Yagottabe fascinated by the scramble among (R)eactionaries to distinguish "good slavery" from "bad slavery" in US history. The very idea of good slavery is of course a pure oxymoron, the etymology of which I take to be indicative of the adherents' moral and intellectual prowess.

Here's a review of his nibs' view of the subject. (Apologies if it's behind a paywall for you, but if you download a news reader application you can probably bypass.)

BTW, JD Vance's grasp of historic detail is similar. In a recent interview about peacemaking efforts in Ukraine, he recently stated that World War II ended with negotiation.

In fact, the war ended due to weather conditions in Nagasaki on August 9, 1945. The summary: 4,000ºC and very bright. (Sorry to be flippant, but as Santayana pointed out, those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. The Vance corollary: Those who gloss over history and elect fools are doomed to suffer by their ignorance.)

Other US wars that ended by negotiation, of course, Include the American Revolution, the Civil War, WWI, the Iraq War, and the list goes on; just ask Gen. Cornwallis, Gen. Lee, Gen. von Hindenburg, Sadaam Hussein, et al.

Actual exceptions to the rule were the Anglo-American War of 1812, the Mexican-American War (1846-48), The Spanish-American War (1898), the Korean War (1950-53), and the Vietnam War (1964-75), all of which ended with negotiation.

One concludes that Mr. Vance's vast knowledge of history is in fact half-vast.

Source at Forbes

An old (2008) post-war movie in French and German titled ("Women of the Shadows") about WWII spies explains almost everything. One speculates that the original was a Nazi battle decoration, the Ohrmedaille, to which many aspired but few earned. Only the brave and true...
Studyin' them thar furrin langwiges finally paid off.

View the movie, I laughed, I cried...

Historians have found early drafts of the Bill of Rights that had lain undiscovered for over 230 years. The text is largely as eventually proposed, but includes a stronger statement protecting ownership of nearly all types of armaments by individuals.

A comparison of the original and eventually proposed text reveals a dynamic between the era's true patriots and their less-committed neighbors.

The documents were found in a locked box inside a closet at Sheboygan Technical University's Permanent International Depository. [MORE]

Rob Picheta, writing at CNN, advises that only two Navajo Code Talkers remain alive. They want America to remember.

Thomas Begay and Peter MacDonald, the last two surviving Navajo Code Talkers, recount their experiences during World War II. Their unique role, using the Navajo language to send encrypted messages, proved invaluable to the US military. Despite their significant contributions, their legacy faces challenges, including the Pentagon’s deletion of webpages honoring their service and the ongoing struggle to establish a dedicated national museum.

Image after CNN.

Read more at CNN

The current water crisis in Tehran and Iran generally could lead to a humanitarian crisis that would dwarf all but the most extreme drought events in history. See the linked articles for the details.

Our Fearless Leader's natural — and, as always, worst — impulses will lead him to seek a "deal" in which the USA or some other cabal of interested parties "wins" at the expense of Iran. This will be in every way the least beneficial approach for both parties.

Iran will lose by what could theoretically be vast numbers of deaths from thirst and famine caused by the underlying drought. The USA and others internationally will lose by appearing to value "winning" above virtue.

This is a soluble problem, though it is likely that many will suffer. That suffering has less to do with climate than with men of underdeveloped morality all playing King of the Hill. We need a better way.

Who might help?

ISRAEL: The main fresh water source near the Mount of Beatitudes is the Sea of Galilee (Lake Kinneret), which lies entirely within Israel. This large freshwater lake is located immediately below the mount and is renowned for its clear, drinkable water. Additionally, the nearby area of Tabgha features the historic “Seven Springs,” which are also sources of fresh water, but the Sea of Galilee is by far the most significant and prominent fresh water source in the region. One might imagine two steps in an assistance package:
(1) a truck convoy, however small it might be;
(2) a pipeline (see following discussion) with two way pumps, because some day the shoe might be on the other foot.

(Though the above might seem counterintuitive, Israel's quarrel is not with the thirsty masses but with the fanatics of the revolutionary guard. Fearless prediction: If a convoy of Israeli trucks full of water should show up at the border between Iraq and Iran, they would be admitted in a heartbeat with smiles all around.)

CHINA: China has under its flag the world's largest number of tanker ships, over 1,700 as of 2025. If one percent were to be assigned to draw water from glacial melt in polar regions and carry it to Bandar Imam Khomeini, a convoy and later a pipeline could carry it to the populous regions to the north.

