Obama Talks to Graduates
[Guest post by DRJ]
Speaking today at Hampton University in Virginia, President Obama warned young people against getting information from blogs and talk radio in our 24/7 media environment:
“You’re coming of age in a 24/7 media environment that bombards us with all kinds of content and exposes us to all kinds of arguments, some of which don’t always rank all that high on the truth meter,” Obama said at Hampton University, Virginia.
“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 tool of empowerment, rather than the means of emancipation,” Obama said.
He bemoaned the fact that “some of the craziest claims can quickly claim traction,” in the clamor of certain blogs and talk radio outlets.
“All of this is not only putting new pressures on you, it is putting new pressures on our country and on our democracy.”
It almost sounds like the President is telling graduates to enjoy entertainment, get serious about mainstream information sources, and avoid straining democracy by listening to too many voices at places like blogs and talk radio. In other words, “emancipate” yourself from too much information.
Perhaps the President simply means people should be skeptical about what they listen to and believe, and I agree that’s a good thing. But he seems to be saying people should avoid listening to specific voices, and that’s not good.
Here’s my advice: “Congratulations on obtaining your college degree. For most of you, your diploma represents years of hard work. Celebrate your accomplishments while remembering you will never be finished learning. Fortunately, our 24/7 media environment makes it easier than ever for people to get information to make informed decisions. From now on, your job is to read and learn about the issues from as many sources as possible, and then think critically about everything you read and hear.”
— DRJ
The bit about iPods and XBoxes was…puzzling. They’re not really political mediums. Who gets news or politics from an iPod or an XBox? They’re entertainment devices, and presumably Obama doesn’t expect us to live and breath politics 7/24. The last thing I want to listen to is politics when I put the earbuds in, and I don’t think the Raveonettes are a threat to the Republic.
And his line about “not knowing how to operate them” is silly. He’s been photographed with an iPod. And why should we listen to him about their alleged harmful effects if he’s ignorant of the devices?
Ernst Blofeld (ece636) — 5/9/2010 @ 3:23 pmMr. Thin – Skinned once again displays his contempt (and fear) of any sources of information that contradict his fictitious claims. Scratch any far Leftist and you’ll find a tinpot dictator underneath. He’s really becoming more Nixonian by the day, without that pesky foreign policy genius.
Dmac (21311c) — 5/9/2010 @ 3:31 pm“All of this is not only putting new pressures on you, it is putting new pressures on our country and on our democracy.”
So he’s worried about too much information from too many sources? Sounds like the would-be totalitarian leader he is.
Best wishes,
Laura (651a60) — 5/9/2010 @ 3:34 pmLaura
Likely the teleprompter malfunctioned and Obama tried to wing it, with the usual spotty results.
ropelight (a91bd1) — 5/9/2010 @ 3:47 pmTwo things:
1. Didn’t BHO give an iPod loaded with his own freaking speeches to a foreign dignitary? That wasn’t his idea?
2. I thought that BHO was a big Crackberry addict. So that isn’t technological?
Who is this guy? Chauncey Gardener?
Eric Blair (c8876d) — 5/9/2010 @ 4:16 pmThe question is, why doesn’t our President encourage these young people to use these technological advances to their advantage: to read, to learn and to then further think about about our democracy so that *they* can decide for themselves what it is that is truly putting new pressures on our country and on our democracy.
My guess is that he really doesn’t want them to critically think about these things or investigate for themselves, and certainly doesn’t want them drawing their own conclusions. IOW, We are the government and we know what’s best for you.
Dana (1e5ad4) — 5/9/2010 @ 4:24 pmLike the snake oil salesman that he is, Dim Won wants to sell you his version of what he bottles as the truth. Alas for Dim Won, wise men don’t seek truth. They seek evidence. They then use evidence to determine what is true, to the extent possible.
Sadly, Dim Won has much that he peddles as the truth but darn little evidence to support it. Maybe if Obama had actually ever attended college, he might have learned something. Alas a mind is such terrible thing to waste.
DavidL (e74857) — 5/9/2010 @ 4:28 pmHe’s the freakin’ liar and he tells them not to listen to others because of his “truthmeter”?
Well, the brazen behavior we expect from Obama.
SPQR (26be8b) — 5/9/2010 @ 4:31 pmObama the Candidate was laughing at, and makig fun of McCain, ‘cuz McCain supposedly didn’t use a compuker—in contrast to “tech savvy BHO”
Barack the President says he doesn’t even know how to operate an IPod–a device that is simplicity itself.
Answer the following question: Was Barack Obama
lying (a) Candidate Obama said he was tech savvy
or
(b) When President Obama said he didn’t even know how to work an IPo
or
(c) both times.
You guessed it–the correct answer is “C”.
Although if he walked down the hall to Sasha and Melia’s bedroom, they could have him up and running on the iPod in about 12 seconds.
Mike Myers (3c9845) — 5/9/2010 @ 4:41 pmThis begins to have the aroma of Hugo Chavez. He shuts down TV stations he doesn’t like. So far, Obama can only dream.
Mike K (2cf494) — 5/9/2010 @ 5:06 pmIgnore all of the dissonant voices, all the information you need is available from the Ministry of (dis)Information.
