Chapter 867

"On the Dangerousness of Opium, what kind of shit is this written about, how the hell can this content be reported!

Henry roll over for me, now you need to give me a reasonable explanation..."

The one who is furious is the famous British opium tycoon George Grande, who ranks in the top ten of all opium dealers in the world.

As one of the vested interests, like all opium dealers, George Grande has always firmly believed that opium is a panacea, and opium is sold for redemption.

George Grande has always hated the idea of ​​outsiders criticizing the dangers of opium.

With the development of science and technology, more and more people are aware of the dangers of opium and stand up to call on the government to ban the circulation of opium.

In order to continue profiteering from the opium trade, it is natural for opium traders to cover up these different voices. To this end, they did not hesitate to spend a lot of profits to buy government officials, newspapers, and parliamentarians.

The opium trade, which seems to be dominated by opium dealers, is actually a meeting of British bureaucrats, parliamentarians, and the media to share the spoils.

Driven by interests, the vested interests worked together to suppress the voice of opium ban in China.

Now that the newspaper published articles exposing the dangers of opium, George Grande is naturally unhappy, which means that he has to pay a higher price to suppress different voices.

Henry, who was in charge of public relations, hurried over to explain: "Sir, this time is very special, and the source of public opinion is not in China.

It may have something to do with the recent international disputes. The first to slander the panacea was the Austrian newspaper, and the domestic newspapers just reprinted..."

Don't be nervous, opium dealers are ruthless. How can an opium tycoon like George Grande stand in this circle if he doesn't have hundreds of lives under his control?

If he screwed up, it would be deadly. If it wasn't for the force of life, Henry would not have taken this high-risk job.

As one of the parties, no one knows better than him how loud the voice of the folks calling for a ban on opium sales is.

The promotion of the Austrian government is only one of the fuses. Some newspapers dare to publish such news, mainly because the domestic groups opposed to the opium trade are growing.

There are not only one or two people who are harmed by opium, and there is no distinction between rich and poor, and many British elites have also become victims.

Although the power of opium dealers is great, they are not so powerful that they can cover the sky with one hand. Public opinion and public relations cannot buy all the newspapers, and it is normal for some people to dare to criticize them.

In fact, the newspapers that George Grande saw have been considered relatively moderate, only reprinting the content of foreign newspapers, without expressing his own views.

The content on many tabloids is truly shocking, and they dare to publish any content on it. Before they could come to the door, they changed their vests again.

Henry had clearly felt that there was a force behind it, which made him worry.

George Grande interrupted: "Don't talk to me about these useless things, no matter what you do, you have suppressed these voices for me.

If these people don't accept our kindness, there is no need for them to exist, and choose this active person to kill the chickens and set an example.

Let the outside world know that our Panacea Association is not easy to mess with! "

In the face of the furious George Grande, Henry really didn't have the courage to refuse, and replied nervously: "Yes, Sir! It's just O..."

Before he could finish speaking, George Grande slammed the table and cursed: "Damn Austrian chops, they should have been abolished in the first place, and now it has become a climate, and dare to handle..."

As early as decades ago, when Austria banned the opium trade, the opium dealers wanted to retaliate, but the rulers of their British government were not stupid.

In any case, Austria was also one of the four major powers in the world at that time. Going to fight with Austria for the opium trade is a sign of water in the brain.

If the government cannot be persuaded, it is naturally impossible for the opium dealers to confront the Austrian government with their own strength. It's not allowed by law, so it's better to smuggle it secretly.

However, the smuggling trade is also not easy to do. The Austrian government has been severely cracking down on the opium trade, catching opium traffickers one by one, killing everyone directly.

Although it has not been completely eliminated, most opium dealers are still deterred. The big opium dealers, including George Grande, have not dared to go to Austria these years.

Isn't it good to sell opium legally elsewhere, why go to Austria to die?

Seeking wealth and wealth in danger, that is what the poor and white diaosi need. They are big business owners, and there is no need to take risks.

It turned out to be tolerated because there are more markets to choose from. Not anymore. If the British government follows suit, it will be breaking George Grande's foundation.

Under the new hatred and the old hatred, George Grande didn't care about any noble self-cultivation, and started venting to his heart's content.

