Joe Kissell tells the story of Emperor Norton who was recognized, sort of, in San Francisco for more than 20 years. Hoppean lessons on natural elites as well as points from La Boétie on consent abound. I note the wisdom of the Emperor’s decrees: “An 1860 decree dissolved the United States of America; a few months later, another decree prohibited Congress from meeting in Washington, D.C. In 1869, Norton issued a decree abolishing both the Democratic and Republican parties.” Update: This story just gets better. A reader points out this incident from Norton’s Wikipedia entry: It was during one of … Continue reading Emperor of the United States and Protector of Mexico