RUSSIA: Iran's northern neighbor and some of the former Soviet republics share the Caspian Sea with Iran. Though the Sea is brackish in the south, it is only about 1/3 as salty as the ocean. Russia could help Iran build desalination sites and pipelines in the north. Of course Iran could do this internally from a planning and technical standpoint, but it does not have the manufacturing capacity to do it rapidly enough to address the current situation. The water draw sufficient to take the pressure off major urban areas in the north would probably not make much of a dent in the Sea. (Right now I'm examining that metaphor trying to recall ever seeing an actual dent in water.)

USA: According to recent articles on the water shortage, one of the underlying problems is the inefficiency of Iranian agriculture, which uses too much water relative to production. Hydroponic gardening could supply a large part of the Iranian diet, especially in urban areas.
The country that produces the most hydroponic gardening equipment—and does so with the most varied technological solutions—is the United States. The U.S. is home to many of the world’s leading hydroponic technology manufacturers and innovators, offering the widest range of hydroponic systems, from basic kits for hobbyists to advanced, highly automated, and sensor-integrated solutions for large-scale commercial growers. Major American companies include ScottsMiracle-Gro (Hawthorne Gardening), Hydrofarm Holdings Group, American Hydroponics, and AmHydro, which collectively supply everything from nutrient films and recirculating water culture systems to high-tech vertical farming setups and smart environment controllers.
The USA also has a large number of tankers that could supplement the Chinese fleet.

OTHERS: If nothing else, the world could make sure that every Iranian child had a cup or a bottle.

All this would cost a tiny fraction of one percent of world GDP. The population of Iran is currently estimated at 92.4 billion persons. If it should cost $1,000 per person to accomplish the above and if it were financed over 40 years, that would amount to $214 billion in principal and interest. Divided by 40, the annual cost would be $5.35 billion, which, divided by four billion adults worldwide, would be $1.3375 per year or $0.0037 per day per adult. That's Average global income for employed workers is around $19,000. In the USA it is $66,622, about 3.5 times as much, so if income were equalized each American would pay (3.5X1.3375/365=) $1.28 per day to fix this.

For comparison, the estimated cost of the bombing of Iran's nuclear facilties in July was $200 million, or $1.42 per taxpayer — just sayin'...

Why would these and other countries do any of this?

Permit me to return to the Mount of Beatitudes. After the Sermon on the Mount, when the conjured loaves and fishes were distributed, the Bible does not say that only those who agreed with it were fed.


https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/31/world/video/iran-water-crisis-weir-live-073109aseg2-ctw-cnni-world-fast

https://www.cnn.com/2025/07/31/climate/tehran-iran-water-crisis-day-zero

IN A DEVELOPMENT that has surprised many of his supporters, Donald Tr$mp will sue Christianity over the actions of its founders, Jesus of Nazareth, Saul of Tarsus (AKA St. Paul), and the generally acknowledged founder of the Roman Catholic church, Simon (AKA Cephas, St. Peter). The lawsuit demands recompense to Tr$mp in the amount of $1 trillion.

Tr$mp alleges that the three conspired to deprive him of his right to assert spiritual descent from the biblical prophets of the old testament, claiming that these actions caused him both financial and emotional damage.

The claim of financial damage arises from the story of Jesus overturning the tables of the money changers in the Temple of Jerusalem. As a consequence, those who deal in money (AKA financiers) have subsequently had a nefarious reputation, and since Tr$mp needs them to lend money for his various "deals" his options for acquiring ever more vast wealth have been compromised.

The claim of emotional damage stems from his opposition to programs benefitting the less fortunate, based on the story of the treatment of those who hungered and thirsted after the Sermon on the Mount, which it is claimed have resulted in public portrayal of Tr$mp as an avaricious and niggardly skinflint, leading to the exclusion of himself and his family from polite society, because nobody likes him.

The suit does not make clear how the purported conspirators identified or selected Tr$mp as their victim, given that they all died almost two thousand years before his birth. Questioned on this, lawyers for the plaintiff stated that these matters would be explained at trial as soon as it is decided where to file, while denying that they were venue-shopping.

Film at 11.

Sources

Tom Lehrer, who died this weekend at 97, was surely the greatest satyrical song writer of the mid-20th Century. In the 1960s one had to be living in a hole under a rock in a cave not to have heard his works, which dispatched diverse sacred cows with equal enthusiasm. A brilliant mathematician, he exemplifed the goal of not taking oneself too seriously. The name Lehrer means "teacher" in German, fitting for any/all of his careers. His parting gift was to leave all his work to the public domain. Enjoy!

Wiki

Obit

Anthology

PS: We're happy to give him credit for certain stylistic elements of SSG.

