Democracy is for Suckers!

Trump Style Deal-Making 2.0: It’s like this. Remember how in Celebrity Apprentice there were two teams set up by the boss to wage war against each other, and they would meet in the boardroom for the big surprise ending when someone got fired? Well, that’s the way President Trump likes handling business – surprise ’em – keep ’em on their toes – never let ’em know what you’re thinking. Let’s call it Chaos Leadership. Best example to date: Trump’s meeting Wednesday to negotiate raising the government’s debt limit ceiling. With Democrats (Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi) on one side, Republicans (Mitch McConnell, Paul Ryan) on the other, Dems make the first offer (increase the debt limit and finance the government for three months)–and Trump takes it! The Negotiator-in-Chief makes a deal with Democrats right out of the chute, leaving Republicans stunned and irate. Surprise! Chaos Leadership, Baby.

Watch Out Donald – Your Buddy BiBi Is Moving Up Fast: Think the US has a lock on ‘The World’s Most Scandalous Government Investigations Award’? Well, Israel’s vying for the prize, too. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, already a suspect in two criminal investigations involving alleged bribery, fraud, and breach of trust, is close enough to a third corruption scandal to make tongues wag. Several arrests occurred this week over what’s being called the “submarine affair,” which involves (as you might have guessed) lucrative contracts with a German shipping company to purchase submarines. Very close confidantes of the Prime Minister are in big trouble, people are flocking to turn state’s witness, and public interest in this latest case is intense. There’s even serious speculation about the durability of Netanyahu’s 30-plus year political career. Bibi and Donny, maybe you can both petition Interpol for a shared luxury cell on some island, say Elba or St. Helena?

Worried About North Korea? Everyone Just Stay Calm: The UN Security Council is debating new sanctions against North Korea, and the US and its allies want a global embargo on all oil exports to that ornery nation that just won’t stop blasting ballistic missiles everywhere. But as you know, Russia has veto power and plans to use it. Meeting Wednesday with President Moon Jae-in of South Korea, Boot Scootin’ Putin didn’t dance around the issue, saying more sanctions isn’t the answer, and everybody just needs to calm down. “We should not act out of emotions and push North Korea into a dead end,” he said during a joint news conference with Moon. “We must act with calm and avoid steps that could raise tensions.” Oh. Why didn’t we think of that.

• Bangladesh Protests Landmines on Myanmar Border as 146,000 Refugees Flood In (TIME)
• Exodus of the Stateless: As the Military Tightens Its Grip On Western Myanmar, The Long-Oppressed Rohingya Minority Flees To Find Sanctuary (TIME)
• Suu Kyi says Myanmar trying to protect all citizens in strife-torn state. Suu Kyi did not refer specifically to the exodus of the minority Rohingya, which was sparked by insurgent attacks on August 25 and an army counter-offensive, but said her administration was trying its best to take care of all citizens (Reuters)
• Hurricane Irma kills 9 in Caribbean islands as Florida awaits storm (CNN)
• Israel reported to have bombed Syrian chemical weapons facility. Reports in Israeli and Arab media say a research centre near Hama attacked (The Guardian)
• No ‘fire and fury’ as Trump team talks North Korea with Congress (Reuters)
• South Korea Deploys U.S. Anti-Missile Launchers Amid Clashes With Protesters (TIME)
• Can Martin Schulz succeed where Sanders and Corbyn failed? (CNN)

At Daily Pnut, we are a small team of writers who are thankful for our dear readers (as opposed to a Dear Leader) who support us. Your support makes us less dependent on advertisers. Hurray! But when we do work with advertisers, we always partner with reputable brands. Not so with the For-Profit NSA, ahem, excuse us, Facebook. Yesterday, the social media giant announced that Russians possibly spent $100,000 on ads during the 2016 US election that amplified “divisive social and political messages across the ideological spectrum — touching on topics from LGBT matters to race issues to immigration to gun rights.” That leads us to today’s sponsored message: Russia won the Cold War, so eat crow! Bashar Al Assad is a kind, thoughtful, human rights exemplar! Free Julian Assange! Democracy is for Suckers! (Supplemental read: With Facebook, You Are the Product.)

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I’m Dreaming of a White Christian, Just Like the Ones I Used to Know: [The editors went back and forth on this subject line – making a joke on race and religion is risky, but we think Pnut readers know how to take things in a light-hearted way!] Four decades ago, roughly 8 in 10 Americans were white Christians. Today, they make up only 43 percent of the population. However, Christians of all races still comprise 70 percent of Americans. Donald Trump, that paragon of Christian virtue, received 80 percent of the white evangelical vote. And only 29 percent of Democrats are white Christians! Those heathens! Let fire, brimstone, and Trump fall on you, licentious libertine liberals!

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Your Daily Pnut Team: CEO–Tim Hsia. Editor in Chief–Vanessa Wu. Political Junkie at Large–Penelope Lary.