Part 3: The Collapse, Pages 107 - 120 Summary and Analysis

Uncertainty permeated the air of the Empire in 1973, the year the real troubles began. In that year, reporter Jonathan Dimbleby produced a documentary juxtaposing the lavish decadence of the Emperor with the miserable poverty of those living in the provinces. Thousands, perhaps even hundreds of thousands, had starved to death, and many more would in the coming years if something was not done about it. The Emperor, of course, was displeased by this. The general feeling among loyal palace officials was that this report and others like it were distortions. While people certainly were starving, there was also great progress being made in the Empire, but reporters were never interested in showing that.

Initially, the official policy of the Palace was to deny that there was hunger and starvation. This policy came to...