> we suffer from a shortage of narcissistic emperors

not recently

but not ones willing to put the effort into properly fixing a pond.

If you're talking about the algae, it came back after Obama's $34m renovation, too.

Turns out algae is hard to kill, especially when you feed the reflecting pool from a tidal basin.

I don't remember Obama pretending it was being caused by political agitators, etc.

Who's pond? I'm willing to bet billionaires' estates have well tended ponds, contrary to public ponds. Or a reflecting pool.