Howler

Seems like Obama would like to curtail how much info. is out there, and where it can be found. Kind of sounds like to me that he's insinuating that he'd like to put a muzzle on any "bad" press that he might be getting. In other words, he don't like everyone means of finding out the "truth" behind his back..
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2010...t-environment/

H80Hunter

Did you even read this article?

Youre right. Conspiracy theorists postulating that he's actually a non-American citizen, who is a socialist, which some of you guys take as truth, is a good thing. It fosters two-way discussion over issues, and does absolutely nothing to cause bickering and partisanship.

Fieldmouse

Have you seen the news report on Pat, who is up for the Supreme Court?

ipscshooter

He's pretty clearly a socialist.

H80Hunter

I guess if you want to think that, go ahead and think that. But you should know that anyone who understands what socialism actually is, is going to immediately disregard your opinion.

I tend to agree with something Obama said a few weeks back, that this type of name calling is getting more and more mainstream and I don't think its a good thing. I mean, when the right is screaming, "HE'S A SOCIALIST HE'S A SOCIALIST!" (either unable, or unwilling to process what socialism is) it doesn't do the country any good.

I must admit, I'm pretty moderate, not a member of the far left. But one of the main thing that drives me crazy is ignorance and people who are uninformed on issues or unable to acknowledge both sides of a debate. (Not you ipsc).

That's what gets me fired up on a lot of these topics, not "died in the wool" liberalism by any means, but many of you like to take issues that reasonable people COULD ACTUALLY JUST DISAGREE ON, and disregard anyone who holds some (lefty in this case) idea as INSANE, and it motivates me to play devils advocate.

I'm rambling and way off-topic, but 70 million people voted for Obama. They are not all wacky, crazy, socialists who would love to turn the country into the USSR.

jeepkid

Nope, but they are all idiots!

Doe Dumper

As well as a bunch of them being very remorseful over their vote.

Fieldmouse

It drives me crazy when moderate leaning liberals who can't keep up and debate real facts must resort to statements like this to just cover up their true ignorance of the facts.

Griswold

I despise political labels, as I've said many times before. They add nothing to the discussion and they're primarily used by folks who can't debate the issues on their merit.

I agree with you: Accusing Obama of being a socialist doesn't do the country any good. It does more harm than good, anyway. Several of his policies share the same basic fundamentals as socialism...anyone who understands what socialism actually is should recognize that fact. But I don't think he's some card-carrying socialist, I don't think he's anti-American and I don't think he's the anti-Christ. I think he's merely a president with ideas that are very different than my own.

However, we live in a nation where we're granted the right to free speech. And free speech means just that. Without a doubt, some of the people executed over the years in regime-oppressed countries for criticizing their leaders probably said things about those leaders that weren't true. Does that mean they should've been executed for what they said? Of course not.

I think the Rush Limbaughs and Ann Coulters of the world (and the Michael Moores, too) do nothing but impede progress. But I'm much, much, MUCH more concerned about a president who suggests that free speech should be curtailed than I am in the hate-mongering wingnuts. And curtailing free speech is a much, much, MUCH bigger threat to our democracy than a messageboard or email FWD rumor that Obama was really born in Kenya...regardless of how the president (or his new SCOTUS nominee) tries to spin it.

And, BTW, we spent several years with the far left doing the same thing the far right is now doing. How many times was George W. Bush or Dick Cheney accused of being a war criminal? How many times were they accused of plotting the 9/11 terrorist attacks for their own personal gain? Those accusations by the left did just as much, or more, to drag down America as the whining by the right today. Do you condemn them also? GWB had a penchant for using the constitution as a door mat, but I don't remember him ever suggesting that free speech should be curtailed because of the false information that was being disseminated.

If we're going to clamp down on the spread of false information, who gets to decide which information is false and can no longer be repeated?

Wub

Can you educate us as to what Obama -or anyone- needs to do to be classified as a socialist? While you're at it, could you also teach us the difference between a democracy and republic? Which is America?

What's really sickening, and embarrassing, is that Obama doesn't talk without taking cheap shots at folks like Limbaugh, Palin, Hannity, etc... If anyone who "understands what socialism actually is, is going to immediately disregard your opinion" why is he so bothered by what they say? Why are you so bothered by what they say? Why not just get to work and ignore them? It seems like he spends all his time talking about why we peasants shouldn't be able to talk about what he's doing.