I love this. I needed to hear this today. Yes!! I miss traditional liberalism.

I never thought I would say this, but Obama said something that I wholeheartedly agree with.

@Homelesshater

2 жыл бұрын

6 years later and he did a full u turn on this topic

I am definitely not a fan of Obama but in this case I totally agree with him.

Now that nothing is at stake for him anymore, he can speak his mind. I wonder if he would've said that a couple years ago, considering his voter base.

@TonysCorals

8 жыл бұрын

+Adrian that's really sad then and hes phony as hell!

@QuickQuackReviews

8 жыл бұрын

+Adrian What he just said is seen as common sense is almost every democratic country. What is it about America that politicians somehow lose voters because they're speaking for democracy? Now that I think about it, that's the most ironic thing I've heard in a while. That is, if what you're saying is true. I hope not.

@HiAdrian

8 жыл бұрын

***** In my experience politicians who make honest assessments are unelectable, and that's entirely on the voters, who don't want to hear inconvenient truths. So the political climate self-selects for charming liars. One of the best examples is the fact that automation displaces a lot of jobs and will continue to do so at an increasing rate. What do practically _all_ politicians do? Promise more jobs! That'll get you votes! Though one might argue that e.g. the bloated western governments of today are an indirect effort to keep the population employed by giving them jobs that add little to nothing of value; a culturally permissible form of welfare.

@QuickQuackReviews

8 жыл бұрын

Adrian Yes, of course. But since was free speech an inconvenient truth?

@HiAdrian

8 жыл бұрын

***** You'd be surprised, but there seems to be a an undercurrent in the political left that pushes for stricter "speech laws", most recently visible in various controversies surrounding college/university campuses. Hopefully this is just a loud minority though; it's hard to quantify.

Thanks, Obama! (sincerely)

@ivorysand

8 жыл бұрын

+Shaza Maza Why? I thought he said some worthwhile things in this video., things for safespacesilly triggerwarninghappy marginalized privileged students to think about.

@sammyboy7163

8 жыл бұрын

+ivorysand he's right about this but he's also an idiot, they are two separate issues

@ivorysand

8 жыл бұрын

sammy boy They certainly are separate issues. However, my question *why* he is considered an idiot is still unanswered. I'm not even disputing the opinion. I'm mostly amazed that people can make such statements without the first hint of a beginning of an explanation and still expect to be taken seriously. So let me state, in the same fashion without evidence, something to the contrary: Obama is not an idiot.

@sammyboy7163

8 жыл бұрын

ivorysand well i didn't make the claim originally, i just affirmed it to be true. i'm not going to break down the flaws of obama administration in one youtube comment but if you would like a starting point consider the fact that he ran on "change" and has largely continued the foreign policy of the past several administrations and many of the domestic policies as well, despite vocally championing his opposition to them. also his belief in silly myths like the gender pay gap and lots of gun control hysteria.

@ivorysand

8 жыл бұрын

sammy boy Very good, thanks for the effort of articulating this. It seems to me an internet culture needs to develop where the issues are discussed before the namecalling etc. So thanks again. I agree Obama's promises have remained largely unfulfilled but think some of the disappointment must be blamed on a particularly hostile and dysfunctional Congress. This is not to deny ultimately for example the fateful idiotic decision three years ago to let Assad get away with crossing "red lines" was his own responsibilty.

Damn, at least the president is saying it. I thought he'd be part of the PC brigade.

@niksor5979

8 жыл бұрын

+Thomas Lewis Most of the students there dont want to hear another point of view :P They might get offended!

@maxpower9961

7 жыл бұрын

Obama is a TRUE liberal. He is for free speech which are liberal principles. All those college kids are NOT liberals. They are anti-free speech socialists/marxists.

@spFOX-pz3fx

7 жыл бұрын

I'm just as shocked

@mattlourer9692

3 жыл бұрын

Update: he don’t believe this now.

@Sky-tg5rt

3 жыл бұрын

@@mattlourer9692 Yes I know right? This didnt age well

this aged perfectly

Look at all those expressions in the background changing when they notice that he's not on their side. It's priceless.

@ronaldstrayhorne7235

8 жыл бұрын

Umm, they're high school kids. They hardly care.

@cornycontent1915

3 жыл бұрын

Lol

They should play this video at college events where Milos Yiannipoulos (and others) speak.

"Politically biased college" sounds like a fancy way of saying colleges that don't follow the correct biases.

It's been awhile since I heard President Obama say something I agree with. Kudos to you Mr. President.

So he knew exactly what trump meant. Trump was talking about defunding colleges that subvert free speech.

