COMMENT | Once upon a time there was a prince named Hubris.

He was the scion of old nobility, from a tribe of fierce warriors, not one of the mob of newly-minted lower lords infesting the country.

Prince Hubris saw what a previous king did to a couple of potential successors to the throne who had incurred the ruler’s displeasure.

He wasn’t going to test his mettle this way. He wasn’t that stupid. He would bide his time and display harmless, smiling subservience.

When that king with the iron fist retired, he was next in line to the throne.

When that king needed to sleep, Prince Hubris became king, the rise to the top smooth as international bank transfers, no need for conflict, no need to dirty the hands, just have dirty hands.

He started brightly. Call him Ah Goh (brother), as he expertly wielded a pair of long chopsticks tossing yee sang high into the air during Chinese New Year.

He was so strong he could bear kilos of garlands till his wispy white whiskers were almost submerged in yellow chrysanthemums during Hindu festivals.

He was so well-loved, foreigners were lending him billions of dollars to influence the people’s opinion of him, and he returned all of it because he didn’t need to buy the love of his people.

He had a Chinese sifu who taught him the Way of the Tao – life is fluid, water (in Chinese a synonym for wealth/money) must flow – and the king became rich consulting the master’s secret feng shui map of water channels in the world.

In the meantime, he promised the people he would deliver change....