Obama warns Cambodian youth of ‘risk’ in political change

[geovalin]

Alessandro Marazzi Sassoon

Speaking at a town hall meeting in Malaysia, US President Barack Obama on Friday told a young Cambodian that youths must be aware of the “risks” of pursuing political change, just a day after a US State Department official characterised the Kingdom as “a country where democratic values are under threat”.

“What do you want to see from young people like us in the future?” asked Deng, a Cambodian participant at the Young Southeast Asia Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) event, at which the president took questions.

“I think the most important thing for young people is that they’re not trapped in the past,” Obama replied, before saying it is the responsibility of youths to ask “why” questions that challenge the status quo on issues such as pollution, gender rights and discrimination.

read more: http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/obama-warns-youth-risk

[ggt]

challenge the status quo on issues such as pollution, gender rights and discrimination.

Or, if you find yourself in a position of power...just ignore the status quo and simply write into law those personal changes you desire to change the landscape of your country without the benefit of protest, conversation, or backlash...

Obama has experience with these issues...

[arrowsdawdle]

"Mothers, don't let your babies grow up to cowboys....or listen to Obama."

Are Hussein's lips moving? You know what that means.

He builds a complete presidential campaign based on "change" then comes to Cambodia and warns against it.

If you have something for him he will say what you want as well. It is simply a matter of being unprincipled and subservient to expedience.

[DeepInTheForest]

Just one person's opinion.

Obama:

--is a war criminal (drones)

--has followed in the footsteps of Bush II in embracing policies of violence which have further destablized entire continents

--is a neoliberal who has enabled bankers to escape justice

--has not broken with Israel over its war crimes in Gaza

--has presided over a regime that has increased social inequality

--has clasped corporations tightly to his bosom in a love embrace

--will, like the rest of US presidents, have a very comfortable retirement with book revenues and speaker fees

And now he wants to lecture us lower-class peons on democracy... ?

[tonypace02]

I didn't agree with the fifth and sixth line. But when I got to the part about "lower-class peons," I thought, "Well, you said it, not I."