Russia and Egypt. Trump and Jerusalem.

If I had a dollar for every time Socialism worked, I would have 0 dollars.

And ironically, if Socialism did work I would still have 0 dollars.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
This from a very dear family friend and fellow memo reader in response to some of my postings about the CFPB:  "Dick, keep after the CFPB.  Even if it were doing the Lord’s work , which it isn’t, it still violates the Constitution for un-elected bureaucrats to write regulations not authorized by law.  Friedrich Hayek very ably addressed this problem seventy years ago in The Road to Serfdom. Thanks to you Obama.

I hope all is well with you, Lynn and others in your family.

M==="

++++++++++++++++++++++++

Russia just received permission  from Egypt to use Egyptians airports for their planes.  Anyone who thinks Russia is prepared, along with their surrogates, to leave the region is a damn fool. (See 1 below.)

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Trump prides himself in keeping campaign promises or so he states.  Will he do so regarding Jerusalem? (See 2 below.)
+++++++++++++++++++++

Dick

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

1)

Russia: Unrealistic to demand that Iranian militia units leave Syria

Russian envoy comments on opposition’s demand for Assad’s exit Russia's UN envoy calls the document adopted by the Syrian opposition at its Riyadh meeting, which contains a demand for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s resignation, 'contradictory' GENEVA, November 28. /TASS/. Russia has called on partners in Geneva to bring the Syrian opposition down to earth as its demand that President Bashar Assad must go does not contribute to a constructive dialogue, Russia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Geneva office and other Geneva-based International Organizations Alexei Borodavkin said. "All this is very alarming and will hardly contribute to a constructive dialogue in Geneva," Borodavkin said. "During the meeting (of representatives of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council) Russia turned to its partners at the UN and Western delegations, which have influence on the opposition, so that they try to bring the opposition down to earth as their position is not in line with the real situation," he said. The document adopted by the Syrian opposition at its Riyadh meeting, which contains a demand for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s resignation, is contradictory, he went on. "The document that opposition adopted in Riyadh, cited by the opposition delegation which has arrived in Geneva, is very contradictory," Borodavkin said. "On the one hand, the document says that the opposition is not setting any preconditions, but on the other hand, there is a demand for Bashar al-Assad’s resignation in the very beginning of the transition period. What is that if not a precondition?" the Russian envoy said. "They also demand that Iranian militia units lave Syria, which is also unrealistic," Borodavkin pointed out. "It is unclear how the opposition members plan to hold talks with representatives of the Syrian government if the delegation coming from Riyadh views them almost as criminals with whom it is impossible to talk," he added. Moscow believes the decision by the Syrian government delegation to travel to Geneva for the eighth round of the intra-Syrian consultations was the right move. "That’s the right decision. It’s very good that the Syrian government delegation will come to Geneva, because this will make it possible for Damascus representatives to express their point of view and come up with the relevant assessments," the diplomat stressed. Earlier reports said that, because of the opposition’s demands seeking the resignation of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad at the beginning of the transition period, the official Damascus delegation put off its visit to the November 28 negotiations. UN Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, confirmed on Tuesday that the Syrian government representatives would arrive in Geneva on November 29. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 2) US officials confirm Trump weighing recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital By REUTERS The move would deviate from White House predecessors who have insisted that it is a matter that must be decided in peace negotiations. WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump is considering recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, a move that could upend decades of American policy and ratchet up Middle East tensions, but is expected to again delay his campaign promise to move the US embassy there, US officials confirmed Thursday. After months of intense White House deliberations, Trump is likely to make an announcement next week that seeks to strike a balance between domestic political demands and geopolitical pressures over an issue at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict – the status of Jerusalem, home to sites holy to the Jewish, Muslim and Christian religions. Trump is weighing a plan under which he would declare Jerusalem the capital of Israel, the officials said, deviating from White House predecessors who have insisted that it is a matter that must be decided in peace negotiations. The Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of their future state, and the international community does not recognize Israel's claim on the entire city. Such a move by Trump, which could be carried out through a presidential statement or speech, would anger the Palestinians as well as the broader Arab World and could undermine the Trump administration's fledgling effort to restart long-stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. It could, however, help satisfy the pro-Israel, right-wing base that helped him win the presidency and also please the Israeli government, a close US ally. Trump is likely to continue his predecessors' policy of signing a six-month waiver overriding a 1995 law requiring that the US Embassy be moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, the officials said. But among the options under consideration is for Trump to order his aides to develop a longer-term plan for the embassy's relocation to make clear his intent to do so eventually, according to one of the officials. However, the U.S. officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, cautioned that the plan has yet to be finalized and Trump could still alter parts of it. "No decision has been made on that matter yet," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said on Thursday. CAMPAIGN PLEDGE Trump pledged on the presidential campaign trail last year that he would move the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. But Trump in June waived the requirement, saying he wanted to "maximize the chances" for a peace push led by his son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner. Those efforts have made little if any progress. The status of Jerusalem is one of the major stumbling blocks in achieving peace between Israel and the Palestinians. Israel captured Arab East Jerusalem during the 1967 Middle East war and later annexed it, a move not recognized internationally. Palestinian leaders, Arab governments and Western allies have long urged Trump not to proceed with the embassy relocation, which would go against decades of US policy by granting de facto US recognition of Israel’s claim to all of Jerusalem as its capital. However, if Trump decides to declare Jerusalem as Israel's capital, even without ordering an embassy move, it would be certain to spark an international uproar. A key question would be whether such a declaration would be enshrined as a formal presidential action or simply be a symbolic statement by Trump. Some of Trump's top aides have privately pushed for him to keep his campaign promise to satisfy a range of supporters, including evangelical Christians, while others have warned of the potential damage to US relations with Muslim countries. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++