Flood of Fire

by Amitav Ghosh

I suppose everyone finds the despotisms of other peoples hard to comprehend.

I suspect he finds it impossible to conceive that any country would send an army across the seas to force another country to buy opium.

the gift of liberty that the British Empire has already conferred on all those parts of the globe that it has conquered and subjugated.’

With opium they want to make whole world slaves for their gods. And they will win, because their gods are very strong, ne, strong as demons? When they win they too will see, only with opium can they escape these demons. Only smoke will hide them from their masters.’