SHANGHAI, China (CNN) - It was the one question that got the most attention at President Obama's Shanghai town hall meeting. And it set him up to address the issue of censorship:
"Should we be able to use Twitter freely?"
In a country that routinely blocks access to cyberspace, the president said "I've always been a strong supporter of open Internet use. I'm a big supporter of non-censorship.
"I think that the more freely information flows, the stronger the society becomes."
U.S. Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman read the question that President Obama said "was generated through the Web site of our embassy," and added that it was "selected … by I think one of the members of our U.S. Press corps."
But that wasn't quite right.
While Bloomberg reporter and White House Correspondents Association President Ed Chen was asked by an administration official to select a question, he declined. Instead he picked numbers from a bag that the White House ultimately used to get the Twitter question.
From CNN Politics
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It sounds like the government of China regarding Twitter is acting a lot like the government of the United States under Obama about Fox News.
supporter of non-censorship? is this a joke?
I heard the actual response, he said he was to clumsy to type. Not sure what this man is qualified to do at ths point.
I applaud the president for his honesty and integrity. The students saw a great example of American leadership.
Censorship is wrong, no matter what it is.
I've never seen anyone talk for so long and say so little. It's obvious that Obama is not the great speaker that everyone thinks he is, When he doesn't have teleprompters he is lost. He studders, he's lost searching for words.
"I'm a big supporter of non-censorship" just ask FOX
I think that Hilary Clinton has better things to do with her time, given her current position in the Obama Administration, than to waste her time meeting and talking to Sarah Palin who is irrelevant and a national punchline. Hilary Clinton's time is better spent working on the issues of Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan. My advise to Hilary is this: FORGET SARAH PALIN AND GET TO WORK!!
I watched the town hall last night. Thank you President Obama for representing the United States so well.
United we stand, divided we fall. The republicans entire political plan is to make sure we are divided. It will be hard for Americans to stand idly by and watch China, by their hard work, entrepreneurship, and not wasting money through unnecessary wars, surpass the United States as the world's greatest power.
I'm afraid of what might happen if the Chinese could read Sarah Palin's twitterings.
Wow, how about some HONEST questions, not some prepicked by either the Administration or the Obama fan club (press)?
Come on Mr. President, how in the world can you say you are a big fan of non-censorship when you have been trying to censor Fox News???
Hillary would eat her up alive.
we do not need to send any troops to Afganistan...Republicans are acting funny....fix health care with public opition...thanks...
Free speech for all – except the network who's name may not be spoken. Well, and anyone who doesn't want to pull the plug on Grandma. Oh, and those who won't be able to pay the sky-high deductibles on their new government-required insurance plans. And those who can't find jobs. And those who think communism is a bad idea. And...
Riiiight...he means as long as that information isn't coming from Fox News or any other conservative source that won't get with HIS program. I think he would have fared quite well with Mao.
"I think that the more freely information flows, the stronger the society becomes."
Ya, right...this coming from the man trying so hard to get the country to stop tuning into Fox News.
Let us bring back Draft so that we can shut up all war hawks of republican party.
They wanted to fight whole world on somebody else son and daughters.
"I think that the more freely information flows, the stronger the society becomes."
Another case of Obama saying one thing and practicing another. Typical Chicago-style politics.
It's okay for information to flow freely, unless the information contradicts his policies or goals – then the information should be quarantined, ridiculed, and/or tracked for nontransparent purposes to be determined later.
Yep. I just bet the rock star converts China to a democratic nation. He better be careful. China actually owns the US. I don't think folks realize that all China has to do is demand due and payable, and we do not have enough cash to cover ourselves. So liberals, when you are doing all this cheerleading for free health care, I suggest you watch that debt watch clock. It could be the last time you get to cheer about anything.
Careful what you say Obama...........they OWN us!
"I think that the more freely information flows, the stronger the society becomes."
______________________________________________________
Is this where he accepts the invitation to sit down for a discussion with Bill O'Reilly on Fox? I doubt it. NBC is much easier for him. They stay away from the tough issues.
But if anyone or any organization differs from his left-wing ideology, watch out!
This President is a telepromptor-reading empty suit focused on political correctness and Big Government spending!
Hahahahahahahahahahahaha.......................
........." the president said "I've always been a strong supporter of open Internet use. I'm a big supporter of non-censorship. I think that the more freely information flows, the stronger the society becomes."
Seriously, is this a joke??? Obama's FCC czar has said that Hugo Chavez had the right idea-–when he took control of all media sources in Venezuela.
The Obama Admin has targeted Fox News-–because they freely let information flow.
What a hypocrite!!!