In 1803 the British posted sentries on the cliffs of Dover to watch out for an invasion by Napoleon. Until 1945, 134 years after Napoleon’s death, the guards were still on the job. This episode is an extreme elaboration of one of C. Northcote Parkinson’s famous laws: Action expands to fill the void created by human failure. It is worth considering today when our democratic system of government is struggling…. (Read more)