A string of new laws passed this year by Israel’s right-leaning Knesset has triggered an unusually rancorous debate here over where to draw the line on free speech, exposing shifting sentiments about a core democratic ideal.

The latest battle erupted with the approval this month of a law that created civil and financial penalties against those who voice support for boycott campaigns targeting Israel or its institutions, including West Bank settlements that many in Israel and around the world oppose as an obstacle to peace.

Free-speech advocates blasted the law as an unprecedented assault on the right to criticize the government, while proponents praised it as a patriotic defense of Israel’s image.

It came on the heels of other measures that critics say erode Israel’s democratic foundations, including ones that penalize certain groups that publicly commemorate Nakba Day, marking the 1948 Palestinian displacement; legalize “admissions committees” to screen would-be residents of small Israeli towns; and require non-Jewish immigrants seeking citizenship to take a loyalty oath to Israel as a “Jewish and democratic” state. (Read more from latimes.com)

A story about crime in Russia.

A lot of problems in both Russia and Ukraine could be solved if everybody owned a gun. I hate that in a society where everybody is helpless, it is the criminals who become the capable citizens — rich, hip, cool.

Think about how this story would turn out if when Igor and Big Igor started robbing people, one of their victims shot one of them in face. Suddenly Igor, Big Igor and Sasha wouldn’t be so awesome anymore.

Let the good guys be the cool people. Legalize self defense. Let them own guns.

CANTON, Ohio -— Video of a Canton police officer angrily confronting a motorist legally carrying a concealed weapon has gone viral on the internet.

The target of that confrontation, William Bartlett, told Fox 8 on Tuesday that his rights were violated.

Bartlett has a permit to carry a concealed weapon and said he tried to tell the officer that he had a gun when he was pulled over on in the early morning hours of June 8th in a high crime area.

But the 52-year-old Brewster man said the officer would not let him talk.

Bartlett told Fox 8, “Would you have yelled ‘I have a gun?’. I just kept my mouth shut, I kept my hands on the wheel like I had been instructed to, I had my CCW in hand, I tried to hand it to him and he wanted no part of it.”

Bartlett said Patrolman Daniel Harless flew into a rage a short time later when he revealed he was carrying a gun.

“I thought I was in trouble, deep trouble, more than just going to jail trouble”, said Bartlett.

He said Officer Harless then began to threaten his life.

“If you had a man threatening to execute you, what would you think? That’s where I’ll leave it at that,” said Bartlett.

The posting of the video on the web has given Canton a undeserved bad name, according to City Council President Allen Schulman.

Schulman told Fox 8, “We’ve received hundreds of e-mails, all from out of town, not only out of town but out of state, Texas, Arizona, places that seem to love people carrying concealed weapons.”

Schulman said the case illustrates the inherent dangers of Ohio’s concealed weapon law, which he calls, “crazy”.

“I believe in people’s right to bear arms, but I believe in rational, reasonable gun laws, and these concealed weapons are going to create a lot of problems”, said Schulman. “And my biggest concern is, it’s going to end up killing people.”

Patrolman Harless was placed on administrative leave after the incident, and on Monday, went on sick leave.

William Bartlett was charged with carrying a concealed weapon and says he is getting support from all over the country.

“They should have strong feelings, it’s their right being violated as well as mine”, said Bartlett. “If it happened to me, it could happen to someone else.”

One video and two responses:

* Dollar getting beat up.

* Gold / silver pull back because of pullback from Euro?

* Bernanke says, essentially “it ain’t money if I can’t print it.” Says people buy gold because of uncertainty. But Peter is buying gold b/c he is certain Bernanke is destroying the dollar.

* Bernanke claims dollar’s worth has nothing to do with America’s purchasing power. Is he nuts?

* By saying the U.S. will default if the credit ceiling isn’t raised, Obama tells U.S. creditors how low they are on the totem pole of who gets paid.

* Another NIA pump-and-dump scam.

Great lecture and public vs private security guard at California raves where attendees use drugs:

http://mises.org/media/6484/Prohibition-vs-Private-Solutions-at-the-Electric-Daisy-Carnival

I loved this Mises daily article.

Very comprehensive.