In Greek mythology, a chimera — composed of the body parts of several animals — was considered a monster. Ancient Greeks were rightly afraid of such unnatural combinations, unlike modern Americans, who will now pay dearly for allowing the unchecked growth of two mortgage monsters known as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

As the Heritage Foundation points out, they’re not government agencies, but they were never really “private” either. Like Social Security (which is also in deep financial trouble), Fannie Mae is a relic from the New Deal and Freddie Mac was chartered by Congress in 1970. Both were established to further a policy objective: Make homes affordable for lower- and middle-income families. We all know how that turned out.