Four Crude Dudes and The Land of Hope

As we enter the Third Millennium, the world faces challenges which no civilised country can ignore. The greed and material consumption by people living in the most prosperous parts of our world become more conspicuous and effectively impoverishes further, those poorer, third-world nations in want of basic necessities in order to survive. As long as richer nations are prepared to continue building and increasing their wealth upon the debts of poorer nations, the advancement of the rich will be made at the developmental expense of the poor. As long as profit matters more than people, there can be no such thing as 'fair trade', 'equality of opportunity' and 'freedom from basic want'. To look beyond the immediate desires of oneself towards the needs of another person in less favourable circumstances is the most spiritually-uplifting experience one can ever have. Such action forms the basis for lasting friendship and helps to establish a climate of true understanding and mutual respect. Humanity and greed are incompatible. In the final analysis, a person can only serve one God. 'Four Crude Dudes and the land of Hope' deals with the most avaricious of human nature; mankind's capacity for greed. This was admirably exemplified in 'The Californian Gold Rush' of the 19th century, when greed turned a nation of god-fearing pioneers into gold prospectors; the worse of whom abandoned home, family, god and all sense of moral code to lie, steal, bully and cheat their way to wealth. 'Four Crude Dudes and the Land of Hope' tell the story of how the lives of a thief, a bully, a cheat and a liar negatively impact upon each other during the days of the 'Californian Gold Rush'; leaving the hero of the story, Farmer Hope, with all the wealth, despite him having never sought it. The story essentially shows that when greed becomes one's god, then all goodness goes out the window. The victory of the God-fearing Farmer Hope who seeks only to look after his family and his neighbours while all around are abandoning their contented lives to seek gold and increased prosperity in the land of plenty. It is a vindication and endurance of the 'good' in mankind over that of the 'bad.'