If they possessed unlimited power, Merkel would be able to let Italy have its cake and eat it too, Obama would have the presidential legacy he wanted, and Xi wouldn't have to crack down on potential rivals. But that is not how the world works, and so each must roll along in the currents in which they are inexorably caught, all the while appearing to be immensely powerful. When you pull back the wizard's curtain, it's an individual pulling levers, creating illusions and just trying not to screw up. Once you've realized that, what comes next becomes far more certain.
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