@jet007ful

3 жыл бұрын

I never heard Trump say that, but at the same time mainstream media ie... Google, Twitter, Facebook and political pundits are going scorched earth to eliminate conservative speech with this whole counsel culture. Where are the liberals with this message now????

Minute 5:14 Most inspiring part.

Glad to hear Pres say what he did in this clip. Too bad he didn't talk about this earlier, sharing his views with our country. From other things I've heard him say, which clearly supported people who want to silence other's points of view, I don't know how he can straddle the fence on something such as 'freedom of speech'. I am viewing this on April 23, 2016 after watching another news video of a group of students at American University, where the speaker & some others dressed in drag, angry & complaining about how their sensitivity to the coming event of a guest speaker who is homosexual, but speaks out by speaking his mind on things such as young people being too sensitive, among many other things.

I knew I was a fan of Obama and what he said right here validated it.

Obama supports Trump's position, yet frames it as anti-Trump. THAT is skillful politicking.

They need to show this at college orientations.

And nobody listened to him, we should've

This is unbelievable, it's absolutely amazing. It saddens me though that Obama cannot be like this in general, what a decent man this could person be with actions like this one.

@rafaelespinoza6530

Жыл бұрын

😢😢😮😮😮

Wow, I actually agree with Obama on an issue. This is a Wednesday in November, 2015.

Oh

it is great answer

How is he using every argument for not supporting biased campuses as an argument for supporting biased campuses?

Obama stands or should I say grandstands and talks about free speech when his administration has demonstrated that free speech, especially on campus, is ok as long as it doesn't offend the sensibilities of certain groups or persons. Speech codes, lower standards of proof of sexual assault allegations by female students and list goes on. Obama has divided this country like no other president in my experience has. He answers questions with the usual smirk on his face and dismissive attitude.

I don't agree with most of this guy's policies and I wasn't a fan of his administration, but these are some of the truest words ever spoken.

The best thing he's ever said.

5:09 looks like a bit less than half the audience is clapping to that :/

too bad that he doesn't practice what he preaches

Very admireably handled by obama.

😏 I have no words!

This was of course, from a time when Democrats appeared largely sane and rational, that is, before Trump got elected.

@karenacalhoun6923

3 жыл бұрын

Watching this now is crazy I have learned so much sense then.

@davesmith4110

7 ай бұрын

says the cult movement that now actively bans books and words deemed "unpatriotic"..

he may not have been the greatest, but at least he had an open mind.

A president of a nuclear superpower uses passive-aggressiveness as an argument. Think about that for a second.

He says on thing and does another. He waxes on about how, as a student, he learned about freedom of speech but today, as President, he claims not to understand and avoids the high schooler's question. He is talking to the audience but did not speak to the student.

I love how he completely contradicts himself and keeps forgetting America is A REPUBLIC.

2022, it’s gone the opposite of this ideal

4:27 Obama speaking facts

Obama would have to run as a Republican today 😂 Welcome to 2020.. If I am allowed to say that

Must've been reading off a TelePrompTer since he was speaking so smoothly

Doesn't know what to say, so he stalls his response, and then slow-walks it as he tries to think through his crafty response.

I can't believe I'm saying this, but I completely agree with Obama

It is a theocracy you're right

I agree with what he was saying, but was it his words. Watch him and you can clearly see he listens to his ear buds first, then starts talking. He even gestures towards his ear while looking at someone. Watch the eyes. Up to the right is listening and thought. But, I still agree with what was said. OMG, I think I have to turn in my conservative credentials now! I just agreed with the President! Lol

@worldedger

8 жыл бұрын

+Offgrid Cabin Don't be fooled. This was a carefully concocted twisting of what you think he said.

@ivorysand

8 жыл бұрын

+David Blanco How? Please elaborate. I don't often agree with him but here he made perfect sense, in my opinion. And you wouldn't want to marginalize an opinion now would you? Or can we only hear opinions that make us feel safe and comfortable?

@antediluvian_seance

8 жыл бұрын

+ivorysand I agree with the point that you think he made, which is that college kids shouldn't be coddled (all true); but that he was able to do it while also marginalizing those who think differently and downplay progressive bias on college campuses is also important. You must not have noticed that part.

@ivorysand

8 жыл бұрын

primusmeridian23 It's very good we have at least some common ground. I don´t think Obama marginalized anyone or even tried to marginalize anyone. But regardless of what he did I am allergic to the word marginalization. It impedes my breathing and thinking. Therefore, anyone using the word marginalizes me. Excuse my French but fuck those spoiled whiners who erroneously think they know something about life. Safe space culture should be mocked by all students, not just the adult ones. Instead we see even grownups reinforcing this imbecility. It is a danger to the health and wealth of American society, and because American culture heavily influences my own little (one might be tempted to say marginalized) European corner of the world it is a direct threat over here as well. Just grow up, I would respectfully but very very very strongly advise anyone so insecure about their own opinions that they feel threatened by free speech.

