Tag institutional self-deception

Damned lies

Three cartoonish statues depicting the tale of “The Emperor’s New Clothes”: a king in white undergarments and crown stands between two courtiers who admire him, one holding a mirror, set outdoors among grass and trees.

We laugh at Andersen’s emperor, yet the same farce plays out on a planetary scale. Systems set impossible goals, individuals pretend to meet them, and everyone nods along to preserve the illusion. China’s numbers, Western markets, Soviet tragedies—it’s always the same play. Nobody moves first. And history never punishes the liars—only the believers.