IF ONLY: Everyone is a libertarian at the end of a pandemic.

If the ineptitude wasn’t so infuriating, it might make for entertaining TV. There was the episode when the smug governor who asked his constituents to stay home got caught dining at French Laundry. Or what about the one when the White House coronavirus response coordinator broke her own travel restrictions to winterize her vacation home — and got ratted out by members of her own family?

The past 12 months have showcased non-stop hypocrisy from our federal and local officials. Most Americans, despite the mental exhaustion, are tuning in to this freak show daily.

Our betters originally told us sheep that we had to lock down the country for two weeks in order to ‘stop the spread’. So we did just that. Fast-forward a year and after shutdowns, masks, contact-tracing, remote-working and Zoom-learning — we are all still waiting for the Powers That Be to loosen the reins. Instead they are extending deadlines and moving goalposts. The longer they wait to let up, the bigger the coming anti-government backlash will be.

Bring it on.

Related (From Ed): COVID-19 alarmism is working, new polls show. That’s a huge problem.