Le Monde reports that the US administration will destroy "several tons" of enriched, nutritious "cookies" that would have gone to malnourished children in Afghanistan and Pakistan from storage in Dubai and elsewhere.

The items are not American-style sweet treats but rather nutritious biscuits that provide much of the daily requirements of children — essentially to ward off starvation. The intended destruction of these products is a consequence of the DOGE closing of the US Agency for International Development earlier this year*.

"Why?"

During questioning about the matter in a senate committee, Michael Rigas, the person charged with administering the program, replied "I have no good response to that question."

One excuse for the action to waste the food has been that the expiration date on the packaging has past. This is not because the product is unsafe or no longer nutritious but rather because the delivery was delayed by Pres. Tr$mp's DOGE kiddies.

* Lest you be worried about this or other aspects of the DOGE process, it's OK. Elon Musk's sports car, launched in 2018, is apparently steady in an elliptical orbit around the Sun, where it will no doubt be a beacon of consolation to mothers in Afghanistan and Pakistan as they bury their children.

As anti-war protesters chanted to another president in the 1960s, "the whole world is watching."

NOTE: SSG is not able to independently verify this news. However, it has been reported in numerous other publications worldwide. (For example...)

Read the source

According to Joanna Thompson, writing in Science. a species of mite might be the perpetrator in the great bee die-off around the world.

Read more

Pure poetry? Well, perhaps not, but surely apropos the moment. Members may suggest new verses.

Plastic Donnie*

I don't care 'fit's foul or bonny
Long's I've got my plastic Donnie
Lyin' on the dashboard of my car
While he's on the dashboard lyin'
Our democracy is dyin'
He grabs what he wants cuz he's a star.

Donnie thinks that or'nge is tan, that
Bluster marks a real man, and
Mocking others needn't end with youth
When I say he's up there lyin'
Let's be clear that I'm implyin'
Nothing that he says resembles truth.

Women are his constant gripe, their
Lawsuits all are merely hype, and
After all they really weren't his type
Whether criminal or civil
Accusations are just drivel
Easily refuted with a swipe.

He's been judged a guilty felon
Far too few are out there yellin'
How is he still free to dance and roam?
Alcatraz may soon reopen
I can't keep myself from hopin'
He'll be number one to call it home.

Oh, I don't care 'fit's foul or bonny
Long's I've got my plastic Donnie
Lyin' on the dashboard of my car.

* Lyrics by Alex Rees Clark
23 May 2024 rev July 2, 2025
* To the tune of "Plastic Jesus"
By Cromarty & Rush.

Out of Action figure by FCTRY.

Claims that US President Donald J. Tr$mp is in cognitive decline have recently circulated. We asked AI (Perplexity) whether this could be true.

PROMPT: Act as a gerontologist. Evaluate concisely any convincing evidence that can be adduced suggesting that US President Donald J. Tr$mp is suffering from cognitive decline. For each item, offer rebuttal evidence that questions the assertion. Limit the answer to 300 words or less.

Read the reply

An acquaintance on another web platform suggested that paying with cash benefits local industry — the example was restaurants — than paying by credit card.

We asked Perplexity.ai.

What is the annual profit to USA banks and card processors for credit card services, including interest on "the float" and margins on service fees?

Perplexity replied:

Annual profit to U.S. banks and card processors from credit card services is driven by three main sources: interest on revolving balances ("the float"), service fees (late, annual, etc.), and transaction-related margins (interchange and processing fees).

Here’s a breakdown of the key figures and profit drivers, based on the latest available data:

1. Interest on Revolving Balances ("the float")

Interest income is the primary source of credit card profitability, accounting for about 80% of banks’ credit card profits.

In 2022, U.S. banks earned $105 billion in interest charges from credit cards.
In 2023, this figure included an additional $25 billion in profit from increased APR margins, bringing total interest income to around $130 billion.

The average APR margin (the difference between what banks charge and their funding cost) reached a record 14.3 percentage points in 2023, contributing to these high profits.

2. Service Fees (Late, Annual, Over-limit, etc.)

Fees make up about 15% of credit card profitability.

Late fees, annual fees, and other usage charges are concentrated among "revolvers" (cardholders who carry a balance).

Annual fees alone generated $6.4 billion in 2022, more than double the $3 billion in 2015.

Late fees and other service charges add several billion more, but the precise annual total is not specified in the search results.

3. Transaction Margins (Interchange, Assessment, and Processor Fees)

Interchange fees (paid by merchants to issuing banks) totaled $126.4 billion in 2022.

However, the transaction function is slightly negative for banks overall because rewards and other expenses outpace interchange revenue.

