I recently had a dream about a king who surrounded himself with lackies. Their only qualifications were that they would always do what he wanted without question. They became his willing thought-slaves because they believed him when he said he was the smartest person in the world and would make them rich.
He began his reign by showing off his great knowledge of the economy. Despite the views of many economists and historians, the king said that the proper use of tariffs was the secret to a smooth and fair economy, in which no one got ripped off. When other countries retaliated with their own tariffs and the market crashed, he said not to worry and that every cure requires strong medicine.
While he was doling out tariffs, he was also deporting migrants, who he claimed were here illegally and were criminals and murderers. When his followers asked him how he knew all this, he pointed to his intelligence and said he just knew and not to question him about it.
One person asked about the legal system, the rule of law and something called “due process.” The king replied that it would take way too long for every bad person to have his or her day in court. Anyone with common sense, especially him, knew if a person was guilty or not, instinctively.
I woke up in a cold sweat with an excerpt from a speech by Macbeth ringing in my ears. I will let the reader look it up. It starts this way: “Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player, that struts and frets his hour upon the stage. And then is heard no more.”
Frederick Longacre
Hockessin
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