Obama: Against Free Speech Before He Was For It

gall.obamaAs far as Barack Obama is concerned, Sony was wrong to capitulate to threats from North Korean hackers and pull the movie The Interview. “I wish they had spoken to me first,” said the free speech champion. “I would have told them do not get into a pattern in which you’re intimidated by these kinds of criminal attacks.”

Remember: this is the same man who said this at the United Nations on September 25, 2012.  “The future must not belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam.”

Why did he say this? Because he was blaming a video about Muhammad for the murderous jihad attacks on September 11, 2012 in Benghazi. In that same speech, he called the video “crude and disgusting” and said: “I know there are some who ask why we don’t just ban such a video. And the answer is enshrined in our laws: Our Constitution protects the right to practice free speech.”

Yet this was just empty verbiage. Before he made that speech, the Obama White House asked Google to remove the Muhammad video from YouTube. In fact, this was one of the first things the White House did, even as the Benghazi jihad attack was still going on. ABC News reported that “a still-classified State Department e-mail says that one of the first responses from the White House to the Benghazi attack was to contact YouTube to warn of the “ramifications” of allowing the posting of an anti-Islamic video, according to Rep. Darrell Issa, the Republican chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. The memo suggests that even as the attack was still underway — and before the CIA began the process of compiling talking points on its analysis of what happened — the White House believed it was in retaliation for a “controversial video.”

And it didn’t just believe this – it acted upon this belief. An email circulated among Obama Administration officials while the attack was still going on, entitled, “Update on Response to actions – Libya,” stated: “White House is reaching out to U-Tube [sic] to advice ramification of the posting of the Pastor Jon video.”

So the first thing Obama did in response to the Benghazi jihad attack was move to restrict the freedom of speech, and protect Muslims from material that some of them found offensive. Google refused this preposterous and unconstitutional request on free speech grounds, although later a court ordered the video removed.

In those days, Obama never warned anyone not to “get into a pattern in which you’re intimidated by these kinds of criminal attacks.”

Indeed, the most ominous aspect of the Benghazi jihad attack for the long term health of the United States as a free society was the Obama Administration’s desire to blame it all on our freedom of speech. Obama’s declaration that “the future must not belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam” was essentially a call for the U.S. to censor itself and voluntarily restrict our freedom of speech so as not to say anything that offends Muslims.

Yet restriction of the freedom of speech creates a protected class (whichever group cannot be criticized), thereby destroying the principle of equality of rights for all people before the law, and paves the way for tyranny by making it possible to criminalize dissent.

But now that a free speech case doesn’t have to do with outraged Muslims, Obama is suddenly a champion of free expression. This isn’t about endangering people, either: the North Koreans are just as capable of going on a bloody rampage as Islamic jihadists are.

For whatever reason, Obama shows a strange solicitude for the sensibilities of Muslims that he doesn’t appear interested in offering to the North Koreans. And as long as he opposes the freedom of speech in any context, his support for it in any other context rings hollow.

Freedom Center pamphlets now available on Kindle: Click here.

Subscribe to Frontpage’s TV show, The Glazov Gang, and LIKE it on Facebook.

  • Yehuda Levi

    Being a hypocrite never increases your credibility – and that is what Obama is.

    He puts someone in jail for a YouTube video and then tells Sony they should have been a more courageous defender of free speech.

    Obama, and leftists, do not believe in free speech or freedom of religion. They constantly attack both through various laws and federal regulations. It is obvious to anyone who watches what they do versus only listening to what they say.

    Actions speak much louder than words.

    • ahad_ha_amoratsim

      There’s a huge difference. The hackers threatened violence against Sony and against movie goers. That is not nearly as severe a danger as Innocence of Muslims which threatened to deprive Obama of a way to salvage his popularity after the Ben Gazi attacks. It’s all a matter of priorities.

  • ConcernedCitizen999

    “If you like your free speech, you can keep your free speech”
    – Barack Hussein Obama

  • roccolore

    Democrats: Wagging fingers at North Korea while arresting critics of iSLAM.

