Let them eat bread

For a corrupt leadership, there is nothing more inconvenient than truth.

According to a fable, an emperor is once visited by two swindlers who promise to weave for him a set of new clothes that are invisible to stupid people. The emperor is excited about wearing a special kind of clothes and expends the state coffers to get the outfit stitched. The emperor's minions see that the weavers are not weaving any clothes, but they keep quiet for fear of being considered stupid. When the emperor finally gets to wear the invisible clothes and comes out on the street to exhibit his miraculous costume, everyone seems to admire them. It is only when a child spills the beans—the emperor is naked—that the people realise that they have been duped. Even then, the emperor must continue to pretend that all is well. Such is the insulation that the nexus between power and shamelessness gives an individual who believes everyone around is a fool.