That is predicted in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, that in Kali-yuga the mlecchas (means the rejected from human society), such persons, rogues and fools and rascals, they will take the post of king. They are unworthy to be kicked, but they will take the post of government. And what will be their business? They will eat the citizens. That's all. Vital force. Vital force, blood-sucking, tax.

Sticking it to the taxpayers who vote for them

Our mission to educate the dogs, hogs, camels and asses

PRABHUPADA: The karmis [materialists] are compared with the ass. Big, big businessmen, day and night working hard, earning money, not for himself. What he will eat? Two chapatis, that's all. Or little milk or little... Not that he has earned 1000 dollars every day and he will eat it. No. He will eat, out of that 1000 dollars, he will eat fifty cents, and balance will be eaten by others. You see. But still, he is working hard. And the example is ass. The ass takes a morsel of grass. It is worth nothing. The ass can get anywhere the morsel of grass. But still, he thinks that the washerman is feeding me. So he remains there. And in Mexico you found some asses, carrying loads. So they are carrying loads, very heavy loads, tons, for that morsel of grass, which he can get anywhere. But he thinks, "Oh, I will die. If my master does not give me a morsel of grass, I will die. So let me remain here and carry all the big loads." You see. Similarly, the karmis, they remain at home. They think that "My wife, my children, my family—without them, I shall die. So I have to work to maintain them like an ass." That's all. The karmis, they are working, accumulating bank balance, more, more, more, more, more, more. But forgetting the real mission of life. Therefore ass. Ass means fool. Whenever one man is called, "You are ass," that means he's a fool. So this human form of life, so valuable... To realize Krishna and go back to Him, that should be our main business. But these karmis, they do not know what is the mission of this human form of life. They are busy working hard, day and night, for a morsel of grass. That's all. There are many other verses. Yan maithunadi-grihamedhi-sukham hi tuccham [Srimad-Bhagavatam 7.9.45]. So shastra [Vedic literature], intelligence, knowledge, means one should study everything very critically: "What is my position? What is my duty?" We should not be like the animals. Shva-vid-varahoshtra-khara [dogs, camels, asses and pigs]. Now we have got our great personalities, leaders. They are praised, eulogized, our, these political leaders. "Our Hitler," "Our Gandhi," "Our Churchill," "Our Nixon." But shastra says these leaders, those who are not spiritual leaders, those who cannot give our life, they are worshiped by these classes of animals, animals. These so-called leaders, politicians, they are eulogized very much by whom? By these class of men: dogs, camels, asses and... What is the other one?

DEVOTEES: Hogs.

PRABHUPADA: Hog. So this is the verdict of the Vedic literatures. That means one who does not know whom to eulogize, whom to give honor, they give votes to these classes of men, without any knowledge of Krishna. They are becoming the great philosophers, leaders, scientists. They have no knowledge of Krishna, no knowledge of God. Still, they are leading the society. And who praises them? This class of men: dogs, hogs, camels, and asses. This is the verdict. Now you can challenge. You can talk, if it is right or wrong. This is the challenge given by Bhagavatam that "Persons who have no knowledge of Krishna consciousness, they are praised by these dogs, hogs, camels, and asses." This is the challenge. Now how can you refute it? Can you refute it? This is a great challenge. We are not only... We are accepting some rascal as God, as incarnation of God. So who accept this so-called God? These classes of men. These classes of men: camel, hogs, dogs. So by the vote of camels, dogs, hogs, one cannot become God. That is not possible. God is a different thing. So we should not be misled. If some incarnation come, "God," who is accepting? These camels, dogs, and hogs and asses. So what is the value? What is the value of their vote? No. Formerly, the votes were taken by highly saintly persons, brahmanas. Just like Prithu Maharaja's father Vena Maharaja. He was disapproved by the brahmanas and the saintly persons, and immediately he was dethroned and killed. Not the public vote. Not vox populi. Vote should be taken from the highly elevated persons, not from the lower-class dogs and asses. What is the value of their vote? What they can select? Vote should be taken... Just like Krishna. Krishna wanted that Maharaja Yudhishthira should be on the throne. That is vote. So nowadays, a vote is franchised. Any common man, any rascal can vote. So how he can elect nice man? That is not possible.

Therefore, if you want real government who can lead you back to home, back to Godhead... That is perfect government. That is the duty of the government—to see the citizens happy in this life. They have no grievance for their living condition. They are happy. At the same time, they are preparing for going back to home, back to Godhead. That is good government. And the government who simply levies taxes somehow or other... Every year, the budget is increasing tax. "You give us tax, and you go to hell. It doesn't matter. You give us tax." And the tax is divided amongst themselves. That is government. We know in India, the tax collected, eighty percent is spent among the government servants. That's all.

So this is the position of Kali-yuga [the present age]. Mleccha rajanya-rupino bhakshayishyanti prajas te. That is predicted in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, that in Kali-yuga the mlecchas (means the rejected from human society), such persons, rogues and fools and rascals, they will take the post of king. Rajanya-rupinah. They are unworthy to be kicked, but they will take the post of government. Rajanya-rupinah. And what will be their business? They will eat the citizens. That's all. Vital force. Vital force, blood-sucking, tax. Durbhiksha-kara-piditah [SB 12.2.9]: on one side, there will be scarcity of supply; on other side, the people will be perplexed with taxes. These are going to happen. And they will give up their homely life and will go to the forest, to the hills. Just like every year you hear. Now it is going on. Just like in Vietnam. The poor people, they are sometimes vacating this place, vacating that place. They are troubled. The politicians, they are making their own plan, and the poor people ... We have seen. When partition was made in India, all poor Hindus and Muslims, they were in trouble. And the leaders, they were in happy mood in their apartment, ordering and eating very nicely, butter and bread. That's all. This is going on.

Therefore the only opportunity of becoming happy is that you preach this Krishna consciousness movement amongst the people, so if the people become educated in Krishna consciousness, and if they decide that "We shall vote for Krishna conscious leader," then there will be happiness. Just like Prithu Maharaja, the king. We were discussing.

So the Krishna consciousness movement comprehends all sides of life. It is not that a stereotype "churchianity," weekly going to the church and come back and do all. No. It is embracing all sides of our life. But the only aim is how to go back to home, back to Godhead. So we have to educate these classes of men, shva-vid-varaha-ushtra-khara, these class of men: dogs, hogs, camels and the asses. The world is full of these classes of men, and you have to educate them. Your responsibility is very great. You have to make an ass a devotee, a camel a devotee, a dog a devotee, a hog a devotee. This is your mission.