Posted on 05/10/2010 5:45:09 PM PDT by Kaslin
Free Speech: President Obama, while addressing college graduates, condemns our access to new media as a subversion of democracy. Is the iPad a threat to democracy or exactly what Thomas Jefferson had in mind?
At Hampton University in Virginia on Sunday, the president lamented that in an age of text messaging, the Internet and the iPad, information and its unfettered exchange had become a diversion that was putting a strain on democracy. We are not making this up.
The "24/7 media environment," he told the students, "bombards us with all kinds of comments and exposes us to all kinds of arguments, some of which don't always rank all that high on the truth meter." Does that apply to presidential speeches as well? We never thought of free speech as a problem before, but apparently the president does.
"With iPods and iPads and Xboxes and PlayStations none of which I know how to work information becomes a distraction, a diversion, a form of entertainment, rather than a means of emancipation," Obama said. "All of this is not only putting new pressures on you, it is putting new pressures on our country and on our democracy."
Perhaps it's easier these days to spread disinformation, but it's also easier to correct it. If the president doesn't know how to use these devices, how does he explain the June 26, 2008, issue of Rolling Stone noting that Bob Dylan, Yo-Yo Ma, Sheryl Crow and Jay-Z were featured on his, uh, iPod.
(Excerpt) Read more at investors.com ...
No, it’s ok. He has a truth meter.
I have never understood how a POTUS could KEEP his OWN blackberry.....At one point, an SS agent had 0bama’s in his hands & returned it to him. They should at least be gov’t issued. And tracked.
Just because he has an Ipod, doesn’t mean he knows how to do anything other than stick the little squishy things on the end of the wires into his oversized ears and have someone else do the hard work of pushing “play” for him.
Then again...he probably has a valet plug in the earbuds for him so as not to distract his gaze into the mirror during his daily dressing.
I think he just told us to SHUT UP.
“someone else do the hard work of pushing play for him.”
I do not even want to be in the room with that button.
ping
What he meant to say was “ you unwashed masses don’t need to know what we are doing” Too much truth is not good for you——or me!! Just clam up and let us turn your country into a commie state.
Ping
Eroding our Constitution ping.
I think he’s just trying to minimize the record against him in the Library of Congress — now that they archive all public tweets. It’s not going to match up with his self-crafted “legacy” in the future that the PEOPLE were angry, and it will provide a wealth of information to historians to prove how damaging he was to our country (if we survive and set things right again).
Thanks for the ping. I appreciate it...
What an unspeakable ass. "You people should just shut up and do what I tell you to. All this new information is just confusing you."
the president lamented that in an age of text messaging, the Internet and the iPad, information and its unfettered exchange had become a diversion that was putting a strain on democracy.<<<<
They mis-spelled democracy, for what it is worth he should have said “putting a strain on communism”.
I guess my Wii, PCs, and iMac are safe.
0b0z0 can have my Blackberry after I do anatomically unmentionable things to him with it.
A thinly-veiled attempt to float the idea of barricades on the Information Superhighway?
PING!
is this the same Potus who insisted he not have to give up his Blackberry to the SS as it was so invaluable to him??????
I would say teaching every American the meaning of the General Welfare clause would slowly turn the tide. What do you think is the one most important principle of our Constitution?
That it is founded to preserve individual liberty?
Yup, he is the one and the same
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.