Once upon a time, Fools had a place in the halls of power. They were kept by rulers not merely for entertainment, but also for the sake of hearing home truths that syncopantic courtiers tended to be too afraid to utter.

Fools were protected from the ire their King or Lord by the fact that what they had to say was said "in jest". Nonetheless, some were beheaded...

Taking Liberties once offered to be the resident Jesters in Australia's Houses of Parliament. Alas, our offer was not taken up. Today's leaders keep no Fools. The contemporary elites - the top echelons of government, academia, business and the media - do not like explosive, unmanageable criticism, especially that uttered in jest.

The Taking Liberties Plays the Fool pages aim to offer Foolish, beheadable virtual advice to a random selection of today's rulers....

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