Lessons from the Kings of Old

Kings then:

Above--King Canute demonstrates to his coutiers his lack of power to stem the tide.

Below--King Alfred the Great lets several cakes burn and gets a tongue lashing from a peasant woman.

"Kings," that is, Big Government today, is just as effective as Canute's attempt at stemming incoming tides.

Mark Steyn and the Conservative Reform Network Blog use these tales from the Kings of Old to illustrate lessons of the limits of earthly power--in this case Big Government programs and regulation, not to mention narcissism by some of our leaders.

First, from the Conservative Reform Network Blog, where I got the Obama & the Waves picture:

http://crnblog.org/?p=4064 

Now from Mark Steyn:

http://www.investors.com/NewsAndAnalysis/Article/535733/201005281430/The-Vanity-Of-Big-Government.aspx