AD - RtR/OS! (ae15f0) — 5/9/2010 @ 5:12 pmIt shall guide and shape you as you contribute to the common good.
Move along now, nothing here to see.
Where’s Winston, and who is John Galt?
Even when/if he tells the truth, you can’t trust him.
I vote with ropelight, when he’s talking about technology that he doesn’t know how to work he’s actually referring to his teleprompter, but he didn’t want to admit it, so he winged it with all of the eloquence of taking out tonsils to pay for vacation.
MD in Philly (ea3785) — 5/9/2010 @ 5:16 pmOkay, I admit that I learned some unusual things on the internet today.
One source says that the nutritive value of a zucchini is less than it was 100 years ago, because the ground is all wore out. And another says that Splenda® is more akin to a pesticide than something that should go into your body. And another says that some of the craziest claims about our government are putting new pressures on me and on democracy.
Yep, democracy is just gonna up and die because I can’t figure out the difference between a 100 year old zucchini, a pesticide, and a real President.
Next!
EW1(SG) (edc268) — 5/9/2010 @ 5:24 pmDid it read:
Obama talks down to graduates..
“I will create a utopia in which everyone makes $75K; has free health care… reach for the stars!”
Steve G (7d4c78) — 5/9/2010 @ 5:27 pmBarack Obama was never more than a sperm spitoon for Emil Jones.
nk (db4a41) — 5/9/2010 @ 5:33 pmProverbs 26:12 Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him.
htom (412a17) — 5/9/2010 @ 5:50 pmGiven that video games are a huge and growing market having already eclipsed Hollywood in importance, I guess it’s good news politically that Obama is calling them distractions.
People want to live their lives their own way. I am so tired of democrats telling me I am eating, driving, and playing with the wrong things in life.
It’s not their life, it’s mine.
He’s a liar about ability to operate these simply devices, but I’m not surprised something like him would not understand their great value. Sadly, it’s tough to find a mentally normal person succeeding in politics (And in particular, Chicago politics). These people are alien to what it is to be an American worker, mother, father, etc. That’s why Palin is such a horror to them. How could we have almost let someone like *that* near the levers of power!? She’s nothing like Biden and Clinton and Mccain! Her experience isn’t like Hillary’s, dealing with human life instead of polls and press.
Sadly, most video games have a liberal slant. Nuclear war or capitalist greed is a constant trope in plotty games. But many of them, perhaps most, are about individual empowerment, how there is actual evil that must be vanquished by the good guys, etc.
Dustin (b54cdc) — 5/9/2010 @ 8:28 pmAnd I’m amused at the idea his teleprompter failed.
This guy is telling me how technology is distracting me from learning more about Obama’s talking points, but Obama almost never offers a real speech, from his heart and mind. He uses this machine to avoid one of the core aspects of his job entirely.
No press conferences at all, either. Lots of golf, no leadership.
Dustin (b54cdc) — 5/9/2010 @ 8:31 pmI don’t give a hooters-toot what anyone, whether a President or a pauper says.
Information is the foundation of democracy. Information, by its definition, can not be bad. How it is used or construed is another matter.
Information is never a distraction nor a diversion. Information can only enhance and assure emancipation.
Information does not rely on its media.
Information is power, information is truth and information is justice and I will be god-damned before anyone can take its power away.
Ag80 (f67beb) — 5/9/2010 @ 8:39 pmAG80, as true as it is that no one can fully take away the exchange of information, the FCC does have a non trivial power over our internet.
So does Google. So does the FEC if some of these nutjobs get their way.
As kooky as it may sound, sometimes he’s laying the groundwork for some massive government overhaul we didn’t need that actually winds up infringing on rights. Or he could just go the other way, and elevate his press lackeys.
I don’t recall Bush taking a stance on this kind of thing. If he had said this very quote it would have been pivotal and a huge issue.
Dustin (b54cdc) — 5/9/2010 @ 8:44 pm“All of this is not only putting new pressures on you, it is putting new pressures on our country and on our democracy.”
I’m sorry, but do I have to relive the ’70s again?
The free and open exchange of ideas puts no pressure on anyone except the people in power. It does not threaten our country or society. Good God, can’t a liberal stand up and say the exchange of ideas makes us stronger?
Ag80 (f67beb) — 5/9/2010 @ 8:56 pm#21 Ag80:
Not anymore, because now they’re in charge!
EW1(SG) (edc268) — 5/9/2010 @ 9:26 pmDmac, you rule! You just do.
To point out that on the most basic and non-partisan of things, this idiot STILL gets it wrong . . . priceless.
Icy Texan (15edd3) — 5/10/2010 @ 3:13 amI was wrong in #4 above. I just watched Obama’s delivery on Glenn Beck’s show. Obama was on-topic, his teleprompter was functioning at peak efficiency. He believes every word he said, you just have to pay close attention.
Obama’s message was that too much information, conflicting information, too many unauthorized opinions, were “putting pressure” on our democracy, reducing our common well-being. Hummm, now what to make of that.
Ya think the problem might be too many syllables? Could that be it?
ropelight (a91bd1) — 5/10/2010 @ 2:18 pm