Payment processors (e.g., Visa, Mastercard) and networks earn additional revenue from assessment and processor fees, typically 0.13%–1.0% of transaction value.

Visa’s net income in Q1 2025 was $5.1 billion on $9.5 billion in revenue, reflecting high profitability. Mastercard’s 2024 net income was also substantial, with operating margins near 58%.

Credit card processing fees cost merchants 1.5% to 3.5% of each transaction, with a significant portion going to banks and networks.

4. Total Market Size and Profitability

U.S. credit card transaction volume was $5.6 trillion in 2023.

Credit card issuers (banks) have the highest profit margins of any U.S. industry, with major issuers like JPMorgan Chase reporting profit margins of 28–32%.

Visa and Mastercard’s profit margins are even higher than issuing banks, with

Mastercard’s adjusted operating margin at 58.4% in 2024.

Key Insights

Interest on revolving balances is the dominant profit driver for banks, accounting for roughly four-fifths of credit card profit.

Interchange and processing fees are massive in aggregate, but much is offset by rewards and expenses; the net transaction margin for banks is slightly negative.

Visa and Mastercard, as card networks, generate billions in profit annually with very high margins, but their revenue is distinct from issuing banks.

Total annual profit to U.S. banks and card processors from credit card services is well over $100 billion, primarily from interest and fees, with additional billions in network and processing profits.

We followed up, asking:

What proportion of credit card sales revenue remains in the community and what proportion goes to national banks and service providers?

Perplexity replied:

The majority of credit card sales revenue leaves the local community and is captured by national banks and service providers, with only a small proportion remaining with local financial institutions.

Breakdown of Revenue Flow

1. Card Issuer Share (National vs. Local)

National banks issue about 68% of primary credit cards in the U.S., down from 76% in 2020.

Credit unions and community banks issue roughly 13% of primary cards (8.3% credit unions, 5.1% community banks as of 2023), with the remainder issued by regional or other banks.

This means that for every $100 in credit card sales, about $68 is routed through national banks, $13 through local/community institutions, and the rest through other issuers.

Interchange fees—the largest portion of processing fees—go to the card-issuing bank, so this split directly reflects where most fee revenue lands.

2. Processing and Network Fees

Processing fees (1.5%–3.5% of each transaction) are split among the issuing bank (largest share), card networks (Visa, Mastercard, etc.), and payment processors.

Card networks and processors are almost exclusively national/global companies, so their share of the revenue leaves the local community.

3. Merchant Retention

The merchant (local business) keeps the remainder after deducting processing fees, typically about 96.5%–98.5% of each sale, depending on the card and processor used.

Howexver, the fees paid (1.5%–3.5%) are almost entirely distributed to national banks and service providers, unless the card is issued by a local credit union or community bank.

Estimated Proportions (table) •=column break
Recipient * Approximate Share of Credit Card Sales Revenue • Notes
Local/community banks & credit unions •13% of card-issuer-related fee revenue • Only if the card is issued by a local institution
National banks & service providers • 87% of card-issuer-related fee revenue • Includes most interchange, network, and processor fees
Local merchants (after fees)• 96.5%–98.5% of gross sale • But 1.5%–3.5% of each sale is lost to fees

If a customer uses a card from a national bank, nearly all fee revenue leaves the community.

If a customer uses a card from a local bank or credit union (about 13% of the time), that portion of interchange revenue stays local.

All network and processor fees go to national/global firms, regardless of issuer.

Key Points

Most credit card fee revenue (about 87%) goes to national banks, card networks, and payment processors.

Only 13% of card-issuer-related fee revenue stays in the community, reflecting the share of cards issued by local institutions.

The vast majority of the sale (over 96%) remains with the merchant, but the fee portion is almost entirely extracted by national or global financial firms unless the card is issued by a local bank or credit union.

In summary:

The overwhelming majority of credit card sales revenue that is deducted as fees goes to national banks and service providers, with only a small fraction (about 13%) remaining in the community through local card issuers.

We asked the Web, "How much did the US airstrikes this week in Iran cost the US?"

The Web answered:

Cost of US Airstrikes on Iran (June 2025)

Summary of the Operation

The US airstrikes on Iran this week, codenamed "Operation Midnight Hammer," targeted three major Iranian nuclear sites: Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. The operation involved seven B-2 stealth bombers, which deployed 14 bunker-buster bombs, and a submarine that launched over two dozen Tomahawk missiles. In total, about 125 US aircraft were involved, including bombers, fighters, tankers, and support planes.