It was so hard for Henry, he didn't dare to walk, he didn't dare to persuade him, he could only stand there awkwardly, trying to make an expression that he listened very carefully.

After venting his grievances, George Grande gradually calmed down. When it comes to international political disputes, he is not capable of blending in.

The era of capital has not yet come. If you play too much, you will have to pay a price.

Don't look at him wearing a noble title, but George Grande knows very well how much moisture is in the purchased title compared with the real noble.

After a pause, he said slowly

: "You don't need to worry about political matters. I will communicate with my colleagues and work together to overcome the crisis."

Being able to stand out in many competitions, George Grande is naturally not an easy person. He was naturally aware of the people's deep aversion to the opium trade.

The Drug Stores Act of 1868 was enacted under the strong dissatisfaction of the people.

It's just that it involves self-interest and is reluctant to let go.

You must know that in 1888 alone, the sales of opium-related products in Britain amounted to tens of millions of pounds, and the surrounding industrial chain involved hundreds of millions of pounds.

Not to mention overseas, the benefits that can be obtained are definitely much more than domestic ones.

Once the government promulgates the Crow Prohibition Act, not only the local interests will be gone, but the overseas income will also be sharply reduced.

...

Downing Street, Prime Minister Gladstone is now very headache, the public's attention has indeed shifted from the "Minister's Case", but Britain is still at the center of the whirlpool of public opinion.

"British atrocities in Afghanistan", "Britain's colonial black history", "The biggest behind-the-scenes man in the European War", "The biggest slave trader in human history", "Drug Empire"...

The focus of this series of public opinions is directed at them. In the face of the facts, all their justifications paled.

Prime Minister Gladstone would rather resist the pressure of the "Minister Case" if he knew from the start that the situation would get out of control, and the big deal would be a war with the Russians.

With such a tossing now, not only is the Anglo-Russian war unavoidable, but it has also made itself notorious.

European countries are very disgusted by their means of dragging people into the water. The major colonial empires are a pile of black history, and some are even still in progress.

In this context, everyone can only push a more excessive back to attract the public's attention.

Austria made a head start, everyone pushed it smoothly, and Britain occupied the top spot with its strength.

It's still the kind of thing that goes up and can't come down. The black history far exceeds the sum of the second, third, fourth, and fifth, and has become the focus of international public opinion.

Prime Minister Gladstone: "International public opinion is becoming more and more unfavorable to us, and what we do now will be magnified by others.

Our plan to divert the public eye has proven to be a failure. European countries are very dissatisfied with our disclosure of their dark history, and this is just the beginning of revenge.

If we can't handle these problems properly, we will encounter more troubles later. What's your best way to deal with it? "

Few countries would dare to fight against Britain directly, but if they secretly attacked Britain, there would be no pressure on everyone.

Anyway, it was the Austrians who lifted the lid, the Russians who rushed to the front line, and everyone was just beating the side drums.

If the British government wants to retaliate, it must first solve the two leaders, otherwise it will only backfire.

Colonial Secretary Primrose replied: "The Prime Minister is right that these issues do need to be addressed.

But there's not much we can do right now, and any excesses will cause uproar. Continuing to dwell on this issue will only do us more harm.

According to past experience, to suppress a focus of public opinion, it can only create a larger focus of public opinion.

The main reason for our failure to divert public attention this time is that we have made too many enemies. Now we should learn a lesson.

In essence, this incident was just an accident and did not have substantial benefits, so there was no need to endure it.

The Russians have begun to prepare for war, and the defense of Afghanistan is imperative. I think it can appease the dissatisfaction of various countries, and then provoke the contradiction between Britain and Russia, and divert the attention of the domestic people.

This public opinion has affected the interests of some capitalists, and I believe they will help us guide public opinion. As for international public opinion, just let them go! "

Although the opium trade is not an important source of revenue for the government, the opium dealers are definitely the big money for newspapers, bureaucrats, and parliamentarians.

British businessmen control most of the world's drug trade in these years, and nearly half of the interests have flowed into the pockets of bureaucrats and parliamentarians through various channels, and a huge interest group has been formed.

Although many people are not interested in this interest group, they have to admit that this group is powerful.

After hesitating for a moment, Prime Minister Gladstone nodded, being able to become Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, his eyes naturally have room for sand.

...