Quote by Denis Diderot
In any country where talent and virtue produce no advancement, money will be the national god. Its inhabitants will either have to possess money or make others believe that they do. Wealth will be the highest virtue, poverty the greatest vice. Those who have money will display it in every imaginable way. If their ostentation does not exceed their fortune, all will be well. But if their ostentation does exceed their fortune they will ruin themselves. In such a country, the greatest fortunes will vanish in the twinkling of an eye. Those who don’t have money will ruin themselves with vain efforts to conceal their poverty. That is one kind of affluence: the outward sign of wealth for a small number, the mask of poverty for the majority, and a source of corruption for all.
This was written by Denis Diderot.Denis Diderot was a French philosopher, art critic, and writer. He was a prominent figure during the Enlightenment and is best known for serving as co-founder, chief editor, and contributor to the Encyclopédie. He Died: July 31, 1784, Paris, France.
This piece was written in the 1700’s and has become our reality at another place in another time in our beloved country Zimbabwe. We have become a debased society far removed from our moral obligations as a people to leave our future generations with a better chance to a better quality of life than what we the present generation can achieve. We have regressed significantly not because we want to but because with put our trust in mortal men and women. That has been our greatest mistake. We dare not do that again for man or woman is imperfect prone to selfish endeavour and shortsighted. The time has surely come to liberate our children from what we have become. It is our responsibility to create a new Zimbabwe that we all once dreamt of. Let no man or woman be left behind as we fight to take our country our lives our dreams and our power back! Arise Zimbabwe arise ! A new Dawn must surely come now as we go through the last moments of the darkest part of our history.