Obama criticizes left-wing 'shutdown culture'

[TitanTiger 20,511]

 

Quote

Former President Obama Criticizes Leftist Shutdown Culture

You can't make the world a better place, he says, if you silence "those who aren't like you because they are white or they are male."

Robby Soave
Jul. 17, 2018 2:56 pm
 

In a speech commemorating Nelson Mandela's 100th birthday, former President Obama condemned "strongman" politics and the rising tides of nationalism. Coming just a day after President Trump's humiliating presser with Vladimir Putin, in which Trump appeared to have gullibly swallowed Putin's obvious lies about Russia's interference in the 2016 election, many will see Obama's remarks as a thinly veiled criticism of his successor.

But Obama also made remarks that can only be seen as a condemnation of intolerant leftists who shut down speakers on college campuses because they find their views offensive. Here's what the former president had to say(emphasis mine):

Democracy demands that we're able also to get inside the reality of people who are different than us so we can understand their point of view. Maybe we can change their minds, maybe they'll change ours. You can't do this if you just out of hand disregard what your opponent has to say from the start. And you can't do it if you insist that those who aren't like you because they are white or they are male, somehow there is no way they can understand what I'm feeling, that somehow they lack standing to speak on certain matters.

This a direct rebuke of the notion that only people who are oppressed for some reason—because of their race, gender, sexuality, disability status, size, etc.—should be allowed to speak on issues relating to said difficulties.

It's not surprising that Obama would say this. The 44th president has consistently touted norms of speech consistent with Enlightenment liberalism. In his 2016 commencement address at Rutgers University, he implored students to engage speakers with whom they disagree, not to shut them down.

https://reason.com/blog/2018/07/17/obama-nelson-mandela-lecture

 

[NolaAuTiger 3,295]

Spot on. Lately it’s as if they’ve had a complete inability to even consider the notion of cross-pollinating ideas, or simply just listening to those who disagree. It’s their way or the highway.

[DKW 86 7,441]

The only reason those that want to shout everyone down wont reply to this is that they believe that disagreeing with Obama would make them look racist.

THIS IS THE ONLY REASON...

[AUbritt 611]

Well, that's a straw man.

But compare Obama to Zuckerberg's defense of Holocaust deniers today. 

I'm a huge supporter of free speech. But someone needs to do better than Mr. Facebook to defend it. 

[Brad_ATX 13,654]

21 hours ago, NolaAuTiger said:

Spot on. Lately it’s as if they’ve had a complete inability to even consider the notion of cross-pollinating ideas, or simply just listening to those who disagree. It’s their way or the highway.

Obama is spot on, but I would argue that your comment rolls both ways.  The House Freedom Caucus and followers is a great example.  Any compromise bill gets completely shut down by that group, even if the compromise is within their own party.

[NolaAuTiger 3,295]

Just now, Brad_ATX said:

Obama is spot on, but I would argue that your comment rolls both ways.  The House Freeefrom Caucus and followers is a great example.  Any compromise bill gets completely shut down by that group, even if the compromise is within their own party.

It certainly rolls both ways. Just trying to stay within the bounds of the OP. Lol

[homersapien 11,453]

17 hours ago, DKW 86 said:

The only reason those that want to shout everyone down wont reply to this is that they believe that disagreeing with Obama would make them look racist.

THIS IS THE ONLY REASON...

WTF is that supposed to mean?
 

[homersapien 11,453]

Obama was correct. He's promoting civil discourse. 

Trump, on the other hand,  fires up hatred and resentment as a political tool.

[DKW 86 7,441]

4 hours ago, homersapien said:

Obama was correct. He promotes civil discourse. 

Trump, on the other hand,  fires up hatred and resentment as a political tool.

So all those people screaming Russians!, Not my President!, Resistance! They dont agree with Obama...

[homersapien 11,453]

3 hours ago, DKW 86 said:

So all those people screaming Russians!, Not my President!, Resistance! They dont agree with Obama...

[DKW 86 7,441]

9 hours ago, homersapien said:

<smgdh> homey. you are nothing if not consistent as hell...

[homersapien 11,453]

2 hours ago, DKW 86 said:

<smgdh> homey. you are nothing if not consistent as hell...

And, I can write a coherent sentence.

[NolaAuTiger 3,295]

On 7/19/2018 at 12:21 PM, homersapien said:

Obama was correct. He promotes civil discourse. 

Trump, on the other hand,  fires up hatred and resentment as a political tool.

“But Trump.” @Proud Tiger do you see this?

[Proud Tiger 4,261]

52 minutes ago, NolaAuTiger said:

“But Trump.” @Proud Tiger do you see this?

