In China, Obama Utters the 'F' Word

As in "Free Internet," a concept as foreign to the Chinese leadership as the president of the United States himself.


President Obama conducts a town hall meeting at Shanghai's
Museum of Science & Technology (EPA Photo)

During a town hall meeting with students in Shanghai, he took questions via the Internet. And lo and behold, the big one came along to the sure horror of Chinese censors and perhaps of US officials who are trying so very hard to strike a conciliatory note during President Obama's first visit to that country.

"Should we be able to use Twitter freely?", the question read.

After confessing that he's too clumsy to use his cell phone to type anything, he gave an answer that should give hope to the world's largest Internet user market.

I should be honest, as president of the United States, there are times where I wish information didn’t flow so freely because then I wouldn’t have to listen to people criticizing me all the time.

But because in the United States, information is free, and I have a lot of critics in the United States who can say all kinds of things about me, I actually think that that makes our democracy stronger and it makes me a better leader because it forces me to hear opinions that I don’t want to hear.

What a concept! A democratically elected leader who dislikes being criticized but that acknowledges that the free flow of opinions and information strengthens rather than weakens any society.

One wonders whether the architects and peons of the world's most sophisticated censorship machinery were tempted to kill Obama's microphone.

But we take heart that the event was broadcast live on China's television network, that the website of the country's official news agency, Xinhua, carried the event live for the whole of China and that was also simulcast by Shanghai's local stations.

As the Chinese say, a journey of a thousand miles starts with one step.

Comments

[Steven Smith]

I am tired of all the Obama bashing being generated from the right wing of this country. We are at the point where even the Burak Obama supporters are questioning his competence and the direction in which he is driving America. Why is our president more popular in Europe and Asia than he is in the U.S.? Because the GOP media and politicians, who act like spoiled brats, kick and scream louder than majority. They have no platform other than to disagree with Obama, to avoid being marginalized. These blowhards including Hannity, Bill O’Reilly, Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh and Sarah Palin know that the squeaky wheel gets the grease, even though so much of what they holler about has no merit.
My question is…Where are all the people that were apart of the greatest political and social victory in the history of our country? One year ago African Americans were basically vindicated and released from 300 years of oppression and segregation by the conservative shackles put upon them. This was not only a victory for them but for all Americans of color or those with a social conscious. Our American brothers and sisters that were all for change, that come from India, Africa, China, Japan, South America, Central America and on and on, this was a victory and redemption for all of you. This was the moment in time when all of these citizens were given the opportunity to be a legitimate piece of the American fabric, to take what has always been rightfully yours, and take action to help advance our country back into the global leader that we had once been. Not from a military standpoint but from a social, economic and humanitarian standpoint.
When I look at what is going on through the media, in communities, social networking, to see what is going on with the Change that we all wanted, supported and won, I see much more effort and discussion spent on figuring out why Oprah is canceling her show or if Lebron is going to NY or Miami.
I realize times are tough and so many of us are worried about jobs, medical insurance and losing our homes, but what is happening is that the imperial warlords that want their bombs and power back are taking advantage of the diversion to our problems, to kick our guy out of office.
Remember what got us here. Stop eating that bag of Cheetos in front of the TV, and make something happen. “Ask not what our county can do for you…”. YOUR country is working for you, now help our president achieve the things we all gathered around and supported, and let’s build this country into what we always dreamed it could be, the reason we all came here or live here in the first place.
If you don’t, you will have wasted a monumental opportunity that will probably not come back to you in your lifetime.

Steve Smith
http://www.StevesCelebrities.com