This was unprecedented in the long history of the human ego.
Quarantined because he has a serious case of a deadly and highly contagious disease, the president* of the United States on Sunday decided to throw himself a parade. So he arranged to be locked in an airtight vehicle with a couple of sacrificial lambs from the U.S. Secret Service so he could drive around the block and wave to the gathering of unemployables that has gathered outside Walter Reed National Medical Center to stand vigil for their Dear Leader. Now, we expect our presidents to have monstrous egos. Otherwise, no rational person would want that job. Because we are a maddening, inconstant people, however, we also expect the occasional ritual humility, some at least performative bows toward the humble. This is, after all, one of only two people fully capable of blowing up the entire world.