Estimated Direct Costs

According to detailed breakdowns and defense analysts:

Munitions:
14 GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator bombs at $5 million each: $70 million
30 Tomahawk missiles at $2 million each: $60 million

Flight Hours:
Seven B-2 bombers flew a 37-hour round trip at $170,000 per hour, totaling: $44 million
Total Direct Cost Estimate:
$174 million for the initial US airstrikes, covering munitions and bomber flight hours.
"Operation Midnight Hammer... estimated cost is $174 million, broken down as follows: 14 GBU-57 bombs at $5 million each ($70 million), 30 Tomahawk missiles at $2 million each ($60 million), and seven B-2 bombers flying a 37-hour mission at $170,000 per hour ($44 million). This figure excludes costs for support aircraft, personnel, and logistics, which could increase the total."

Additional Considerations
The $174 million estimate does not include costs for support aircraft, logistics, or personnel, which could raise the total further.
The operation was a single, high-profile strike rather than a sustained campaign, so ongoing costs remain limited unless the conflict escalates.
Broader US military expenditures in the region, including support to Israel and regional security postures, are much higher but not directly attributed to this specific strike.

Conclusion

The US airstrikes on Iran this week cost an estimated $174 million in direct operational expenses, primarily for munitions and bomber flight hours, with the total potentially higher when factoring in full support and logistics.

---

Read more...

(And it's only Wednesday!)

(May 5) at a meeting to announce that Washington, D.C., will host the 2027 National Football League draft, Pres. Tr$mp confirmed that he suddenly decided to announce he was reopening Alcatraz because the word sounded strong.

“It represents something very strong, very powerful in terms of law and order, he said, adding "Our country needs law and order. Alcatraz is uh, I would say the ultimate, right? Alcatraz. Sing Sing and Alcatraz, the movies.... Nobody's ever escaped from Alcatraz and just represented something, uh, strong having to do with law and order. We need law and order in this country. And so we're going to look at it. Some of the people up here are going to be working very hard on that, and, uh, we had a little conversation. I think it's gonna be very interesting. We'll see if we can bring it back. In large form, add a lot. But I think it represents something. Right now, it's a big hulk that's sitting there rusting and rotting, uh, very, uh, you look at it, it's sort of, you saw that picture that was put out. It's sort of amazing, but it sort of represents something that's both horrible and beautiful and strong and miserable, weak. And it's got a lot of it's got a lot of qualities that are interesting. And I think they make a point.”

—As quoted by H.C. Richardson

In an NBC News interview as reported in the Wall Street Journal (a well known bastion of wild-eyed, left-wing liberalism), President Trump was asked if noncitizens are entitled to due process under the Fifth Amendment. He responded that he was unsure and would defer to his lawyers.

The Prevaricator of the United States has apparently forgotten that on January 20, only a little over three months ago, upholding the Constitution was PRECISELY what he promised 330 million people he would do.

The Constitution consistently uses the word "person" and never "citizen" to identify those inhabitants of the nation who are to be ruled by law and not subjected to arbitrary and capricious treatment. The point of this dictionary choice was to assure that the government or its agents could not choose whom to prosecute for spurious reasons.

The text of the Fifth Amendment (partial, Due Process Clause) reads as follows:
"No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, "
and concludes that in addition no person shall be
"... deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation."

The guarantee of due process for all PERSONS requires the government to respect all rights, guarantees, and protections afforded by the U.S. Constitution and all applicable statutes BEFORE the government can deprive any PERSON of life, liberty, or property. This guarantee is being violated daily by the current administration, and there can be little doubt that innocent persons will be swept up in the fervor.

Due process essentially guarantees that a party will receive a fundamentally fair, orderly, and just judicial proceeding . While the Fifth Amendment only applies to the federal government, the identical text in the Fourteenth Amendment explicitly applies this due process requirement to the states as well.

One need not be a lawyer to understand any of this, and the idea that having good lawyers like those whom Trump regularly praises (e.g., Apr 18, 2019 — "I've had a lot of great lawyers, like Roy Cohn.") might enable one to skirt the law betrays the intent of a criminal mind.

The arrest and deportation of potentially hundreds of thousands of persons not only without trial but without due process of any kind is more akin to totalitarian regimes than to what Americans have experienced for 250 years — with exceptions, of course, mostly in the case of ethnic minorities. No one is arguing that actual criminals have a right to remain, but the use of dragnets has been anathema in US legal practice for generations.

He is displaying traits that mark one as an ignoramus, a liar, an illiterate or a fool, or perhaps — as ever more writers are suggesting — he is drifting into a senility in which his worst traits predominate.

—Ed.

Read more in the Wall Street Journal