In medieval times, the kind, just and benevolent kings, when they came along, were recognized by the reign of prosperity they brought because they themselves never plucked even an apple from an orchard for the fear that their minions would loot the entire crop. The onset of misrule of the evil kings was, likewise, recognized by the onset of engineered shortages, scarcities, famines caused by the loot and manipulation of the king and his men who often ended up emptying the national exchequer. Prices of necessities would rise with the state imposing coercive taxes. The rulers also allowed profiteering of the most evil kind, making money from traders in the process to fill up their personal coffers. Their nations, when they did not rise against their evil kings and their henchmen, perished with out a trace. If they rose and got rid of them, they lived forever after in peace, harmony and prosperity. Moral of the story; brave nations who depose their evil rulers survive in history. -WAHEEDA WAHAB, Faisalbad, February 15