standage quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-standage/) ## More Britain quotes > [We can find common qualities and common values that have made Britain the country it is. Our belief in tolerance and liberty which shines…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-brown/we-can-find-common-qualities-and-common-values-that-have-made-britain/) [Gordon Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-brown/) > [In Britain, the press want to kill a show by revealing what's coming up and spoiling the pleasure.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hugh-bonneville/in-britain-the-press-want-to-kill-a-show-by-revealing-what-s-coming/) [Hugh Bonneville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hugh-bonneville/) > [If we don't like modern Britain, then it is very unlikely that modern Britain will like us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/damian-green/if-we-don-t-like-modern-britain-then-it-is-very-unlikely-that-modern/) [Damian Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/damian-green/) > [It is time Britain put its trust back into the Labour Party. I believe I am the candidate that can make this happen precisely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-abbott/it-is-time-britain-put-its-trust-back-into-the-labour-party-i-believe/) [Diane Abbott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-abbott/) > [Britain has the IRA and no one cancels concerts there.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharon-osbourne/britain-has-the-ira-and-no-one-cancels-concerts-there/) [Sharon Osbourne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharon-osbourne/) > [The establishment in Britain is certainly against the arts and against education. If something doesn't make a profit, it's invalid, and art doesn't make…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-maxwell-davies/the-establishment-in-britain-is-certainly-against-the-arts-and/) [Peter Maxwell Davies](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-maxwell-davies/) > [We from every religion feel comfortable in Britain because there is a host. The Church of England is a good host, it has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-sacks/we-from-every-religion-feel-comfortable-in-britain-because-there-is-a/) [Jonathan Sacks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-sacks/) > [The larger an English industry was, the more likely it was to go bankrupt, because the English were not naturally corporate people; they disliked…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-theroux/the-larger-an-english-industry-was-the-more-likely-it-was-to-go/) [Paul Theroux](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-theroux/) > [I think the first person to call me 'Britain's Obama' was Martin Bright at the New Statesman. Harriet Harman made the comparison once at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chuka-umunna/i-think-the-first-person-to-call-me-britain-s-obama-was-martin-bright/) [Chuka Umunna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chuka-umunna/) > [I am the last of Britain's stately homos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/quentin-crisp/i-am-the-last-of-britain-s-stately-homos/) [Quentin Crisp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/quentin-crisp/) > [ As for whether what happened in Britain improves\[Donald\] Trump's chances of winning, I don't think so. He has the same chances; we may just… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-michael-cillizza/as-for-whether-what-happened-in-britain-improves-donald-trump-s/) [Christopher Michael Cillizza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-michael-cillizza/) > [Britain, like other European states, is not and never will again be in the top-world-power league, so its male leaders can afford to play…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-colley/britain-like-other-european-states-is-not-and-never-will-again-be-in/) [Linda Colley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-colley/) > [When you go away, you see where you come from in a different light. I see Scotland, and the rest of Britain, as much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/irvine-welsh/when-you-go-away-you-see-where-you-come-from-in-a-different-light-i/) [Irvine Welsh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/irvine-welsh/) > [It was very hard breaking into the film industry in Britain. I had been to art school, and I was painting and doing commercials.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-scott/it-was-very-hard-breaking-into-the-film-industry-in-britain-i-had/) [Tony Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-scott/) > [Germany has always stood for an E.U. of the 27 countries. But in light of Britain's continued resistance to further integration steps, as we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wolfgang-schauble/germany-has-always-stood-for-an-e-u-of-the-27-countries-but-in-light/) [Wolfgang Schauble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wolfgang-schauble/) [Browse all 1,648 Britain quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/britain/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“An enormous semiofficial drug-smuggling operation was established in order to improve Britain's unfavorable balance of payments with China—the direct result of the British love of tea.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Tom Standage" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-standage/an-enormous-semiofficial-drug-smuggling-operation-was-established-in/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Britain" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-standage/an-enormous-semiofficial-drug-smuggling-operation-was-established-in/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/440/tom-standage-21003_britain_an-enormous-semiofficial-drug-smuggling_1190039.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/440/tom-standage-21003_britain_an-enormous-semiofficial-drug-smuggling_1190039.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/440/tom-standage-21003_britain_an-enormous-semiofficial-drug-smuggling_1190039.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“An enormous semiofficial drug-smuggling operation was established in order to improve Britain's unfavorable…” — Tom Standage", "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": "Tom Standage", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-standage/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“An enormous semiofficial drug-smuggling operation was...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-standage/an-enormous-semiofficial-drug-smuggling-operation-was-established-in/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-standage/an-enormous-semiofficial-drug-smuggling-operation-was-established-in/#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 } } ] } ```