The big news item this week was King Obama going all dictatorial against “freedom of religion,” as seen in the contraceptive kerfuffle. Comrade Obama and his Commissar Sebelius finally decided, in an example of their infinite royal mercy and condescension to the masses, to relent in their requirement that all Religious institutions would be required to provide free of charge contraception to female employees. The new policy, which has been royally proclaimed from on high, is that the women employed by religious institutions will still receive free contraceptions to protect His Highness’ royal wombs, BUT instead of His Highness’ religious institutions paying for His contraceptions for His Highness’ female citizenry, His Higness’ insurance companies will foot the bill.
What people seem to be missing in this equation is that if religious organizations will be exempted from being required to give contraception to their employees but the insurance companies of those religious organizations will instead be required to pony up to provide those “services,” that simply means that the religious companies will still be providing these “services” as they end up paying more for their premiums in order to get insurance programs that exclude them from not paying for contraceptives. You see, when one lives in an arrangement where the Comrade State owns everything and everybody then playing these kind of shell games are easy to get away with. No sense to upset the Comrade religious institutions when we can get them to compromise their “scruples” by having them pay for contraceptives by pretending that the Comrade insurance companies are the ones paying.
This past week was kabuki theater at its best. Comrade Obama declares from on high that the Comrade State will require birth control contraceptives be given free of charge and the Commissar journalists spread the news. Comrade representatives of the religious institutions strut about and squeal squeal squeal thus pleasing the Comrade rank and file. Comrade Obama grants an accommodation that doesn’t change anything with the result the Comrade Obama is seen as Barack the merciful, and the Comrade Journalists are seen as ever vigilante, and the Comrade representatives of the religious institutions get to tell themselves that they are relevant.
Meanwhile Comrade Planned Parenthood make out like bandits and the Comrade State goes unscathed.