Bed-Time for Patriots

Long ago, there was a folk who were proud to live free, without kings or masters. For in that country, wisdom, justice, and peace flowed in commerce, it was said. For commerce is the willing trade of this for that, in which all must happily agree. And in trade with far-away realms lately recovering from war, the country grew wealthy and powerful.

As commerce required wisdom, it was reasoned, the wisest must needs be those who became the richest, and so should rightly have the power of speech, and be listened to. For who else had proven themselves able to arrange that to which so many had readily agreed? And the less-wise had wisdom enough to entrust the rich to manage the wealth of all on their behalf.

So it was, in peace and prosperity seldom seen, that the country shone as an example to the world, and kingdoms far and wide were eager to entrust their wealth to that kingless folk who so multiplied it, seemingly without end. And food, and tools, and gold, and finest cloth, flowed into that country from around the world.

But the rich were not the wisest, although most still believed so, as all others had long since agreed. For the rich made the rules, and passed the judgements, and could buy the service of the clever, and so made it easy for themselves to stay rich, and grow richer still than the rest of the folk. And they strove no longer to organize willing commerce, but to take what they could, with what rules they chose.

So wealth and power flowed not to the wise, but to those who stooped lowest to cheat, steal, and corrupt, as long as they did not upset the other rich folk. And the workers could afford to do nought but toil, building no wealth of their own, hoping it would trickle down. And the young had not hope while the land was overworked and polluted, for the rich extracted more this way.

And malcontentment festered, for though the folk still believed that wisdom flowed in commerce, they could see, with time, that they no longer lived in prosperity, nor did they live free. So the common folk fell to arguing with each other, bitterly, each blaming the other for their ills. And the rich folk paid to host loud debates, in every public square, that blamed ought but themselves.

And finally, from that class of most ill-gotten wealth, a golden champion arose, and with the most unified and easily swayed, he spoke plainly to their plight and cultivated rage. Clad in the garb of this simple folk, he told them whom to blame, promising to restore their lost status. For none but him who had both the wisdom of riches and the sensibilities of the masses could fix what was so clearly broken.

And with his supporters deceived and mustered, he silenced or overpowered those who opposed him. For, in truth, this champion sought only to increase his own wealth and escape justice for his past crimes. And the rich, ever jealous of their status, used him as their champion also, to reshape the country in a mold of their liking and capture more still of its stagnating wealth.

But though a king’s crown has been wrought for this champion, it does not yet lie upon his head. And the world has recoiled at sight of so fair a country now laid bare, naked in its corruption, greed, and folly. At a cross-roads the folk of this country now stand, if they have the wisdom to see the paths before them. Wither will they resolve to go?

Can the common folk, once so proud of their freedom, see wisdom divorced from wealth? Or in a world of uncertainty and fear, will each secure a living for a time, humbled in toil and in service of masters deeply rooted and entrenched? In the town squares, they are called to other causes more clearly, and easier to bear.

Many may read fairy-tales and recognize them nought beyond fall from grace, while others know there was no fall, only a changing of the mythic guard. But ugly chapters make poor bed-time stories, and stories we must tell. For in the telling do we frame our choices in the values we know we share.