THE TOOTHLESS LION - GOVERNMENT WITHOUT REINS

It has faced the most incredible challenges and takenWhilst the world richer societies paranoically invests in
on as many faces as there have been powerstyle and quantity to “better thy neighbor” and
seekers in the world, but despite stretched credibility, itget the apparently necessary attention, they do it with
manages to hold world attention with the assurance ofa gesture or a tactful presence nervously controlled by
centuries to come.those who would have them gyrating usefully 25 hours
Never mind what it can be but let us delve a littlea day. It takes a strange animal indeed which appears
deeper and hazard a guess at the results. It has anto need this bizarre orchestration but which probably
inexplicable place in the hearts of many who wouldand essentially, for its own survival , eventually does
otherwise find reasons to ignore it. It appears to workthings its own way. More power to their elbow ?
and yet it gets blamed for practically anything thatMaybe, but if this convoluted and improbable formula
goes wrong despite not having more than the powerhad swung along with Einstein´s when he finally got it
of influence which in turn can only be utilized withdown, it is doubtful that their´s would have been
complete transparency or face the consequences ifseriously received. After all, even with quantum logic,
things go wrong as a result.symmetrical or not, it is not too difficult to work a few
Recently,  it looked as if its days were over as thethings out if they balance well, but something so
world gnashed its teeth in holy fury or underspentunpredictable and so loosely dependent on public whim
frustration which could very easily have found vent onrequires a little more than logic to survive. Some would
other more meaningful things. In fact, despite having tosay force of habit, but then there are other habitual
bend at best at right angle to understand and acceptthings which lead to nowhere
the blame, it had little if anything to do with what it wasSome simply mouth and gesticulate as unbelievingly as
forced by public uproar to admit association with. If thatat the sudden appearance of the Dodo on the dinner
is not enough, perhaps we could stare at this strangetable, but at the end of the day, most are left with a
animal in the eyes and try and work out why it justsneaky feeling that despite change for its own sake, it
stands there and be noticed when there are otherhas a place somewhere in that security concern which
obviously much better things to do - especially whenoutweighs the effort to subject it to test.
we insist it should do little else. More´s the pity, butIf this were not bad enough for some unromantic
little else it is and little else we expect and criticize it todissidents, the loftiness demanded surprisingly
do.diminishes with general contemporary comfort as also
It has its own views about where it comes from andwith fear. Despite appearing at times to be no better
its power of elevation stems from what people do notthan the most common example of daily household
know about its right to take on the stand. It gives awarfare, it secures it strength in the happy association
toss about democracy but ensures that it is alwayswith those who can identify. And yet, it would not
available. It can send ambitious manipulators intosurvive if it held the holy ground too securely, too
shrouded obscurity or raise the flavour of a favouredneatly, too exemplararily. It could be a punch bag or a
few who would otherwise have stood little chance atpair of wings, but lamentably it is in fact like the other
their moment of doubt. It has not always been theside of the mirror and where it would be it is not and
case and perhaps the modern effort in this respect. iswhere it is, it stands only to be seen and unfortunately
a better way of doing things. Or is it?never to be heard.