This is the shared fantasy in our bloodstream: An ideal life is one spent in a state of constant titillation, a never-ending foreplay session, an eternal flirtation with “more,” a superhero cliffhanger, the luxury goods that make you crave even more luxury. Our ghosts—and our villains, which are the same as our heroes, which are the same as our leaders—are those who have a knack for perpetuating this titillation. They loom forever in a state of near-erotic agitation without ever arriving at their destination.
