AMAC Exclusive – By Seamus Brennan
From continuing to push for trillion-dollar spending bills as the nation suffers from historic inflation to revoking a crucial border security measure in the midst of the worst illegal immigration crisis on record, the left just seems to keep doubling down on their most unpopular and out of touch policies. But just when it looked as if progressives’ self-absorbed political bubble couldn’t get any more detached from reality, none other than former President Barack Obama took the stage last week to lecture Americans about the dangers of “disinformation,” effectively making a case for more censorship of free speech even as the issue becomes more of a political liability for the Democratic Party.
During the speech on April 21 at Stanford University, Obama railed against “disinformation,” which he described as “one of the biggest reasons for democracy’s weakening.” But as Democrats have demonstrated beyond any reasonable doubt in recent years, to them, terms like “disinformation” generally mean real information that happens to contradict their preferred political and ideological narratives.
Throughout his remarks, Obama seemed to lament the fact that the left’s once-ironclad grip on the dissemination of information has recently been challenged. “When it came to the news, at least,” he said, “citizens across the political spectrum tended to operate using a shared set of facts.” He went on: “Today, of course, we occupy entirely different media realities, fed directly into our phones.”
Obama specifically took aim at social media content that casts doubt on the left’s draconian COVID policies and vaccine mandates, claiming that “people are dying from misinformation.” Similarly, in an apparent attempt to castigate conservatives and right-leaning Americans as being responsible for divisiveness on social media platforms, he bemoaned so-called “conspiracy theories,” asserting that the national “information ecosystem” is “turbocharging some of humanity’s worst impulses.”
What Obama did not acknowledge in his remarks, however, is his own well-documented record of hostility towards members of the press—especially those who were openly critical of his administration and its policies. As investigative reporter James Risen wrote for the New York Times in 2017, “the Justice Department and the F.B.I.” under the Obama administration “spied on reporters by monitoring their phone records, labeled one journalist an unindicted co-conspirator in a criminal case for simply doing reporting and issued subpoenas to other reporters to try to force them to reveal their sources and testify in criminal cases.”
Regardless of what Obama’s true intentions were when he visited Stanford this week, his remarks are almost entirely unlikely to advance his—or his party’s—goals. In reality, the former president’s speech is likely to even further invigorate conservatives and other right-of-center voices – or even those voices on the left who still value freedom of speech – who are eager to turn the page on years of arbitrary and highly politicized speech codes emanating from America’s largest and most powerful institutions.
Evidence of growing public discontent with online censorship in particular has been on full display over the past several days with the ongoing drama surrounding Tesla CEO and free speech advocate Elon Musk’s bid to reform Twitter’s censorship policies. In late March, Musk first signaled his frustration with Twitter’s disregard for free speech by posting a two-option poll to his followers, asking them whether “Twitter rigorously adheres to” the principle that “[f]ree speech is essential to a functioning democracy,” and later stating that the “consequences of this poll will be important.” More than 70 percent of respondents voted “No.”
Shortly thereafter, Musk bought a nine percent stake in Twitter, making him the platform’s biggest shareholder. He then revealed his intention to buy the entire company. Just hours before Obama took the stage at Stanford, Musk accelerated his bid to purchase Twitter, announcing he had $46.5 billion on hand and was considering taking his offer directly to Twitter’s shareholders.
Though Twitter has predictably not been receptive to his offers, the prospect of Musk’s purchase of the company, complemented by his strong public advocacy for free speech, has emboldened conservatives and free speech advocates while sending shivers down the spines of Twitter employees and members of the mainstream media.
Taken within the context of Musk’s actions in regard to Twitter and growing public disillusionment with the role Big Tech plays in censoring speech online, Obama’s visit to Stanford likely signals two things: first, that the left is scared of conservatives’ newfound momentum in the arena of free speech, and second, that progressives remain entirely disconnected from the American public when it comes to reigning in the power of Big Tech.
“Part of the reason it’s hard to bring about change,” Obama tweeted several days before the Stanford event, “is because we live in a media environment that elevates falsehoods as much as truths and divides people as much as it brings them together.”
