56.2 Tyrannical Rule

 56.2 Tyrannical Rule

Question:

              What is the consequence of reckless government?

Answer:

Are not the unbearable tears of the oppressed citizens

are the weapons that destroy a ruler’s riches. (Couplet – 555)

அல்லற்பட்டு ஆற்றாது அழுதகண் ணீரன்றே

செல்வத்தைத் தேய்க்கும் படை      (குறள் – 555)

Explanation:

It is true that if the ruler or the ruling party causes major harm to the citizens, the citizens are likely to get angry and would like to remove the people in power. History has examples of terrible tyrants being assassinated. For example, the Roman Emperor Caligula, who ruled Rome from 37 AD to 41 AD, was cruel, extravagant, and a sexual pervert was assassinated. The incompetent and arrogant king of France, Louis XVI, who ruled France from 1774 to 1792, and his wife Maria Antoinette were guillotined to death. In modern democracies, if the ruling party has driven the country into serious financial troubles and caused extraordinary suffering to the citizens, they are likely to be defeated in the next election. For example, Jimmy Carter, the USA president from 1976 to 1980, was known for his incompetency. During his presidency, gasoline prices and inflation reached unprecedented heights. No wonder he and his party met with sound defeat in the 1980 general elections. On the other hand, Kim Jong Un of North Korea and Nicholas Maduro of Venezuela are examples of some of the worst kinds of dictators who have subjected their citizens to untold miseries. But they have managed to remain in power. So, it is true that when the rulers are unjust, arrogant, and incompetent, people would like to get rid of them. However, it is also true that not all evil and oppressive leaders will undoubtedly lose their power and wealth when they inflict misery on their citizens.