We all know the stories.

You have what starts out as a nice marriage of mutual respect and caring. Frankly, that surprises some folks at first because when they were courting, the big doofus was often a serious jerk. But now there they are, all happy and cheerful. Maybe it can work out after all, most of us guess.

Then, after a while, an uglier side starts to re-emerge. Little repressed things pop out, and soon the threats and abuse are frequent. It sounds so familiar too: “You need me a lot more than I need you!” “If you leave me, who will take you in?” “Always remember that everything you got, you got through me.” And thus, the cycle of demeaning abuse becomes inescapable.

We ask, “Why don’t you leave? Go somewhere else! You know how many people love you and would treat you right?” But no—it never works that way. Because after a enough time of crushing humility, you start to believe that crap about no one else wanting you, and that you are useless by yourself. You really believe you have nowhere you can go.

Even when it is clear this couple cannot be saved, ever, and that both are equally doomed, the cycle still repeats. We then start to ask “How stupid are they, both?”

Of course, you realize that the Czar is talking about how the UAW treats the automotive manufacturers, right?

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.