He’s right, of course – but it’s Obama and his allies in Big Tech and the corporate media who are elevating falsehoods and suppressing the truth. His real concern is that the corrupt game he and his progressive friends have played for years will be exposed, and they may lose their power and influence as a result.
It was not surprising last week to read that Obama gave a speech essentially calling for limitations on free speech that included only the “progressive” (socialist) perspective on all things. That is after all the hallmark of all socialist / communist regimes around the world for well over a century. One voice, one opinion, one set of facts, one truth…all as defined by the ruling elite of the country in question. All other voices are either suppressed through intimidation / censorship or outright banned by laws designed to try and control the thought of the masses.
I guess when Elon Musk heard such an overt socialist message coming from the mouth of the former President, who by his own writings is a self-admitted Socialist, that was the last straw for him and decided to take a stand on the issue by acquiring his position in Twitter stock. Good for Musk, who has seen for himself where socialism, left unchecked, has led to extremely bad outcomes in numerous countries around the world. Hopefully Musk will be successful in his bid to acquire and then re-make Twitter into an actual honest, free speech platform.
As for Obama, nothing else really needs to be said about him. He served his purpose for the left during his two terms and was elevated to billionaire status for his service to the socialist cause. Now he is being trotted out again, because the two puppets installed in the White House are both incapable of stringing more than a few words together in an intelligible, coherent fashion.
Obama,Saul Alynskys most devout student.It shows every time he opens his communist trapHe should be tried and hung for treason.
I have no problem with Obama including himself in censorship.
Please tell Mr. Obama to go pound sand. We do not need to tell us what he states is “disinformation”. We are intelligent enough to figure this out for ourselves. He is so full of himself.
Obama has always been a Marxist leaning person. His recent speech just shows which way he goes. Take the teleprompter away and he is a poor orator.
No Surprise here , Obama’s lips are moving he’s lying!
I’m joining twitter !
Why is that asshole still allowed to rub elbows with the criminally insane in Washington?
Why doesn’t he mind his own business and shut the hell up. He started all the chaos in the country during his unfortunate 8 years in office. He was ineffective as a prez and should just disappear into obscurity. Only the sheep listen to him.
Obama thinks he is still President, he has been in Biden’s ear all this time. Obama was a horrible President and should just stop trying to destroy our country.
I am tired of hearing “our democracy” is being destroyed. Look at the pledge of allegiance. To the Republic for which it stands. We are a Republic, not a democracy. If anything needs censoring, it the left, and their progressives.
Obama..just one of the puppeteers in the backroom pulling Biden’s strings as he celebrates his 3rd term in the transformation of America. Misinformation from the very one who said you could keep your doctor. How do you know when Obama is lying? When he opens his mouth for there is “always” a hidden agenda!!!!
And who is the United States of America’s President? Oh, that’s right. Joe Biden, not Barak Obama.
Let’s start by censoring barry!
…..obama should go to his multi-million dollar retirement home and stay there. We had 8 years of his crap…..we don’t need any more.
I AGREE . . . CENSOR THE COMMUNIST A–HOLE!
Obama needs to go back where his came from! He has done more harm to this country!! He started the entire racism rampant during his Presidency when he hung out the Ferguson police officer to dry with his involvement during that entire incident. He NEVER should have gotten involved, and neither should have Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson. But, NOOOOO!!! They have to involve themselves for their political gain. They could care less!! Obama sent 3 WH aides to the funeral – WHY??? Obama is nothing more than a two-faced, instigator who got rich at the expense of the American citizens. He and his entire family need to go back to Kenya. I find it amazing, how he started all of this mess, but his mother was a white anthropologist from Kansas. Go figure!
You…….demand nothing..who died and left you boss? go to your mansions and enjoy your graft and your grift and do us all a favor shut up and go away forever. you have damaged this country and you are continuing to damage this country with your complete lack of veracity. We all know you are behind the present puppet and its you who is the one who is pulling the strings.
Royalty in the racial divide which he, singlehandedly, re-introduced, encouraged and continues to nurture. The guy is every bit a racist. And, a Muslim.
As usual, a case of clown show cinema projection.
Every ill decried by the libby dems is exactly what they themselves have perpetrated upon the nation.
Remember the old adage “for every finger you point, you have four more pointed back at you”?
