In his first inaugural address in 1801 Thomas Jefferson bespoke a compelling confidence in open dialogue when he said:
“If there be any among us who would wish to dissolve this Union or to change its republican form, let them stand undisturbed as monuments of the safety with which error of opinion may be tolerated where reason is left free to combat it.”
Indeed, the confidence we have in an idea is proportional to exposure to different ideas. As John Stewart Mill expressed it in On Liberty “ the only way in which a human being can make some approach to knowing the whole of a subject, is by hearing what can be said about it by persons of every variety of opinion.”
Perhaps in revealing moment, Obama was supposed reaching out to Republicans when warned them , “you can’t just listen to Rush Limbaugh and get things done.” It would seem to me that if Limbaugh’s were so clearly wrong we could let him “stand undisturbed as monuments of the safety with which error of opinion may be tolerated where reason is left free to combat it.”
Limbaugh has 20 million listeners everyday and it would seem that someone who wants to transcend politics would reach out through Limbaugh TO these people. Obama’s partisanship was showing. If he was trying to circumvent extreme voices, he would have been critical of the Daily Kos and Keith Olbermann.
WTF, at least El Rushbo is constitutionally qualified to be President!
I see. So, no criticism of Rush Limbaugh is ever permitted.
Dear Matt,
No. Criticism is permitted, indeed encouraged. I was arguing for the full exchange of ideas where all ideas are heard. Obama was suggesting that you cant just listen to Rush Limbaugh and get things done.
Frank