President Barack Obama gave a speech in Berlin on Thursday, November 17th, 2016 alongside German Chancellor Angela Merkel. During his talk, he took some time to focus on “fake news” coming from social media that may have affected the Presidential election. He also supported the protests currently happening in the United States against Donald Trump’s presidency by saying people who feel like something is wrong “shouldn’t stay silent.” This speech comes shortly after his speech in Athens, Greece alongside Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, where he condemned nationalism and tribalism.
Many people see the speech as one that is full of dog whistles and outright lies itself. First of all, he started the speech by labeling the United States a “Democracy” which is not entirely true. The United States is a Constitutional Republic, and some forms of our governance have Democratic elements, like ballot initiatives. 51% and the initiative wins. One thing that is not democratic is how Donald Trump won the Presidency, through the Electoral College. Which is where the dog whistle from Mr. Obama comes in. Maybe Obama thinks that process should be changed to make the United States more like a Democracy?
Or maybe he simply says what he is told regardless of it being true or false. Just like when he repeated the infamous “if you like your plan, you can keep your plan” line over and over again on television. Which, of course, turned out to be false. Fake news on social media is an issue, but most people are able to recognize that it’s fake. It’s much more difficult to recognize fake news when it comes from a so-called “reputable” source like CNN, MSNBC, CBS, et cetera. Wikileaks has proven that there are moles within mainstream media that favor the DNC in an inappropriate way. Not so much for the RNC. CNN and ABC have been caught outright falsifying stories and editing video in a deceptive way.
What can’t be lost in the fake news kerfuffle is the violence coming from the right. Trump got on 60 minutes and told anyone committing violence to “stop it.” Full stop, no pauses. Obama has not done the same. And there may be need for some improvement and reform when it comes to fake news, but the Democrats have the most work to do.
Many people see the speech as one that is full of dog whistles and outright lies itself. First of all, he started the speech by labeling the United States a “Democracy” which is not entirely true. The United States is a Constitutional Republic, and some forms of our governance have Democratic elements, like ballot initiatives. 51% and the initiative wins. One thing that is not democratic is how Donald Trump won the Presidency, through the Electoral College. Which is where the dog whistle from Mr. Obama comes in. Maybe Obama thinks that process should be changed to make the United States more like a Democracy?
Or maybe he simply says what he is told regardless of it being true or false. Just like when he repeated the infamous “if you like your plan, you can keep your plan” line over and over again on television. Which, of course, turned out to be false. Fake news on social media is an issue, but most people are able to recognize that it’s fake. It’s much more difficult to recognize fake news when it comes from a so-called “reputable” source like CNN, MSNBC, CBS, et cetera. Wikileaks has proven that there are moles within mainstream media that favor the DNC in an inappropriate way. Not so much for the RNC. CNN and ABC have been caught outright falsifying stories and editing video in a deceptive way.
What can’t be lost in the fake news kerfuffle is the violence coming from the right. Trump got on 60 minutes and told anyone committing violence to “stop it.” Full stop, no pauses. Obama has not done the same. And there may be need for some improvement and reform when it comes to fake news, but the Democrats have the most work to do.