God has a plan, we just have to survive it.
Fjb, etc, etc…
Have a lovely day.
He is the one who started the whole mess, for his project of the New World Order
Shut up Barry! If we wanted to hear from a criminal POS we’d search the sewers at a penitentiary!
Right On! We really enjoyed that article. The Democrats continue to ‘speak with Forked tongue.’ They always place the blame on everyone but themselves. The current President has messed up from the get-go, and continues to blame his mess on everyone & everything except his own actions! With over 100 Executive orders that have torn this Nation apart he has no one to blame but himself! I suppose I should say ‘himself & his Handlers’ because it’s doubtful he could do anything alone. We need to diligently keep praying for America! This Nation is not meant to fall to the wickedness of Communism!
Obama “demands” censorship? Right. The only censorship the far left wants is of conservative people. They want to spread all their lies and misinformation and keep the rest of us quiet. Obama can go to hell.
This wolf is sheep clothing has got to be the biggest schmoozer of all! All talk and zero action for “we the people”. The biggest scam artist of all time! And that, you can take to the bank!
I think we should follow Obama’ advice. I think it is high time he, Obama, the Dems, and the Media should be censored when they are lying, A K A opening their mouth.
With all the Covid & variants going around, I am immune. I had Covid approximately 3 years ago, early on. None since!
This is simple…..a case of Obama seeking to re-insert his power base.
While it seems he has been behind some of the agenda of the left this past several years
his actual power base is less solid….but still viable. Many people still regard him as a kind
of “savior” and cling to the past while seeking to influence the present leftist efforts. As before
Obama flaunts his double-speak to gain ground. He should not be listened to, let alone given a
platform from which to speak……times have changed and even he would not be welcome to the
current set of progressives and leftists, although they would gladly use him to their own ends.
He is for now, a distraction.
As a certificated Holocaust educator my study of propaganda was more than an average amount of study. The Nazi Party sold itself by force, of course, but also by way of its thoughts and words: its propaganda. The Party’s marketing campaign targeted all the vulnerable classes of society and Hitler used his gift of oration to the hilt in order to exploit the vulnerable. Economic and political instability made the German people ripe for a message of “hope and change.” It’s interesting to me that Barack Obama arrives on the scene as if out of nowhere as the Biden Administration continues to break down along the side of the road. He’s here to soothe the liberal-progressive souls who yet believe he is their messiah. And right on time, perhaps. I warn others that comparing the Holocaust to current events is a dangerous business. But I also affirm that there is much to be learned from the rise of the Nazi Party, the ensuing war and the systematic, state-sponsored annihilation of 6 million Jews as well as millions of others as a filter for the analysis of current events. For Obama to drop into the fray out of nowhere at this juncture is of interest as we’ve seen the “hope for the messiah’s coming” among those of the liberal-progressive Left with the rise of Barack Obama to the presidency. And so it is that as we know the ignorance of history leads to its repetition, this seems like a good time to pay close attention to what’s going on.
Obama wants Govt Internet Control ala Russia, China
To h…ll with censorship. The only thing Oblunder and the Progressives want to censor are the Conservatives in this country. If anything, we the Conservatives should take the offensive and put more and more truth out there to flood the media…even if we have to use underground media.
When all the history is in, bho will go down as THE most corrupt president in our history. Harding cannot hold a candle to this community huckster. He did more to totally corrupt the entire functions of the government than installing the CCP would have done.
Why these institutions insist on having these loony liberals “speak” is beyond me. I am not sure that
“disinformation” is even a word….is it? What kills me is what they claim to be false is only false to them and their power grab agenda. I’m not sure where we got so lopsided, but clearly there are those who are going to just slide right off the chart! Sad thing is, there are intelligent degreed people who swallow all this stuff. No wonder they are so anti-Trump, as he is a threat to their way of life, meaning, all the corruption they love to wallow in. This is why the career politician should be voted out of office.
The left is all for freedom of speech, as long as you spout the left’s party line. Otherwise, sit down and shut up!
Who is John Galt?
OBAMA is the DEVIL, the biggest scum—-g in the history of our country. He is a serial liar and Marxist.