  • pennant8

    As Robert has pointed out numerous times in his many books and articles, the underlying purpose of of all jihadist attacks is to pave the way for sharia. Either to impose it in places where it doesn’t exist now, or to strictly enforce it in places where it already exists. Most Americans have no clue about this. This is why there was such a tepid response to the jailing of the video maker, Nakoula Baselley Nakoula. And as someone pointed out, more people were sent to arrest Mr. Nakoula than were sent to rescue our people under siege at the Benghazi consulate.

    When you come right down to it, what the Obama administration did in this instance, they elevated sharia laws against blasphemy above our 1st Amendment. So please explain to me once again why we keep sending troops to Afghanistan and Iraq to “protect our freedom” while the President and Secretary of State give it away here at home.

    You many have noticed the huge disconnect between the 1st Amendment considerations in the Mohammed video incident and the Sony hack attack. There might have been some editorials somewhere criticizing Obama on his surrender of the 1st Amendment and capitulation to sharia in the video incident, but I don’t recall seeing any. On the other hand, we have been inundated with story after story, talk show after talk show about the Sony hack attack. There is one simple reason for this. Sony is all about celebrities, Mr. Nakoula is a nobody, and hardly anyone even knows what this sharia business is is all about anyway.

    • Thomas_Black

      Obama’s Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, said to the father of a security person slain at Benghazi: “We’re going to have that person arrested and prosecuted that did the video.” They proceeded to do that.

  • Blake

    Obama is destroying america

    • JayWye

      Intentionally.
      “once is accidental,twice is coincidence,three times is enemy action.”
      It’s all part of his efforts to weaken the US economically,politically,and militarily

  • namberak

    ‘Yet restriction of the freedom of speech creates a protected class (whichever group cannot be criticized), thereby destroying the principle of equality of rights for all people before the law, and paves the way for tyranny by making it possible to criminalize dissent.’ Like not being able to criticize our half-Negro president without being shouted down and called vile names because of his ethnicity? I’d say he’s really excelling on the tyranny aspect.

  • DontMessWithAmerica

    If a poll were conducted among America’s dentists we would find a general degradation in the health of Americans’ teeth during the past six years due to increased and constant grinding. Having that phony Marxist-racist-Islamist in the White House has Americans grinding their teeth in frustration and anger. Like the Reverend King, I have my dreams. Right now I dream of all American police departments saying, “Enough is enough,” and they march on Washington, and then Obama calls out the army but the enlisted men turn their backs on Obama as Manhattan’s finest turned their backs on DeBlasio. And we get our country back. That is my dream.

    • http://www.stubbornthings.org NAHALKIDES

      Patience. We Conservatives must first organize; that is, we must control a political party. After that we can consider what we have to do to put that party into power.

      • quousque

        Organize, how?

        • http://www.stubbornthings.org NAHALKIDES

          I would suggest a kind of “umbrella” organization, like the Tea Party should be but isn’t quite, to unite the Conservative elements within the GOP and take control of it at the earliest possible date. Without a party, we have no voice, and we deserve control of the GOP since we are that Party’s heart and soul.

  • cheeseburger

    Now Now Now! We dare not criticize our dog turd president! He is God’s representative here on Earth!!! And another thing, he is the biggest gass bag President that I have ever seen. Damn, that Obama goes on TV almost every day, except when he’s hanging out with his Rock Star friends.

  • cheeseburger

    C’mon everybody! If each of us sends Obama a gift-wrapped roll of toilet paper, just think how fresh his breath will be!

  • Jack Schitt

    He’s all for free speech, as long as nobody slanders the pedofile false profit and his imaginary god, allah.

    • JayWye

      prophet.

      • Jack Schitt

        I realize that, he liked to profit on the suckers he lures into his trap. Many are still buying the lies he invented some 1,400 yrs. ago, +/-

        • cjkcjk

          I say it the same way all the time . Usually call him ‘pedophile profit’.

          • Jack Schitt

            There is usually a method to the madness, for a reason.

    • cheeseburger

      Heh! If you’re Jack Schitt, then you must be acquainted with ‘ The Turd that Lies Obama.
      Google this : — list of obama lies and broken promises—

      This guy couldn’t tell the truth if his life depended on it. He’s a Joke.

