Has it just been me, or have the last few years seemed almost surreal? Specifically, there are a number of emperors with no clothes on, each with a legion of inexplicably rabid supporters.

Emperor the first: GW Bush. Forged Nigerian Uranium claim against Iraq, leaked memo suggesting that war was intended independent of Iraqi action, prison torture, lawless wiretaps, outing of a CIA agent and more (read about it all here
). It's like the Simpson's episode where Burns' ailments are so numerous that they hold each other in check. The marvel of Bush's second term isn't how low his approval ratings are. It's how high they are.

Emperor the second: Microsoft. OS is 4 years late and no one seems to notice.

Emperor the third: Tom DeLay. Two indictments, two convicted staffers and he still has a shot at winning his party's nomination for the next election.

These three emperors suggest a further question: what has to happen before anyone will notice their nudity?