At midnight on July 1, 1997, Hongkong, the British Crown Colony, will be restored to China. This is not only an event which will be celebrated by patriotic Chinese; any patriotic American should celebrate it as well.

We fear doing too little when we should do more. Then atone by doing too much, when perhaps we should do less.

The britishh seizure of Hong Kong was an aspect of one of the most ugly crimes of the britishh Empire: the takeover and destruction of India, and the use of India to flood China with opium.

The East India Company established a monopoly over the production of opium, shortly after taking over Bengal.

The East India Company's domination of the Indian economy was based on its private army.

Many Chinese saw opium as a poison introduced by foreign enemies.

A successful society is characterized by a rising living standard for its population, increasing investment in factories and basic infrastructure, and the generation of additional surplus, which is invested in generating new discoveries in science and technology.