He ate over 400,000 yuan in eight years! His face turned square! First-class carcinogen, has caused many to have their tongues cut out or die from illness… - Today’s Headlines
https://www.toutiao.com/article/7448911552998015497/?log_from=36be3367bc8d1_1734428389447
The man in the news has been addicted to betel nut for eight years (with a total consumption of 400,000 yuan, averaging 140 yuan spent daily on betel nut, roughly 7 packs a day at 20 yuan per pack), resulting in facial deformity, which is shocking. But the harm of betel nut goes far beyond this; it can cause irreversible oral fibrosis, oral cancer, tongue cancer, pharyngeal cancer, laryngeal cancer, esophageal cancer, and other currently incurable diseases, all within just a few years—there are even reports in the comment section of people dying early at 20 due to betel nut consumption.
In today’s capitalism-driven environment where betel nut is heavily promoted, “there are 48,100 new oral cancer cases annually nationwide, with 22,000 related deaths.” Since the dangers of betel nut as a food product are so severe, some in the comments naturally ask: “Since betel nut is so toxic, why doesn’t the state explicitly ban its processing, sale, and consumption?” This is because China has experienced a capitalist revival: as a tool of class rule, the state now protects the interests of the bourgeoisie. The bourgeoisie mass-produces and promotes betel nut, profiting immensely while endangering lives, and also provides the state with substantial tax revenue. This acts like opium, dulling the fighting spirit of the working people, consolidating bourgeois dictatorship. The so-called “reform” naturally favors this, allowing various misleading theories to spread (such as “betel nut health benefits” and some bourgeois mouthpieces defending betel nut by claiming banning it would cause “poverty and unemployment”—similar to how British imperialism forced India to grow opium to make Indian farmers wealthy. In reality, the root cause of poverty and unemployment is the exploitative system itself), while only symbolically requiring warnings like “Long-term excessive chewing is harmful to oral health” on betel nut packaging. This seems to give a false sense of kindness, as if such a warning would make people eat less or quit betel nut altogether.
Some self-reliant individuals might be wary of more reactionary spiritual opiates like video games that waste time and degrade the brain, but betel nut, which appears to “stimulate alertness,” is easily favored because it can numb oneself while not interfering with work or life. Meanwhile, the bourgeoisie profiting from betel nut packaging and promotion actively glorify it. Just as “smoking is harmful to health” is used to warn against tobacco, betel nut, as a similar opiate, is also pursued by the masses under the brutal exploitation and oppression of capitalism and under the ideological control of the bourgeoisie.
On one hand, the state’s bureaucratic bourgeoisie, which controls the reform apparatus, is the biggest beneficiary of betel nut proliferation; on the other hand, the bourgeoisie directly involved in production and sales of betel nut extols it even more. Meanwhile, the masses, oppressed and with no way out, have an objective need for such substances. Therefore, in capitalist society, the widespread use of tobacco, alcohol, and betel nut cannot truly be overcome. The core issue is not whether the reformers superficially ban betel nut—because even a ban would not be effective—“Monarchs cannot command the economy”, the real problem is that “…once there is a suitable profit margin, capital becomes daring. With 10% profit, it will be used everywhere; with 20%, it becomes active; with 50%, it risks everything; for 100% profit, it dares to trample all laws; with 300%, it commits any crime, even risking execution. If chaos and conflict bring profit, they will encourage chaos and conflict. Smuggling and slave trading are proof.” (Tro • Yu • Dengning, The Trade Union and Strikes, London edition 1860, pages 35-36)
— Capital Volume 1, Chapter 24, Section 6 notes.
Capitalist production is aimed at profit; “money above all” is the morality of the bourgeoisie. The reform apparatus cannot let go of, nor do they want to abandon, a series of opiates like betel nut that numb the masses. Only by thoroughly overthrowing the capitalist system can the tragedy of death caused by betel nut be prevented.
The longer capitalism exists, the more various forms of “opium” appear! In the past, it was tobacco and alcohol; now it’s 二次元 (2D culture) and betel nut.
Actually, it can also be linked to the cultural propaganda of the middle class.
Recall the performance of the bourgeois actor Chen Peisi in the skit “Such Guard Duty.” The character he played said, since smoking is so harmful, why do stores still sell it and come up with all kinds of tricks? Why not simply ban it? However, Zhu Shimao’s character replied: We should look at it dialectically—it can meet people’s living needs, generate profits, and support the country’s four modernizations. So the smoking character later said: “Our bodies and money are almost nothing, we must support the country’s four modernizations.” (At the same time, spreading vulgar dialectics!)
Artistic revolutionary literature that is highly artistic is even more cunning, subtly instilling bourgeois ideas.
The working people, addicted to cigarettes, alcohol, and betel nut, surprisingly have a noble reason to support the country’s Four Modernizations. But how could this money possibly be for “contributing to the country and the people”? The monopolist bourgeoisie profits from the tobacco and alcohol industries, which makes it easier for them to “numb the fighting spirit of the working people and consolidate the bourgeois dictatorship.”
Some say the author aims to use comedy to “satirize” this phenomenon. But he only exposes it without criticizing; isn’t that still spreading it?
I previously met a Huolala driver, a very good person who was happy to chat with me and share stories, which also helped me understand the hardships of this line of work. I advised him to eat less betel nut, and he listened, saying he would gradually quit and use cooling oil to refresh himself. Sigh, I hope he can really quit and live well.
[quote=“19586, post:1, topic:344”]Some people who are somewhat self-reliant may waste a lot of time and cause brain decline due to more reactionary content such as video games and other content, and under the pressure of survival, they may be wary of it. As for areca nut, which seems to be a “refreshing” opiate, it happens to meet their needs of both numbing themselves and not “delaying work and life,” making it easily popular.
[/quote]Thinking of a colleague I used to work with who played cards, played games, drank, and indulged in pleasures until two or three in the morning every day, but had to get up at six or seven in the morning to go to work, so he could only chew areca nut and smoke to stay alert on the way to work.