The following essay is a guest post from Island Dweller because it seems the Czar doesn’t post anything of his own lately. But this great news, because we remind our readers that you are welcome to submit your thoughts either as an email or as a complete essay. Or, in this case, someone else’s complete essay with an entertaining wrapper around it. One supposes this is really a guest post from Esteemed Associate, who really should feel free to write to us as well.

One of our three cats just arrived at my chair and, reaching up and touching my arm, informed me the little birdie had just alighted on our back windowsill bearing another missive from Esteemed Associate. Closer inspection revealed a very small courier bag gently attached to our little feathered friend’s leg with a gossamer thread. Inspection revealed the below missive, written in Serbo-Croatian [плус са шанж? -ed.], on a grain of rice contained within that bag – thus cleverly doubling as emergency rations for the birdie and rendering it beyond salvage if birdie was rudely detained by Internal Affairs, or the TSA. EA is nothing if not highly intelligent, practical, and resourceful – which explains why he is ID’s EA.

Enjoy EA’s musings. I do.

ID

Subject: Plus ça Change…

ID,

Have you noticed the similarities between Obamacare and the housing collapse that got its namesake elected? They both started out as “rights.” The Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) started as a means of reducing discrimination in home loans when it was enacted under President Carter. It became a means of extending the “right” of home ownership to otherwise marginally-qualified borrowers by using taxpayer-funded Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to buttress the loans. With much of the financial risk removed, the “greedy” banks were happy to provide loans to extend the American Dream to more citizens. This created more demand, and higher prices, for housing as taxpayers were now competing against their own money in the real estate market. Democrats, in particular, benefited from this largesse as many of the recipients were members of their traditional voting blocs. Sooner or later, arrangements such as this run out of other people’s money. When the housing market eventually imploded in 2008, the Democrats very deftly placed the blame on President Bush and were thus able to take the White House and attain nearly unassailable majorities in the House and Senate.

As soon as he entered office, President Obama, with the help of the Democrat-controlled House and Senate, began pushing for another “right,” health care. Although originally touted as self-supporting (using some rather fanciful economic modeling), it turns out this “right” also will require taxpayer assistance. As many Americans with individual plans are having those plans canceled by “greedy” insurance companies and are facing Obamacare sticker shock, they are being urged to find what subsidies they may be eligible for. Where do these “subsidies” come from? They are supposed to come from younger, healthier members of our society who are expected balance the scales for their less-healthy elders and those with preconditions. Really? While many people walk into a casino understanding that they may lose money to pay for someone else’s winnings, very few go in with that express intent. This means the taxpayers will, once again, pick up the tab, especially since assurances have been made to the insurance companies. Those are the same companies they will attempt to vilify as “greedy” when the plan collapses. They will also attempt to blame Republicans. It worked before didn’t it?

Your Esteemed Associate

The Czar of Muscovy

Божію Поспѣшествующею Милостію Мы, Дима Грозный Императоръ и Самодержецъ Всероссiйскiй, цѣсарь Московскiй. The Czar was born in the steppes of Russia in 1267, and was cheated out of total control of all Russia upon the death of Boris Mikhailovich, who replaced Alexander Yaroslav Nevsky in 1263. However, in 1283, our Czar was passed over due to a clerical error and the rule of all Russia went to his second cousin Daniil (Даниил Александрович), whom Czar still resents. As a half-hearted apology, the Czar was awarded control over Muscovy, inconveniently located 5,000 miles away just outside Chicago. He now spends his time seething about this and writing about other stuff that bothers him.