December 09, 2015

Worse Than Voldemort?

 
 
 
 

PNUT GALLERY


It’s been 20 years since the Bosnian War ended with the signing of the Dayton Agreement. To commemorate the event, the Pnut’s Maria Karam sat down with former US Ambassador to Bosnia-Herzegovina to discuss what lessons we can learn for diplomacy today. Read more here.

 

IN A NUTSHELL: MUST READ


#pnut4prez: Trump Creates Rare Bi-Partisan Agreement


The outcry against Donald Trump’s comments calling for a ban on all “Muslims coming to America” continued yesterday as even senior members of the Republican Party sought to distance themselves from Trump (and why wouldn’t they really). Speaker of the House Paul Ryan said Trump’s comments were not “what this party stands for, and more importantly not what this country stands for.” Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was joined in his condemnation of Trump by the White House who took a shot at Trump’s “fake hair.” Even J.K Rowling said Voldemort was nowhere near as bad.”

Editorial Aside:
We are honestly quite perplexed on the issue of covering Donald Trump. On the one hand, too much coverage lends an unwarranted credibility to his xenophobia and divisiveness. On the other hand, ignoring them means that we fail in our task of holding extremists accountable for their opinions and fail our readers (you). We are not alone in our confusion. The Huffington Post went from treating Trump as a gossip column, to taking him seriously, with Arianna Huffington declaring that she was “no longer entertained.”

We will continue ruminating on how to tread the balance between holding Trump accountable versus lending credibility to his views. In the meantime, we welcome your suggestions. Maybe shooting him into space isn’t a bad idea though.

GOOD READ: An Analysis Of Trump’s Rhetoric Of Fear
 


Planning A Trip To The US? Check Your Passport Stamps Twice


The House passed a bill overwhelmingly in favor (407-19) of restricting travel to the US by foreigners who have visited Iraq, Syria, Iran or Sudan. This measure applies specifically to the visa-waiver program, which currently allows citizens of 38 European and Asian countries to travel to the US without visas. If the bill is passed into law (which is likely and has the support of the White House), citizens of those countries who have visited Iraq, Syria, Iran or Sudan in the past five years would first need to obtain a visa before coming to the US.

The effort comes after the Paris terror attacks in November, which highlighted that those responsible for the attacks had first been radicalized in Syria. After last week’s San Bernardino attacks, legislators are also taking a closer look at the policy that prohibits visitors from staying longer than a visa permits. 
 


NUTS AND BOLTS: SHOULD READ


Everybody Loves Fighting ISIS


The Iraqi Army claimed a major victory against ISIS. The Army captured an important neighborhood in the city of Ramadi (<100 miles from Baghdad) back from ISIS. Meanwhile, in the Mediterranean, the Russian military showed off some of its military hardware by claiming that it struck ISIS targets from missiles fired from a submarine (fancy). It is unclear why a missile fired from planes, ships and bases already in the area wouldn’t have done the job. 



Commodities: The Party Really Is Over


The slump in commodity prices continued yesterday with oil falling to another seven-year low. Commodity companies started taking even more drastic measures to deal with what is expected to be a prolonged slump. Anglo American, the mining firm, will fire 85,000 employees (more than the Argentinian military). Other companies were busy cutting dividends and scaling back spending to survive the storm.
 
 

Paris Ringleader Could Have Been Stopped…


The leader of last month’s Paris attacks, Abdelhamid Abaaoud, is said to have evaded a Greek police operation in January 2015. Abaaoud, a Brussels resident of Moroccan origin, had been targeted by Greek police for coordinating a Belgian terror cell by phone from Athens. The revelation shines an unwelcome spotlight on the gaps in Europe’s security apparatus. Meanwhile, with impeccable timing, Denmark voted against deeper intelligence sharing with the EU. Sigh.



No, Really, Everybody Does Love Fighting ISIS


What are you doing on Friday? Well, clear your schedule because hacker collective Anonymous is calling on everyone who wastes their day mindlessly surfing Facebook (you know who you are) to join them in an international ISIS trolling day. Anonymous posted a “how to guide,” encouraging you to use pictures of goats and the hashtag #daeshbags. Send us your best pranks on Friday, and we will repost them.  
 


Keeping Our Eye On…

  • Government Shutdown: It’s the most wonderful time of the year (aka government shutdown time). Paul Ryan faces his first real test as Speaker of the House as he tries to avert another government shutdown in a few days. Good luck, oh Bearded One!
  • Venezuela Election: Electoral authorities in Venezuela have confirmed that the opposition has won a two-thirds supermajority in the most recent elections. The opposition has vowed to release some of its jailed leaders and can now potentially call a referendum on President Nicolas Maduro’s leadership.
  • Dude, Where’s My Plane?: Malaysian airport officials have taken out an advertisement seeking the owners of three 747 airplanes that have been abandoned on the runway. “Failure to collect the airplanes in 14 days” will result in their auction. Just how do you casually forget about your 747?
 

SPONSORED NUTS: MUSEXCARLY’S HOLIDAY PICKS

 

MuseXCarly’s Pick For The Sunny Side: Smoke x Mirrors

 
Smoke x Mirrors Eyewear, designed in New York, handmade in France, believes things should be exactly what they seem. A pair of Smoke x Mirrors is more than just an accessory — each piece states a lifelong commitment to thoughtful, functional, lasting aesthetics. Objects too, can have a soul. Shop these must-have sunglasses below, now!
Follow @MuseXCarly for fun and check out her blogpost on Smoke x Mirrors here.
 
 
Silicon Valley Favorites | Jeb Bush
It’s not our style to promote campaign ads, but we felt this one was so bad that it doesn’t really “promote” anything… except awkwardness. 
 

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