Your Czarness:

Do tell your noble father not to despair. Yes, these days it is right difficult to keep on the sunny side of life. But just as surely as spring follows the gloom of harsh winter, so too will the current crop of miscreant congress-jerks go the way of all politicians. We Americans may be dumb enough to elect this bunch of jack-asses, but sooner or later we will chuck them out. In the meantime, I always like to count my blessings.

Take for example, the White House signing ceremony/celebration/mutual-ego-enhancement-orgy. Didn’t all those Democrats just look tickled pink? They were laughing and cutting up like frat boys on Spring Break, just basking in the glow of victory and certain knowledge. Why they’re so pleased with themselves that they’re going to take up the ever-popular issue of immigration reform.

It reminded me of something I’ve seen many times. You know how a chained dog can forget he’s on a chain? Because there is always this moment when the dog is racing to catch a squirrel or cat, and the dog believes, deeply and truly believes, that he’s gonna get that meddlesome critter. Then…the …dog…reaches…the…end of the chain. At which point, the dog is simply shocked to discover that, in fact, the chain is still attached to his collar. And that the dratted cat or squirrel is now sitting on the fence making obscene varmint gestures at him. Deep dark depression. Excessive misery.

Now of course, I haven’t the luxury of time-traveling, like Mr. Gor-T, but I’ll hazard a prediction anyway. The bill that was signed will not be implemented as the Democrats envision. To put it crudely, it won’t be because the Republicans collectively grow a pair either. It will be because, as Winston Churchill famously observed, we Americans always do the right thing…after trying everything else first.

This will simply be a matter of numbers. We are good at ignoring numbers we don’t like, but these numbers will be too big to ignore. Numbers like that $56,000/household debt figure that Mr. Mandarin so helpfully posted. Numbers like the $100 million that Caterpillar, and the $150 million that John Deere expect the bill to add to their bottom lines. Gee, you reckon they’re going to want to hire a bunch of people anytime soon? Nah, didn’t think so. So continue to look for more really, really big unemployment numbers. Oh, and Social Security is going into the red this year. Them there’s some big numbers.

There will also be some not-so-big numbers. 16,500 is truly not a very big number. Unless it represents the number of IRS agents who will be added to police compliance with the bill. Then it seems mighty big indeed. You know, Obama, may really have unified the country with that one, because hatred of the IRS certainly does cross all party, ethnic, and class lines!

We’ve been on a big-honkin` bender, and the hang-over is going to hurt. But sometimes it takes a measure of pain to properly focus one’s attentions. I would argue that the Reagan Revolution would not have been possible without Jimmy Carter. So, be merry, you noble Castle-dwellers! Our Founding Fathers bequeathed to us a system that is great enough to withstand our elected congress-jerks. And spring is sure to come.

yours from the double-wide,
JAB

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.