Satisfied Few

History has been marked by the “Satisfied Few.”  In 47 B.C. Augustus Caesar, pursuing his enemy Marcus Cato, went from Sicily to Africa losing thousands of his most loyal troops.  But he returned to Europe in triumph, crossing the Hellespont with cages of wild animals unknown by Europeans.  One giraffe, was walked all the way from Rome to Paris with people lining the roadway the entire distance to observe such a remarkable scene. 

On one of my trips in Africa, when I still had a small island of vision in one eye, I still haven’t forgotten God giving me the pleasure of seeing three huge giraffes crossing between me and the sunset.  Can one even imagine the peasants of France traveling to Paris and observing the Notre Dame Cathedral.  I will never forget the fist time I was on the Great Wall of China, the wall 2000 miles in length over mountains taking 20 years for 200,000 coolies working night and day to keep out the Mongolian hordes.  The wall, wide enough that four horseman could ride abreast, was almost immediately crossed by the Mongolians because the guards were bribed.  In a Maharajas palace in Udaipur India, I saw walls of rooms covered with precious stones.  The magnificent Taj Mahal in Agra India, was built by just one man in the world's poorest country as a memorial to his wife.

This very week, in Zimbabwe formally Rhodesia, Robert Mugabe who came to power in this African nation in 1980, is observing his 85th birthday and some of his henchmen who have kept him in power in spite of the worst corruption known to man are spending $250,000 on a birthday party.  At the very time when inflation in this country is at 5,000%. A country in which at one time was the bread basket of Africa, the people are starving. Young children are leaving the country, crossing the border into Botswana and Zambia, trying to find garbage. 

I was in Zimbabwe in 1984, a part of the British empire where British farmers had made tremendous strides in agriculture.  I saw golf courses, hotels, and other valuable properties around Victoria Falls decimated by national neglect and cruelty.  Mugabe’s cruelty to the citizens of the country and his political enemies has been well documented.  It is reported that once on a vacation, he had trouble with his personal plane, so he instructed his henchmen, body guards, etc. to just confiscate another airliner at the airport.  One of my CIA friends called me from Harare the capitol recently and told me how many hundreds of dollar it cost to have one meal in this country, a country decimated by one man and his loyal followers.

This is just one example of what can happen to a country when greed and corruption takes over.  I was at Entebbe in Uganda on a plane when foreign nationals were trying to escape the wrath of Idi Amin who like Mugabe, Jonas Savimbi of Angola (presiding over this desolate country during a 27 year civil war where it is reported not one building is left in repair, these leaders have lived well, caring nothing for the people they are supposed to protect. These nationals, particularly American, British, and French women, were in hysteria because the animals who had examined them before they had got on the plane, so adept at finding money or jewelry, had violated every orifice of their bodies.  I encountered the same type plane treatment in the Cameroon’s and other African points of immigrations.  While in South Africa, one lady who had been into Angola told me she never saw one person smile in the entire country. 

Knowing the depravity of leadership and the tyranny of politicians in police state countries all over the world, I become nauseated when I hear local politicians, such as in this county, talk about living in “Paradise.” It is paradise for them, the local elected politicians who have the money and influence to spread around to their selected followers, but for the rest of us, it is a matter of survival. In this county, in which I live, there are several country clubs for the elitists politicians and their wealthy cohorts who live here.  I have never been inside one of these country clubs such as the “Cape Fear Country Club.”  But, one of my friends whose husband was a man of influence with the railroads here, was invited there by one of her friends.  She told how one of the local politicians mother, would walk around saying, “I wonder what the poor people are doing.”  Well, I can give her the answer, the poor people who work night and day to pay the burdens of tax in this city and county who have gone to the wars to protect this city and county, who give of themselves in the churches and social services of this city and county, are just trying to survive.

The “Satisfied Few” are destined to learn a lesson from the struggling majority. If the majority ever learn that the only thing they have left is their vote and they become unwilling for it to be purchased by those who have their tax dollars.

It reminds me of one of the hard working hardware store owner who employed a school mate for many years because of his reliability and his needing someone he could trust in the business.  NOT KNOWING, THAT ALL THE TIME HIS TRUSTED SCHOOL MATE WAS STEALING ENOUGH MONEY FROM HIM TO BUY HIS BUSINESS. HE HAD NOT ONLY GOT WELL PAID FOR HIS WORK BUT HE HAD CONFISCATED ALL THE GOODWILL, ALL THE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE BUSINESS AS WELL AS STEALING ENOUGH MONEY FOR HIM TO OWN THE BUSINESS AND BE IN BETTER CONDITION THAN THE ACTUAL OWNER.

In this county, one politician sold to the county his families property.  He made arrangements for his church to gain county property at a greatly reduced cost and is smart enough that one radio station has him on each week talking about the life of the “Rich and Famous.” 

Life has always been a struggle for the Christian. “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:” (1 Peter 1:7)

Government money means much more to many politicians and the people who support them than the blessings of almighty God.  They don’t believe in God nor do they believe they will have to answer to God. But whether in Africa, Asia, or North Carolina, in Romans 14:11 it says “For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.”  In an old book of sermons, and I have one of the first editions, G. A. Loftin’s in his book Character Sketches had a message entitled “Big I little you.”  Crooked politicians, soulless dictators, tyrannical police state tyrants, do not believe this but God numbers the very hairs on your head, he knows the human heart, event the intent of the heart.  The Apostle Paul said in his love letter to the church at Philippi, “rejoice and again I say rejoice. “ (Philippians 4:4)