    • cjkcjk

      I for one think that Allah is very real and not imaginary at all, I use the name Satan for him.

  • http://www.stubbornthings.org NAHALKIDES

    Spencer is absolutely right to point out that Obama is strangely (and dangerously) sympathetic to Muslim sensibilities, just as he is to Muslim aims and ambitions. But he gives Obama a little too much credit: Obama doesn’t care about free speech rights or any other kind of rights for anyone. He’s too far to the Left for that.

    Obama’s pseudo-sympathy for Sony is merely a mask – the fact is, Sony was in contact with the White House for several days before they capitulated. They apparently got little or no assurances from the WH, which is why they caved. Obama, in an attempt not to look like the weak sister he is, is now putting on a strong front while conspicuously doing nothing, or even promising to take any serious action against North Korea.

    One other point: I don’t think Obama ever really believed the video was the cause of the Benghazi attacks; this was merely a talking point apparently crafted by Ben Rhodes. It was a lie, but to preserve that lie, Obama was of course willing to squelch free speech, hence the arm-twisting of YouTube.

    • JayWye

      Islam was never big on free speech either. they tend to behead or otherwise execute those who say the wrong things.

      IMO,Comrade Obama is a closet muslim USING socialism-”progressivism” to further Islam. People like to claim he’s a die-hard leftist,but IMO that is secondary to his muslim faith,just a tool to use against the infidels.
      Both Islam and communism are totalitarian.
      But Comrade Obama speaks much about Islam,too much for a leftist. His leftist facade slips every so often.

      • http://www.stubbornthings.org NAHALKIDES

        I think you’re right.

  • sly311

    Kim Jong Bama.

  • JayWye

    Comrade Obama is a closet muslim,our muslim Manchurian Candidate.
    it’s why he’s so sensitive to “offenses” against Islam or muslims.

    Comrade Obama was BORN to a muslim father,it’s automatic that he is a muslim,according to most muslim experts.
    In Indonesia,Comrade Obama went to mosque,studied and prayed as a muslim,was registered at two Indonesian schools as “muslim”. In his own book,Comrade claims to have CONVERTED to Christianity at the Very Racist Rev.Wright’s “church”.
    His publicly admitted “conversion” makes Comrade Obama an APOSTATE,and the Koran demands that apostates be killed by one of the Faithful,yet NO Imam has issued any fatwa calling for Comrade Obama to be killed. Instead,muslims worldwide consider Comrade Obama to BE a muslim.
    Lastly,muslims are permitted to LIE to infidels to further Islam,and Comrade Obama is a well-known and accomplished liar.

    Comrade Obama In “Audacity of Hope” wrote:
    “I will stand with the Muslims should the political winds shift in an ugly direction.”
    in other speeches;
    1. “The future must not belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam”
    2. “The sweetest sound I know is the Muslim call to prayer”
    3. “We will convey our deep appreciation for the Islamic faith, which has
    done so much over the centuries to shape the world – including in my own
    country.”
    4. “As a student of history, I also know civilization’s debt to Islam.”

    • JayWye

      Comrade Obama IS the muslim Manchurian Candidate.

      There’s a reason why,post-college,Comrade Hussein traveled to Pakistan,of all places. it’s not because he was a Christian. There’s a reason why Comrade Hussein was aided in getting into college by Saudi money and influence.

    • Brucew56

      He’s not in a closet. He hates America and Christians, that’s why he has muslims in the administration. Every move he makes is against everything AMERICANS hold dear.

  • Brucew56

    Very clear the creep is still nothing more than a rabble rouser looking to stir up trouble, like killing law enforcement officers. I hope those who voted for him are proud of themselves.

  • GENUG

    AND the SCOTUS would have backed him up on this – 5 to 4 IN FAVOR of the Executive banning private speech for the public good WHATEVER THE EMPEROR DECIDED !!!! – Kagan wrote about this in 1996 – Chicago Univ Law Review – Breyer calls the interent a “crowded theater” – Sotomayor would have voted to censor as would Ginsberg and Kennedy – why do you suppose Imam Obama brought out that video and took it apart in the UN? he was making a move – why he stopped? who knows. This is NOT over. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1600235