By Andrew Selden, Railway Age Magazine; January 4, 2020
In 1837, Hans Christian Anderson published a modernized and revised version of an ancient fable, under the title, “The Emperor’s New Clothes.” In it, the vain and foolish Emperor is taken in by charlatan weavers who promise him a glorious new wardrobe, magically invisible only to stupid and unworthy people. No one, including the Emperor, is willing to admit that the new costume is invisible to them, until a child cries out, “But the Emperor has no clothes!”
This parable remains instructive in the 21st century, well represented by Amtrak’s “Contemporary Dining” fiasco.