Happy Birthday to King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden

The King of Sweden celebrates his 76th birthday today. I’m a liberal in all matters but one—I like Sweden’s system of ceremonial-only monarchy. Only Sweden and Japan has this strictly non-political constitutional monarchy, and there’s something pleasing about it that I can’t resist. However, I do realise that is goes against the ideas of meritocracy. On the other hand, few people have proven more qualified to act as symbols without power than those who were born into it. Presidents in countries such as Switzerland and Italy tend to think they’re more than what their role allows them.