I want to say, as a progressive who votes for Bernie Sanders (I'm a Vermonter) and would vote for AOC, that I completely agree with Obama here. I'm against safe spaces. I'm a gay frat boy and having to defend my views on feminism and other progressive issues made me stronger as a person. I hate how in the comment section you have all of these conservatives making it seem like all liberals/progressives want to censor free speech. That's not true at all, and you're committing the "hasty generalization" fallacy (thou shalt not use small numbers to represent the all). Just because some people want to censor speech, doesn't mean all of us want to.

They need to show this speech to some of the fascist professors and students who want to shred the First Amendment on campus.

@loganstolberg2743

4 жыл бұрын

Definitely. But they still won’t listen.

As much as the president is for free speech, he has done nothing about colleges that are suppressing it. The lady's question was phrased horribly.

What about thought people police that stop a Comic? Comics like Seinfeld, Rock and others are now afraid to perform on College campuses! Even my Liberal friends are starting to see they the problem too.

He had no clue about how to respond. His response could only be shaped by knowing whether it was said by a Democrat or a Republican.

U are free to say anything Untill you dig up his father

😢😢😂😂😮😮😮

Rare Obama W

Good Work Watch Baby Step Records ARTIST BOBIRDIE Video Freedom Of Speech

Obama was not great, but he has earned a bit of respect from me now.

wow, not a fan of him this speech of his actually made me proud to have been an obama supporter at a point.

@azamatbagatov9186

8 жыл бұрын

indeed very very impressive and somehow trouble some that he starts with these views now when his about to leave

@JohnDoe59268

8 жыл бұрын

+chuck norris Hi.

Hegelian dialectics. Thesis, antithesis building to synthesis

Wow! Ironic! !!!!

Either u believe in free speech or not

#ConcernedStudent1950

I actually like what he is saying here, but unfortunately his action speak louder than his words. He attempts to shut everyone down that disagrees with him. Prime example, trying to use the dept of education to force schools to let boys use girls bathrooms and vice versa. He doesn't want any free dialogue about that, such a hypocrite. Heavy sigh.

Obama cares about free screech...

Well said, Obama. Very Milo Yiannopolous of you.

In short, Obama thinks Trump is right in promoting free speech, but shouldn't cut funding.

What a Joker. Too bad everything he says means something else entirely or it means nothing at all.

5:25 Hermione's hot sister behind the yellow shirt guy.

@iloveferrets5859

5 жыл бұрын

yes

@user-gp5yz5yz4x

5 жыл бұрын

She's in high school, calm your dick

Mr Smoove. Talking talk until it doesn't suit him.

Ahh I love Obama. I just think that openly spreading hate speech shouldn't be allowed. Arguments and testing theories are fine, just not hate.

@TheLordismyportion

6 жыл бұрын

Promethium61 01 So who decides the difference?

@ubuibme24

5 жыл бұрын

@Promethium61 01 Well, then, who gets to decide the definition of hate speech? What one person may consider to be hate, another considers to be his own opinion or even an argument to test a theory. If I think a person's behavior is 'wrong, that does not mean I hate that person or even that I judge that person. It is a behavior that I am judging. we are supposed to judge different behaviors and discriminate between them And each person does not always judge behaviors exactly as another person does and that is ok. People who murder are put in jail . If that behavior cannot be judged then there would be chaos...no prisons for anyone. If I say that I think or believe that someone's behavior is wrong, that is not hate speech. But today's society says that if I say that I believe that sex outside of marriage or gay sex is wrong or if I say it is sinful then society says that it IS hate speech or even discrimination or that I hate those who do those things. But none of those conclusions are true. Is society going to dictate what someone is allowed to believe ? Should we legislate that no one can believe in the concept of sin or of right and wrong? Where do you draw the line for what is considered to be hate speech? And who gets to decide what the definition is? Why should anyone be able to decide that for everyone else? 'Hate speech' is a subjective definition - not objective. When you try to legislate the subjective , you are legislating something that is is personal and different in each person's mind. I can be responsible for and control my actions . I cannot control or be responsible for what is in someone else's mind or how someone else sees life. The thing is that people are allowed to be wrong and they are allowed to be wrong publicly. We are all human and the most effective learning comes from making mistakes. We experience why what we thought was wrong and we are not likely to easily forget things that we learn through experience, People are also allowed to be assholes as long as they do not touch your body. Free societies require freedom of speech and freedom of thought.That means with speech we will learn to deal with assholes or walk away from them and with thought, stupidity will be encountered but so will genius. That is true diversity because no one is in the same place in their growing and learning and no one thinks exactly the same way and no one is perfect. We are not programmed robots we are individual human beings and we are all incredibly diverse.

