Posted on 12/20/2014 5:02:55 AM PST by Din Maker
Earlier this week, Sony made the controversial call to cancel the release of its North Korea-set comedy The Interview over terroristic threats made by hackers. In a press conference today, President Obama called Sony's decision a "mistake."
"Sony is a corporation," said President Obama. "It suffered significant damage. There were threats against its employees. I am sympathetic to the concerns that they faced. Having said all that, yes, I think they made a mistake."
"We cannot have a society in which some dictator someplace can start imposing censorship here in the United States," he continued. "Because if somebody is able to intimidate folks out of releasing a satirical movie, imagine what they start doing when they see a documentary they don't like. Or news reports they don't like. Or even worse, imagine if producers and distributors and others start engaging in self-censorship because they don't want to offend the sensibilities of someone whose sensibilities probably need to be offended. That's not who we are. That's what America is about."
"Again, I'm sympathetic that Sony, as a private company, is worried about liabilities, and this, and that, and the other," Obama continued. "I wish they had spoken to me first. I would have told them, 'Do not get into a pattern in which you're intimidated by these kinds of criminal attacks.'" -
He's certainly not one to capitulate even before the threat is clear and present, is he?
This coward would have done the exact opposite. Who’s he trying to kid?
LOL!
Two words: Benghazi Video.
This guy negotiated with terrorists and a dictator and he’s bitching at Sony for giving??
The president like the media is not seeing reality.
Reality is that Sony is a Japanese company and the order to kill the movie likely came from Sony headquarters in Tokyo
Sony USA was chosen as an easy target for the North Korean shot at Japan that is getting tons of media exposure. The theft of stuff from say Toshiba would have gone pretty much unnoticed by the press
Your Post #6: Very insightful. Thanks.
Dictator envy on his part. Maybe he is upset that there may have been an actual act of violence averted that he could use for endless TV time.
Note: he said that but did not suggest any action that he would take to punish the NK’s.
I’m betting that he told them not to release it....smells like Benghazi...
Yeah, right.
[Sony Pictures CEO Michael] Lynton reacted to Obama’s comment that he wished Sony had reached out to them. “We definitely spoke to a senior advisor in the White House to talk about the situation. The fact is, did we talk to the president himself? … The White House was certainly aware of the situation.”
I agree with Post 7...
censorship.....just don’t say the “n” word...or say that Islam is a murderous cult....or that faggery is not a good thing.....
And so he traded Bergdahl...a known deserter for 4 monsters.
It's not like Sony could arrange a "bowing" tour in Nork-land.
Hey, where’s that Bergdahl report?
I don’t buy any of this. Its another contrived crisis that can only be solved by more government and played right into Obama and Sharpton’s hands perfectly.
So how about Paramount banning Team America from being played again as part of the same threat from North Korea?
IMHO, this has as much of a Obama controlled CIA smell to it as NK.
It’s not his job to tell companies what to do.
But that damned muzzie cartoon/movie was SO frikkin’ antagonistic ,,,, just LOOK at what it done !
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