A New Kind of Royalty

The Atlantic recently published a story about Europe’s disenfranchised royalty. It included this arresting statement:

“People have a deep, almost spiritual hunger for leaders who are more than mere bureaucrats or legislators. We want symbols.”

Indeed, we do. In countries without a history of royalty, others are substituted. In America, pop stars, sports figures, and celebrities substitute for royalty. In decades past, the Kennedys were treated like a royal family. Today, some treat the Trumps this way.