(No FB.)

By now I hope it’s clear that with Taro, the contradictions are the point. Some would say that a narcissist like him is incapable of friendly gestures or admiration of others. The truth is, in some ways, even worse: he can do those things, but they mean almost nothing because his own ego or impulses can contradict them mere seconds later. “I’ve always admired your people’s ingenuity…gnomeskulls.” That promise of a hot bath won’t be delivered on, either.

That’s the real horror of having someone like him at the head of a nation or organization. And that’s why people like him seek those positions. Her Grace Iwatani thought her husband wanted “the freedom to indulge his every appetite,” but that’s an apter description of her son.

I have a feeling “Bossy, bossy, bossy” is a phrase Taro picked up from others, who described him that way back in the days when doing so wouldn’t get them killed immediately. Back when he was only a “normal” child and his domineering seemed harmless.