The Peoples are in the altogether

A policy parable

Once upon a time in the Great South Land the people told the king that they would no longer accept anything but the best.

They threatened the king that, if he and his vast financial and industrial support base could not give them the best housing, the best jobs and the finest clothes on the planet, they would replace him without a second thought.

While the King looked after most of the peoples’ money he was always rather reluctant to part with it.

The King devised a plan where he was able to give the illusion of National Wealth and well being by a cunning advertising plan that one of his cobbers dreamed up.

Instead of actually giving stuff away the King was able to create an illusion by only spending $25,000 an hour of the peoples money leaving the bulk of their money for himself and his friends.

One day, because the King was getting quite old, the people invited nominations from within their ranks for his replacement.

Each of the candidates was questioned in great depth about their ability to continue to deliver the lifestyle that they had become used to and told them, in extremely strong terms, that if they didn’t deliver they would be chucked out very smartly.

Finally it was The Village Idiot’s turn to be questioned and when the people told him of their great wealth, beautiful homes and fine, well crafted clothing The Village Idiot fell about in uncontrollable laughter.

 The people were very, very angry and, before throwing him out onto the street, asked him just what he had found so terribly funny in such a serious matter.

In the few seconds that The Village Idiot was able to control his laughter he pointed out to the people that they were all stark naked and that it was, indeed, not a very good look.

As the people looked around at each other they realised that The Village Idiot was right.

Each had thought that only they had missed out on the nation’s great wealth because they were personally not good enough.

The people burst into a rather sad chant – “…the peoples are in the altogether, naked as the day they were born…”