Ain't that right, Donnie?

Believe me!

I'm sure that Donnie's there to make the art of the deal, right?

There's no way Deadbeat Donnie could ever afford to pull this off without massive leveraging from his favorite uncle.

And it goes without saying that Putin isn't doing this out of charity either.

Using Donnie as his favorite puppet. The man is an absolute terrorist. Maybe Donnie Jr is there to stroke the orb?

Nothing is written.

Still not sure what it means...The future is as insecure as their past?

As I recall, it was both an encouragement to be bold in life (in the sense that we can indeed shape our destinies at least in part); but also an implied warning that success and glory aren't guaranteed either - and that to think otherwise is presumptuous at best, blasphemous at worst.

vigilance is all we can do for the next...vigilance for the next into infinity

It would be completely lost on the Trumps of the world. But it's definitely food for thought, isn't it.

I am no expert on the Middle East, but allowing women to drive is a beginning!

They're really into veils in that part of the world.

Like I said, I am not just not an expert on the Middle East, I am ignorant!

It's such a complicated part of the world - probably like no other.

As for Iran, they're understandably a little anxious about this.

Not over the possibility of Cheeto using the presidency to get in on the ground floor on Aramco stock (what else is new!); but because it's obvious to everyone that Putin would finance this new Trump heist.

Why the worry? Iran and Russia have become much closer since the Orange Oaf essentially ripped up Obama's 2015 Iran agreement, and Tehran worries that Putin might choose to do his baksheesh with the Saudis instead (using Trump to do so).

Accordingly, Putin rushed to assuage Iran by signing a massive, $30 billion investment deal with them - all part of what's referred to as Russia's "Ummah Pivot" toward Iran specifically and the region more generally.

I hope at least some good can come out of all this - particularly for the good people of Syria.

That was Prince Al-Waleed’s doing. He’d also recently announced he was going to leave his 32 billion dollars to charity instead of recycling it into the royal family.

I'm not being snarky: I really don't understand. If they're all princes, how does one get away with detaining others? Where's the king? Aren't these his sons, too? Why didn't the king bring them all home and just say, "This one's in charge: so, start sucking up to him."

I just don't understand how you can be a prince and still get locked up.

The cultural liberalization dispute no doubt played a role as well - but it's all a sideshow of a sideshow compared to Aramco.

Aramco, with sales of over $300 billion and a book value of at least $2 trillion, is the largest state-owned enterprise in the world. Global markets have been praying to Mecca five times daily for decades, hoping a least a part of it might be privatized.

This crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, is the Saudi Royal family's chief proponent of selling off a part of Aramco to private shareholders. Even if they sell off, say, 30% of it - we'd be talking about hundreds of billions of dollars in shares.

The ones arrested were all opposed to it.

So who stands to profit most? Anyone who can get in on the ground floor - i.e. before the IPO to the public at large.

In short, I think we just discovered what Prince Jared was doing there.

thanksgiving. We don't get to lock each other up: Mom wouldn't allow it.

Why does the king allow his own sons to be locked up by others? Are they not his sons? How many wives does the king have? Does he just impregnate and run? If they're out of favor, does he take their money away from him? Do they try to kill him to get to the throne?

In europe, this has always gone on, but usually not with so many "princes," and the lesser sons aren't given much by the king so this doesn't have to happen.

You know, if there's something the ultra-wealthy might just envy about average folks, is that we're not (most of us) constantly scheming against our family and relatives over a slice of the pie.

Now, your mom's pumpkin pie - that might be a different story.

They are brothers, nephews, etc. For example, the present king took the throne after the death of his brother who had become king after yet another brother's death. Basically, the princes are all the decendents of the first king (present king's dad) Ibn Saud. The succession is pretty complicated.

Putin and his oligarchs.
Then they can suck up to MBS.

Always looking for an angle in everything, those two - like the good grifters they are.

This was a very bold - or very stupid - move on his part.

Pride goeth before the fall, though.

All bad people, none as bad as the Arabian monarchy. All refused to sell control of their nation’s petroleum. All serve as a pretty good warning to similar people — especially in a world with currently low gas prices.

Sad; but true.

1.) Begging for a loan.
2.) Begging for a loan.
3.) Begging for a loan.

Meanwhile, we paid for Kushner's trip.