Obama Calls For Govt. Limits On Speech, Expression
Former President Barack Obama proposed at a forum this week that certain government-imposed restrictions on online speech are necessary to prevent what he referred to as a “diversity of facts.” Obama expressed these views during a discussion with historian and author Heather Cox Richardson at The Connecticut Forum on Tuesday.
“I have mentioned this previously, yet I find it necessary to reiterate. Both you and I are entitled to our opinions regarding this small side table. It is possible that you may not appreciate the design, the color, or the finish, but we can engage in that conversation,” he remarked at one juncture during the dialogue.
“If I were to tell you that this is a lawnmower, you would likely consider me insane. Conversely, if I genuinely believe it to be true, I would perceive you as irrational. We find ourselves in a scenario where we are engaged in these fundamental factual disputes,” the 44th president elaborated.
“This further erodes trust. Those in positions of power, particularly those with financial resources, take advantage of the uncertainty surrounding the truth. Vladimir Putin and the KGB had a saying that was later embraced by Steve Bannon: if you wish for propaganda to be effective, it is not necessary to persuade individuals that your statements are true,” Obama remarked. “You merely need to inundate the environment with an overwhelming amount of falsehoods. They use a different term. However, the essence is to saturate the discourse with so many lies, consistently, that eventually, people cease to believe anything.”
