November 7, 2025 07:21 AM IST
First published on: Nov 7, 2025 at 06:36 AM IST
Long before Gen Z became a victim of Instagram envy, there were aphorisms that warned people of the perils of jealousy — from the 10th commandment’s injunction against “coveting your neighbour’s house, farm… and goods” to “comparison being the thief of joy”. As it turns out, wanting what you can’t have isn’t something that afflicts just regular people. The most powerful covet more power, and elected heads of state want courtiers instead of colleagues.
At a meeting with Republican senators earlier this week, US President Donald Trump recalled his meeting with Xi Jinping and asked his cabinet to emulate their Chinese counterparts. It seems that senior Chinese leaders sat formally at their meeting in Busan and refused to speak unless allowed to. “I want my cabinet to behave like that. I’m demanding that. I want them sitting up like that — just nice and straight,” Trump said. He took a dig at V-P J D Vance as well: “Why don’t you behave like that, J D? J D doesn’t behave like that. J D butts into conversations…”
Trump’s detractors, at home and abroad, might think his jokes cut a little too close to home — he has been accused of leaning towards authoritarianism. Perhaps it’s important to remember that the grass is sometimes greener on your own side. For Trump, even as he continues to provide fodder for comics at home, a silent deputy and a non-existent opposition is still a joke at best and a wish at worst, unlike in so many aspiring superpowers. And, for all his faults, Trump did a great job with the punchline.
