"EMPEROR, THE" (RYSZARD KAPUSCINSKI).   Term Paper ID:26073 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Reviews study of financial corruption of reign of Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia.... More...

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Paper Abstract: Reviews study of financial corruption of reign of Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia. Paper Introduction: Emperor Haile Selassie's reign in Ethiopia can be described by the term Kleptocracy as the Emperor and his cronies plundered the country for their own benefit. Ethiopia was a poor country in any case, and it was poorer on the whole once Selassie had taken most of its wealth to be his own and left the peasants much worse off then they were when he arrived in office. In the book The Emperor, journalist Ryszard Kapuscinski shows ways in which the wealth was transferred from the poor to the leadership and the ways in which the Emperor and his friends spent what wealth the country did produce. Kapuscinski often merely shows the results without discussing the process underlying it. For instance, he presents a scene early in his book which shows the huge difference that existed between the lifestyle of the Emperor and that of the Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. The Emperor. when he notes how theEmperor viewed the people as thriving in their exploitation because theyknow nothing else: "Because the people never revolt just because they haveto carry a heavy load, or because of exploitation. The individual had no recourse atthis point except to blame the subordinate who actually placed money in theenvelope, and even this was done at a distance: "Because, since generalopinion dared not stain the dignity of his Highness, it reviled Aba Hannaas a miser and a cheat, who dipped so lightly into the bag and sifted somuch with his thick fingers, who reached in with such disgust that the bagcould have been full of poisonous reptiles, who knew the weight of themoney so well that he stuffed the envelope without looking and then gavethe sign to shuffle away backward" (44). This is a poor country, andmoney is a transforming element (45). H.-M. In the book The Emperor, journalist Ryszard Kapuscinski shows waysin which the wealth was transferred from the poor to the leadership and theways in which the Emperor and his friends spent what wealth the country didproduce. The lifestyle of thepalace and the lifestyle of the people are very different, though it isclear that whatever the people produce is the source for the wealth ofthose in the palace who spend their time finding ways to take more from thepublic trough in preparation for decamping before the whole thing comes toan end with the uprising of a people asked to give too much. Many-layered cakes dripped with sweet,colored icing. Ethiopia was a poor country in any case, and it waspoorer on the whole once Selassie had taken most of its wealth to be hisown and left the peasants much worse off then they were when he arrived inoffice. E. They don't know lifewithout exploitation, they don't even know such a life exists. The Emperor and hiscronies were passing what wealth they could gather to one another as thepalace served as a distribution point in order to secure obedience andloyalty, and this process continued even as the rest of the countrydescended deeper into poverty: "I'll tell you, friend, that it got worselater on. The underlying attitude is expressed by M. E. New York: Vintage, 1983. Anenvelope would be handed to the individual petitioning the Emperor, butonce the individual looked in that envelope, he would find "only a fractionof the sum that--as the insatiable thieves always swore--had been promisedto him by our generous Emperor" (44). Work CitedKapuscinski, Ryszard. For instance, he presents a scene early in his bookwhich shows the huge difference that existed between the lifestyle of theEmperor and that of the common people. G. goes further and notes how the country deteriorated over time as moneywas transferred from the lower classes to the leadership class and how thegovernment operated as a fiefdom, with the Emperor handing out largesse tothose who were loyal: "No one wants to go away empty-handed, without agift, without an envelope, without a promotion" (48). says that the emperor wouldstretch out a generous hand, but that hand would often be empty. also notes the reaction of thepeople to the wealthy, for the people would run as a group to see a richperson and to bask in some reflected glory. reports to Kapuscinski on how the Emperor treats those whopetition him for redress of some grievance. The people continue to workuntil someone throws too much of a load onto their backs, and then theyrevolt: "A man doesn't seize an ax in defense of his wallet, but in defenseof his dignity, and that, dear sir, is why His Majesty scolded the clerks.For their own convenience and vanity, instead of adding the burden bit bybit, in little bags, they tried to heave a whole big sack on at once" (97-98). Kapuscinski often merely shows the results without discussing theprocess underlying it. T. Distinguished wines spread reflected colors andinvigorating aromas" (19-2 ). The Emperor as well responds to the situation by seeking more fromhis people than they can possibly give, as T. The more the foundations of the Empire were crumbling, the morethe chosen ones pressed forward to the cashbox "(48). Idon't remember His magnanimous Highness's ever demoting someone andpressing his head to the cobblestones because of corruption" (46). E. says the Emperor sought development without reform and did so byseeking foreign aid, which he then spent on new factories. It is such imagery that shows how theleadership stole from the people with a certain abandon, behaving as ifthis were the natural order of things for a people accustomed to beingexploited so that they venerated their exploiters. In describing the last days of the empire, A.A. I watchedthe crowd devour the scraps, bones, and fish heads with laboriousconcentration" (2 ). The wealth of the Emperor is shown in the way he would repay loyaltywith bountiful gifts, and for those closest to the Emperor benefit as thepeople at large do not: "He liked the people of the court to multiply theirbelongings, he liked their accounts to grow and their purses to swell. The scene is a reception for themeeting of the presidents, and the police first chase the poor people outof the streets and decorate the city. The guests arrive to great fanfareand opulence and are treated to a feast: "Mountains of meat, fruit, fish,and cheese rose on the tables. refers to JonathanDimbleby, a television journalist from London, and calls him an"unprincipled calumniator" who "pulled the demagogic trick of showingthousands of people dying of hunger, and next to that His VenerableHighness feasting with dignitaries" (1 9), precisely the image Kapuscinskiused at the beginning of his book. Outside this party was a very differentscene as those whose work and money actually paid for this feast are found:"In the thick night, a crowd of barefoot beggars stood huddled together.The dishwashers working in the building threw leftovers to them. notes when he states thatafter the rebellion, the Emperor sought development as a way of improvingthe lot of the country, though in fact he had no idea how to accomplishthis beyond deciding to do it: "Having done so, he had no choice but to setout on an odyssey from capital to capital, seeking aid, credits, andinvestment: our Empire was barefoot, skinny, with all its ribs showing"(9 ). Indeed, each of thecronies of the Emperor sought to fill his own coffers and escape as theship of state was floundering, and the picture presented is of a nation indisarray as it was plundered by those best able to do so. Emperor Haile Selassie's reign in Ethiopia can be described by theterm Kleptocracy as the Emperor and his cronies plundered the country fortheir own benefit. How canthey desire what they cannot imagine?" (97). If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.