Once there was a great and powerful emperor who was, truth be told, a pompous lying twaddler. He called for all the greatest craftsmen in the land to come and build him the greatest, bestest wall ever.

Many labored to impress the emperor, but at last, one crafty craftsman convinced the ruler that he could build a wall that would put the Great Wall of China to shame.

Money was raised, by taxing the people, and stealing funds from the army and many important services for the people. The emperor was told that the wall was coming along nicely.

The regal reject decided to go and look at his wall. He loved his wall. He decided to overlook the fact that the wall was falling apart already, and that most of the ‘miles and miles’ of wall that he was told had been built really just consisted of parts of the old wall that had been patched up.

The mangy monarch’s toadies praised the wall and the emperor. They said it was the best wall ever.

But one brave little girl named Nancy spoke out. “Your wall is useless, and is draining our coffers for no good reason, and on top of that, some of your evil henchmen have been pocketing the money for themselves”.

I would love to tell you that this simple truth opened the peoples’ eyes, an that they deposed the emperor of empty promises, but really, half the people, blinded by the magnificent orange glow of their chosen one, refused to see the wall for what it was and continued to heap praises on both the wall and the royal rat.

I am sure there is an important moral in here somewhere. If you know what it is, please tell me.