Government

Once upon a time there was a king who wanted to go fishing.

He called the royal weather forecaster and inquired as to the weather forecast for the next few hours.
The weatherman assured him that there was no chance of rain in the coming
days.

So the king went fishing with his wife, the queen. On the
way he met a farmer on his donkey. Upon seeing the king the farmer said,
"Your Majesty, you should return to the palace at once because in just a
short time I expect a huge amount of rain to fall in this area".

The king was polite and considerate, he replied: "I hold
the palace meteorologist in high regard. He is an extensively educated and
experienced professional. And besides, I pay him very high wages. He
gave me a very different forecast. I trust him and I will continue on my way." So he
continued on his way.

However, a short time later a torrential
rain fell from the sky. The King and Queen were totally soaked and
their entourage chuckled upon seeing them in such a shameful
condition. Furious, the king returned to the palace and gave the order
to fire the professional. Then he summoned the farmer and offered him the
prestigious and high paying role of royal forecaster.

The farmer said, "Your Majesty, I do not know anything about forecasting.
I obtain my information from my donkey. If I see my donkey's ears
drooping, it means with certainty that it will rain."

So the king hired the donkey.

Thus began the practice of hiring dumb asses to work in the government and occupy its highest and most influential positions.

And the practice is unbroken to this day..

Thanks Ivan