Obama, quote in the 2008 campaign, “I WANT TO FUNDAMENTALLY TRANSFORM AMERICA”.
Do you think that he was lying or off on some fantasy? Look around you. Bit by bit, piece by piece, some of it telegraphed, some of it found through projection, some of it sidetrack feints, some of it illogical,counterintuitive, and immoral. All of it bad for these United States.
Biden is Obama’s puppet, whether directly or indirectly. Recall Obama’s boasting in an interview with, comedian in his own mind, Stephen Colbert, that he wouldn’t mind operating from afar in a virtual third term when asked by Colbert if he’d like to run for a third term if he could.
As Obama was taking office in 2008, Rush Limbaugh said – I hope he fails – and was slammed by the media for that remark. But Limbaugh was right and those of us who knew what he meant by saying that are again being proven correct. Obama’s off-the-cuff remarks during the campaign were dead giveaways to his intensions. When asked his opinion of our Constitution, Obama remarked that it was a “limiting document” … it tells you what you can do, but it does not tell you what you cannot do. To me that meant that this newly elected President did not intend to obey the Tenth Amendment of that same Constitution. He said he was going “transform” America. And with the help of George Soros and others he’s slowly fulfilling his promise. We’ve had it too good for too long and our population takes our liberties for granted. Currently our Federal and some state governments are dysfunctional, a perfect incubator for the likes of Obama and his anti-American radicals. Even our elections are contaminated. We had better wake up before it’s too late.
Tell Obama to stick it in a Warm, Dark place, were the Sun never Shine’s, the same place his head was at while he was President.
God, please save us from the Commie A##holes!
I can think of one person I’d like to censor. Guess.
Truly laughable ( and galling) for Obama to speak about disinformation, aka , any speech the Left disapproves of. This from the same President who spied on political enemies during his eight years in the White House. You know you have a winning argument and those on the Left don’t when they want to shut down free speech. Conservatives like me want and welcome more free speech, not less. To those on the Left, come at us with your best arguments, that is if you’re capable.
Obama wants to censor conservatives only! Never forget that he put the two women on the Supreme Court who helped him hide all his birth and school records including the underlying reasons he lost his law license as did his partner in crime, Michelle. Paybacks!! Obama and Soros and the other communists are behind the “curtain” pulling the strings because Biden sure doesn’t know what the heck is going on. Obama always did want a third term so he could finish “Fundamentally changing the United States of America” to a third world country without a Bill of Rights or Constitution to stand in his way. God help us all during these trying times. It is pretty darn bad when the current President of the United States is rated a worse President than Jimmy Carter!
Obama is doing what he says the conservatives are doing. What is “disinformation” if it isn’t just telling lies — which is what he is doing constantly — just another “lefty” attempting to destroy America. He had his chance — TWICE!
So the non citizen that became POTUS is now demanding censorship. Have we become that lazy, or just how much more will the American public put up with?
“Obama Demands Censorship”Yeah…well I demand that choom is arrested, tried, convicted and executed as a traitor to the United States of America. No one has been convicted of treason in the U.S. since 1952. That NEEDS TO CHANGE!
doesn’t it mean Soros wants it?
Neither Obama or Trump have the platform to preach to people, as when they were President. Does Obama think it is fake news that the Debt deficit increased every year of his term & that their has not been balanced since Bill Clinton. How can Obama believe that it is good economics to spend money that government does not have?????
I am very tired of Trump & Obama referring to fake news. There has been more than one example that most of that news was deemed real & legitimate. Why would any American want the news media controlled by one group as it is done in Russia today???
Obama is and always was a subversive to America, He is the spawn of the devil.
He has been deified by the Media and Democrats for his Socialist agenda.
Only God can save America by working through courageous Conservative leaders who we can rally behind. Pray for America !
This is one of the new mantras of the left. Again it’s all about control they want to control the discussion of whatever and to them censorship of other ideas is perfectly fine. This man, this fake man is the reason that we’re all suffering here in this country today. Behind his straw man in the White House he’s pulling all the strings in ways that he would never have dared to do when he was in the White House himself. And if you recall he told us how cool that would be. He’s truly a clown but collectively we elected him twice and effectively elected him a third time in 2020. God help us.