Haile Selassie: Statesman, Colonizer, God?

# Haile Selassie: The Emperor of Ethiopia

This episode dives deep into the complex and controversial legacy of Haile Selassie, the Ethiopian emperor whose rule spanned much of the 20th century and whose image ranged from modernizing visionary to authoritarian ruler depending on who you ask. Josh and Chuck explore his rise from nobility to emperor, his stirring defense of Ethiopia against Italian fascism, and the fascinating intersection of his life with the Rastafarian religious movement that eventually deified him as a god on earth. What emerges is a portrait of a man who did remarkable things—from abolishing slavery to writing Ethiopia's first constitution—while simultaneously presiding over a kingdom marked by internal strife, ethnic tension, and increasingly autocratic control over his people.