Monday, November 08, 2010

"Freedom FROM the press"

Top Russian reporter in serious condition after attack
Breitbart

Oleg Kashin, who covers the sensitive issues of opposition protests and youth groups for the respected Kommersant daily, suffered fractures to his jaw, concussion and broken fingers in the attack early Saturday. (emphasis mine)

Konstantin Fetisov, head of the local branch of the opposition Right Cause party for Khimki, was beaten after attending a protest Thursday against the dumping of household waste in the area.

Local newspaper editor Mikhail Beketov, who had been highly critical of the local Khimki administration, was assaulted in November 2008, losing a leg and several fingers.

Dozens of journalists have been beaten and even killed in Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union, most notably campaigning writer Anna Politkovskaya who was gunned down in her apartment building in 2006.

More than four years after her murder, no-one has been found guilty of the killing.

According to the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists, 52 journalists have been killed in Russia since 1992 and the country ranks eighth on its impunity index for journalist killings.

How can they blame Bush....?

Number of the Week: $10.2 Trillion in Global Borrowing
The Wall Street Journal
By Mark Whitehouse

Now we're Greece?

Next year, the U.S. government will have to find $4.2 trillion. That’s 27.8% of its annual economic output, up from 26.5% this year. By comparison, crisis-addled Greece needs $69 billion, or 23.8% of its annual GDP.

Stating the obvious:

Still, there’s reason to be concerned that governments’ appetite for borrowing could ultimately push up interest rates, or worse.

Define "Safe":

The Federal Reserve has committed to buy an added $600 billion in U.S. government debt over the next eight months. Demand from households has been very strong as U.S. consumers boost their savings rate. Tighter regulations could push banks to buy more safe assets such as U.S. Treasurys.