Summarily, the genesis of the fall of Selassie's empire will be examined, reacted to, and explained through the testimony offered to Kapuscinski in order to comprehend the nature of Selassie's rule and it's inevitable failing characteristics.
Selassie's treatment of his government can be more ascertained and understood by a remark by one of the lower servants in a well-known passage about the way he conducted business in the palace.
It was a small dog, a Japanese breed. His name was Lulu. He was allowed to sleep in the Emperor's great bed. During various ceremonies, he would run away from the Emperor's lap and pee on dignitaries' shoes. The august gentlemen were not allowed to flinch or make the slightest gesture when they felt their feet getting wet. I had to walk among the dignitaries and wipe the urine from their shoes with a satin cloth. This was my job for ten years (5) .
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This famous passage assists in discovering the nature of Selassie's government in Ethiopia from 1930-1978. He was wasteful, disrespectful, crude, and was power blind to all decent aspects of beneficial government. Self-glorification is a trait of rulers who utilize government funds to support their own greedy wishes. Selassie was no different in that he owned a personal twenty-seven car fleet of Rolls-Royces, Mercedes Benzes, and Lincoln stretch limos (12). One minister's discourse over Selassie's mindfulness concerning financial aspects of government is ironic (43). His self-indulgence through the looting of government funds hastened his fall. Accordingly, his extremely detailed management of Ethiopia's financial assets arose for his prudishness when dealing with the needs of his land but not with his own. While his subjects were starving, he had palaces all over Ethiopia. An immense palace in the heart of the Ogaden Desert was built and maintained by the government with a full staff with every available accommodation.