@sucram1015

4 жыл бұрын

Well, then that's not free speech. You cannot control people who say mean or hateful things all the time. There are hateful people in this world so you can't control what they say. Nor can you control what someone thinks nor believes in.

Has this Obama listen to new Obama ? It’s sad he’s become such a joke.

he is a liar.

@spiritnphysical

8 жыл бұрын

+Self Stirring Pot he is a PSYCHOPATH!!!! lies are the only language psychopaths speak.

@worldedger

8 жыл бұрын

+Self Stirring Pot A huge liar, a manipulator, and, as someone already commented, a bullshit artist. This guy just twisted a young girl's question into an assumption that this so-called 'alternative' viewpoint - namely a conservative or even libertarian viewpoint - would automatically be "demeaning to women" or "racial' in some way. He even used a Soviet Union metaphor, which is unbelievable. Folks, this is the political correctness nightmare - soft totalitarianism over the minds of manipulable people.

@spiritnphysical

8 жыл бұрын

David Blanco I would add: this is now a fascist dictatorship. Don't give up your guns!

@joshuacoleman8000

6 жыл бұрын

+ spiritnphysical No that's Trump.

What a unabashed liar. He's soo tolerant of people who disagree with him, that's why he's called people, who disagree with him racist, and obstructionists, and said they can "sit in the back". He laughs about liberal bias in collages as if they don't exist, and implies who people who think it does doesn't know what their talking about. Tolerance!

@batissta44

8 жыл бұрын

he literally never said none of that. lmaoooo

@Foolster41

8 жыл бұрын

+Jeremy Batista: Uh huh. Literally none. 1."Racist": I admit, it looks like he didn't say those who disagree with him are racist (DOJ head Holder said it, though Obama didn't exactly distance himself from the statement either), but fair enough. 2."Obstructionist":Obama a couple of times called the Senate "Obstructinist" because they were doing their job as a check and balance of voting against things they didn't agree with. 3."Sit in the back": www.foxnews.com/politics/2010/10/25/obama-tells-republicans-sit.html Instead of wanting to reach across the isles (you know, what he campaigned) he tells half of the country they get absolutely no say at all. 4."act like bias doesn't exist": Did you watch the video? because in the video he acts like she doesn't know what she' talking about. "Literally none" Yep.

@Foolster41

8 жыл бұрын

+Jeremy Batista I will say though I do appreciate Obama's stance here on free speech. He is absolutely right that speech codes and "free speech zones" are wrong. I'm not against both calling attention to both positive and negatives of any politician, regardless of their party.

@batissta44

8 жыл бұрын

1.Why does Obama have to distance himself?? To please simply minded people who have less importance than him? 2.This "do nothing" Senate is filled with obstructionist. How do i know? Because this Senate is the least productive Senate of all time. Its hard to work with people when the first thing the leadership talks about is making you a one term president, ill call that getting off on the wrong foot.

@Foolster41

8 жыл бұрын

+Jeremy Batista 1.He doesn't have to, but it'd be nice, since what Holder said was ridiculous. The idea that all or even most criticism of Obama is because of racism is insulting. (BTW And I dislike Obama for many of the same reasons I disliked Bush). I'd expect any president to respond to top people under their administration who make ridiculous statements like this. 2.You might want to talk to Harry Reid about that, also it really depends on what the bills contents are. The idea of a senate is to be check on the powers of the president (why frankly I think whoever the president is, it's preferable that at least on of the senate or house is in the opposite party). That's not to say that absolutely the GOP shouldn't be doing more. Perhaps some blame goes on them too, but my point is I don't think it's fair to put the blame solely on the senate (unless maybe you think the democratic dominated senate of George W Bush's years were also "obstructionist"?) You said he didn't say those things, I showed how he did in fact say 2-4, so you're "literally none" is false. I'll agree though that parasitism, both with the GOP in the senate, and Obama and his administration is bad and should stop. Both have been antagonistic towards each other and "gotten off on the wrong foot.". Obama and his administration is hardly perfect in this regard. Hopefully the next president, whether R or D will be willing to work with people in the opposite party. (Honestly, even as someone who leans conservative, I long for the days of Bill Clinton, who wasn't perfect but at least pretty moderate. He was probably our most recent not terrible president, IMO.) I'm sure it happens with those on the right too, but I've noticed particularly on the left, and this administration lately lots of name calling of people who simply disagree with policies of those on the left. That really needs to end and we need to discuss issues instead of calling names.