Day 1281

Performative narcissism

Fidel’s government meetings were typically more formal affairs focused on implementing policy in a one-party state, whereas Donald’s televised orgies more resemble reality television, with cabinet members competing to offer the best boot licks.

Cuban President Fidel Castro (R) and his Russian colleague Vladimir Putin listen to their national anthems during the official welcoming ceremony, 14 December 2000 in Havana, Cuba at the start of a four-day visit. It is the first time that a Russian leader has visited Cuba since Mikhail Gorbachev came to the island in 1989 before the collapse of the Soviet Union. AFP PHOTO/Adalberto ROQUE (Photo by ADALBERTO ROQUE / AFP) (Photo by ADALBERTO ROQUE/AFP via Getty Images)

The key difference is that Fidel, whatever his faults, didn't need to stage ego-feeding sessions where officials took turns flattering him for hours. Performative narcissism isn’t uniquely Trump’s innovation in modern governance. Lukashenko has been practicing it for three decades.…