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President Obama: Sony made a mistake when they pulled "The Interview"
The Week.Com ^ | December 19, 2014 | Scott Meslow

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.'" -


TOPICS: Culture/Society
KEYWORDS: cyberbill; obama; sony
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To: Gaffer
as straight a face as he can manage....




21 posted on 12/20/2014 5:32:18 AM PST by MeshugeMikey ("Never, Never, Never, Give Up," Winston Churchill ><>)
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To: I want the USA back

Agreed.


22 posted on 12/20/2014 5:32:21 AM PST by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: Din Maker

Leading from behind, as usual.
Did he call Sony and tell them not to relent. No!
He waited for public opinion and jumped on board.
Shut Up !!!


23 posted on 12/20/2014 5:33:51 AM PST by Vinnie
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To: Din Maker
"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."

Yeah, imagine. "They" might use one of the most feared and powerful agencies of "their" government - a tax collection agency, for example - to investigate, harass and punish a filmmaker. Right, Dinesh?

Or "They" might use the same fearsome agency to effectively deny/disenfranchise voters from a perfectly legitimate, competing ideology. Right, Tea-Partiers?

The bad guys are not necessarily twisted little tinhorn dictators in other countries. Some of them are twisted little tinhorn dictators in THIS country.

To put it another way, the pot and the kettle BOTH appear black to me...

24 posted on 12/20/2014 5:35:13 AM PST by DJ Frisat (Proudly providing the NSA with provocative textual content since 1995!)
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To: Cvengr
IMHO, this has as much of a Obama controlled CIA smell to it as NK.

The "tell" was that the first beneficiary of this event is Al Sharpton, of all people. He now has input on Sony's creative output.

No doubt in addition to a hefty "consulting fee" on racism.

Think about it--Amy Paschal, who's company is falling apart due to extensive data breaches and hacks, whose intimate emails are being broadcast worldwide, and whose company now has a botched Christmas movie release--you have time to meet with Al Sharpton.

I am so sick of the lies that emanate from the White House and Congress.

25 posted on 12/20/2014 5:35:51 AM PST by exit82 ("The Taliban is on the inside of the building" E. Nordstrom 10-10-12)
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To: Din Maker

Well this calls for the manic executive order of King Barry...order Sony to release it while telling all the peasants of the land to go see it and all will be well....


26 posted on 12/20/2014 5:36:23 AM PST by BCW (ARMIS EXPOSCERE PACEM)
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To: Din Maker
President Obama: Sony made a mistake when they pulled "The Interview"

America made a mistake when it voted Marxist!.

27 posted on 12/20/2014 5:37:13 AM PST by Don Corleone ("Oil the gun..eat the cannoli. Take it to the Mattress.")
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To: Din Maker

He wanted the chaos promised.


28 posted on 12/20/2014 5:38:26 AM PST by ctdonath2 (Si vis pacem, para bellum.)
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To: MeshugeMikey

29 posted on 12/20/2014 5:44:25 AM PST by Travis McGee (www.EnemiesForeignAndDomestic.com)
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To: Din Maker
Well, Obama, what if the movie were shown and some terrorists decided to bomb or open fire in the theaters? Would you dip into your own pocket to pay for the lawsuits that would surely follow?

Bottom line is that this is the result of Obama’s weakness. Our enemies know they can do whatever they want and Obama’s response will be weak or non-existent. Sony realized that this administration would do nothing to protect it, so it had to take action to protect itself.

30 posted on 12/20/2014 5:45:29 AM PST by fatnotlazy
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To: Sacajaweau

Everything smells in this regime. It’s a stank fest at 1600.


31 posted on 12/20/2014 5:47:01 AM PST by Vaquero (Don't pick a fight with an old guy. If he is too old to fight, he'll just kill you.)
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To: P-Marlowe

Is there ANYTHING in this country that isn’t ALL ABOUT HIM?? And he lies about it, too!


32 posted on 12/20/2014 5:55:42 AM PST by originalbuckeye (Moderation in temper is always a virtue; moderation in principle is always a vice. Paine)
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To: originalbuckeye

He lies about everything. And nobody ever calls him on it. Nobody.


33 posted on 12/20/2014 5:59:34 AM PST by P-Marlowe (Saying that ISIL is not Islamic is like saying Obama is not an Idiot.)
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To: blackdog
You mean the one in which he gets a discharge other than honorable and receives a bump in grade and all commensurate back pay and a federal job in civilian life...that report? (sarc)
34 posted on 12/20/2014 6:03:16 AM PST by blaveda
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To: P-Marlowe

“I wish they had spoken to me first.”

I just happened to walk by a TV in a restaurant when he said that. I almost choked. Mr. Dictator doesn’t want anybody to make a decision without clearing it with him.


35 posted on 12/20/2014 6:12:12 AM PST by smalltownslick
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To: All

Shocking photo reveals where Kim Jong-un got idea to target, intimidate filmmakers

http://twitchy.com/2014/12/19/shocking-photo-reveals-where-kim-jong-un-got-idea-to-target-intimidate-filmmakers/


36 posted on 12/20/2014 6:18:01 AM PST by Hotlanta Mike (‘You can avoid reality, but you can’t avoid the consequences of avoiding reality.’)
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To: Din Maker

“President Obama: Sony made a mistake when they pulled “The Interview””

That is OK. America made a huge mistake when we extended Affirmative Action to include the Presidency.


37 posted on 12/20/2014 6:20:13 AM PST by Tupelo (I am feeling more like Phillip Nolan by the day.)
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To: Travis McGee
Kim armost as much the Genius as Al Sharpton.


38 posted on 12/20/2014 6:20:37 AM PST by MeshugeMikey ("Never, Never, Never, Give Up," Winston Churchill ><>)
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To: paul544
This guy negotiated with terrorists and a dictator and he’s bitching at Sony for giving??

I don't often use the word, but WHAT a douche bag!!!!

39 posted on 12/20/2014 6:21:42 AM PST by FrdmLvr ("WE ARE ALL OSAMA, 0BAMA!" al-Qaeda terrorists who breached the American compound in Benghazi)
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To: Din Maker

He is right.

Now every group that wants to influence the press will start making threats, and the insurance company lawyers will demand they be honored.


40 posted on 12/20/2014 6:25:09 AM PST by redgolum ("God is dead" -- Nietzsche. "Nietzsche is dead" -- God.)
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