Nah I don't see his posts unless someone quotes him Totally waste of time.  But glad so see he still reads mine and as as the song says "always on  my mind." But as you know I enjoy seeing you eat his lunch although not sure why you waste your time.?

[DKW 86 7,441]

In short, Obama is dead on on his point. We have gotten so hyper-partisan that we do not listen to the other side at all anymore. I call this the Hannitization of America. Limbaugh and Hannity have done their jobs oh so well. The very people that should be agreeing with Obama cant because:

1) They are also so sold on the hyper-partisanship that they are mere Talking Points Hacks here on the forum. They mindlessly regurgitate talking points they DO NOT understand and intellectually disagree with.

2) They cannot openly disagree with Obama because they fear being labeled Racists by members of the Politically Correct Lynchmob.

[homersapien 11,453]

On 7/20/2018 at 6:48 PM, NolaAuTiger said:

“But Trump.” @Proud Tiger do you see this?

The OP was about a speech Obama made.  He was obviously referring to the current political climate which is being shaped by Trump.

" many will see Obama's remarks as a thinly veiled criticism of his successor. "

[homersapien 11,453]

9 hours ago, DKW 86 said:

In short, Obama is dead on on his point. We have gotten so hyper-partisan that we do not listen to the other side at all anymore. I call this the Hannitization of America. Limbaugh and Hannity have done their jobs oh so well. The very people that should be agreeing with Obama cant because:

1) They are also so sold on the hyper-partisanship that they are mere Talking Points Hacks here on the forum. They mindlessly regurgitate talking points they DO NOT understand and intellectually disagree with.

2) They cannot openly disagree with Obama because they fear being labeled Racists by members of the Politically Correct Lynchmob.

Has anyone on this thread disagreed with what Obama said? 

Who are you talking about?

[NolaAuTiger 3,295]

4 hours ago, homersapien said:

The OP was about a speech Obama made.  He was obviously referring to the current political climate which is being shaped by Trump.

" many will see Obama's remarks as a thinly veiled criticism of his successor. "

Wrong

[DKW 86 7,441]

12 hours ago, homersapien said:

The OP was about a speech Obama made.  He was obviously referring to the current political climate which is being shaped by Trump.

" many will see Obama's remarks as a thinly veiled criticism of his successor. "

<smdh>

[DKW 86 7,441]

12 hours ago, homersapien said:

Has anyone on this thread disagreed with what Obama said? 

Who are you talking about?

[homersapien 11,453]

8 hours ago, DKW 86 said:

First, wrong forum.  That's not really a response.

I asked two specific questions:

1) Who on this forum is screaming "the Russians....?

2) Outside of that, who are you talking about?  (You can answer this one in principle if you must.)

 

 

[homersapien 11,453]

8 hours ago, DKW 86 said:

<smdh>

And again, wrong forum.  That's not really a response. 

Stick with the smack talk forum if you must.

[homersapien 11,453]

17 hours ago, NolaAuTiger said:

Wrong

So you don't think 1) Obama intended for his speech to be temporally relevant to the current political climate or, do you 2)  reject the idea that Trump is shaping the current political climate?

(btw, that quote in my post came from the OP article.)

And to clarify, I am certainly agreeable to the proposition that Obama was including unreasonable leftists in his general comments. 

My point is that his greater point was to the unreasonableness of the current political climate, not that he was singling out unreasonable left wingers as the topic title suggested and DKW bought into totally (as evidenced by his first post).

 

 

[DKW 86 7,441]

AAANNDD now we are back to normal...

Obama was indeed addressing Left Wing Whackadoodles too. From Titan's quote:

Quote

 

But Obama also made remarks that can only be seen as a condemnation of intolerant leftists who shut down speakers on college campuses because they find their views offensive. Here's what the former president had to say (emphasis mine):

Democracy demands that we're able also to get inside the reality of people who are different than us so we can understand their point of view. Maybe we can change their minds, maybe they'll change ours. You can't do this if you just out of hand disregard what your opponent has to say from the start. And you can't do it if you insist that those who aren't like you because they are white or they are male, somehow there is no way they can understand what I'm feeling, that somehow they lack standing to speak on certain matters.

This a direct rebuke of the notion that only people who are oppressed for some reason—because of their race, gender, sexuality, disability status, size, etc.—should be allowed to speak on issues relating to said difficulties.

It's not surprising that Obama would say this. The 44th president has consistently touted norms of speech consistent with Enlightenment liberalism. In his 2016 commencement address at Rutgers University, he implored students to engage speakers with whom they disagree, not to shut them down.

 

 

[homersapien 11,453]

Regardless of the commentor's opinion, I think Obama's words could have been in principle rather than directed. 

But since you are so passionate about it,  I'll let you have the last word on his intent.