SAR #16252

If I know I am being kind, no one else need know.

Labor Daydreaming: While the US held its annual memorial to Unions, ten Indian unions held one of the largest labor actions (for which read 'strike') in history as tens of millions – I repeat, tens of millions – of public sector workers struck in protest of the government's plans to privatize their jobs. Didn't hear about it on the evening news, eh?

Added Value: Harvard, biting the hand that feeds it, reports that “excess management” - like that taught at the Harvard Business School – is costing the US economy $3 trillion a year with little or nothing to show for it.

Does She Or Doesn't She: The US returned some $1.7 billion in cash – foreign cash, not US dollars – to Iran in order to settle a 30-year old debt the US owed after scuttling delivery of weapons Iran had already paid for back then. That the cash was delivered contingent on the release of Americans being held by Tehran has been construed as paying blackmail. The administration maintains that the cash was held until the Iranians ponied up the hostages, thus we blackmailed them. You pays the money and makes up whatever story suits.

Anniversary: Fifteen bodies were recovered and more than 2,700 boat migrants were rescued off the coast of Libya on Monday. Children now make up more than half of the world’s refugees. I can think of better ways to mark 911 than a minute of government-authorized hate.

Priorities: The Republican Senate continues to think that deformed babies are an acceptable price to pay to prevent women from controlling their own bodies, thus they will not fund a fight against Zika unless they can kill Planned Parenthood at the same time.

Secret War Secrets: Obama has become the first US President to visit Laos. Much earlier, while LBJ and Nixon didn't actually visit, they let Henry send a few calling cards – a B52 load of bombs every eight minutes for nine years. And while less than 1% of those bombs did not detonate, that still leaves 80 million unexploded warheads scattered about the countryside. About 20,000 people – yes, Laotians are people, too, even if they don't work in skyscrapers – have been killed by the unexploded bombs. No one knows how many children died from the 99% that worked as designed.

Pay To Play: Having played, Fox is now paying Gretchen Carlson $20 million – without, of course, admitting that Roger Ailes did anything wrong. Ever.

Out Damned Spot! Saudi Arabia's top cleric says Iranians are 'not Muslims' because they do not agree with the Wahhabis on how many houris can dance on the head of a pin.

A Parting Shot: