"As a country, as a society, we live and breathe the idea of religious freedom and religious tolerance, whatever the religion, and political freedom and political tolerance, whatever the point of view," Kerry said in comments posted on YouTube

John Kerry says Americans 'have a right to be stupid'

Published on Feb 26, 2013

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says Americans have the right to be stupid, during a meeting in Berlin.

Full Story:
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is making his first trip overseas since replacing Hillary Clinton as the nation's top diplomat.

Meeting with a group of youths in Berlin on Tuesday, Kerry said that in America "you have the right to be stupid".

[John Kerry, U.S. Secretary of State]
"We live and breathe the idea of religious freedom and religious tolerance, whatever the religion, and political freedom and political tolerance, whatever the point of view. I mean, you know, some people have sometimes wondered why our Supreme Court allows one group or another to march in a parade even though it's the most provocative thing in the world and they carry signs that are an insult to one group or another. And the reason is that, that's freedom, freedom of speech. In America you have the right to be stupid, if you want to be, and you have the right to be disconnected to somebody else if you want to be. And we tolerate it and somehow we make it through that. Now I think that's a virtue. I think that's something worth it fighting for."

The comments were made hours before Kerry was due to hold key diplomatic talks with high ranking officials.

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		Issue #1748 (7) Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Latest News Russians Savor Kerry's Description of 'Stupid' Americans By Natalya Krainova The St. Petersburg Times MOSCOW – A first meeting between new U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov might have been a key development in tense U.S.-Russian ties this week, but Russian media instead savored a declaration by Kerry that Americans have "the right to be stupid." Two prominent Russian personalities told The St. Petersburg Times on Wednesday that they think Americans do tend to be too narrow-minded. Kerry, making his first foreign trip as the United States' top diplomat, made the comment while talking to German students ahead of the meeting with Lavrov in Berlin on Wednesday. "As a country, as a society, we live and breathe the idea of religious freedom and religious tolerance, whatever the religion, and political freedom and political tolerance, whatever the point of view," Kerry said in comments posted on YouTube. "People have sometimes wondered about why our Supreme Court allows one group or another to march in a parade even though it's the most provocative thing in the world and they carry signs that are an insult to one group or another," he said. "The reason is that's freedom, freedom of speech. In America, you have a right to be stupid — if you want to be." The comment elicited laughter from the audience. Kerry's remarks resonated with Maxim Shevchenko, a conservative television host on Channel One, who said many ordinary Americans practice their right to be stupid because they are "not interested in anything" and believe what they see on television. "Most Americans do not overburden their brains with anything that isn't directly related to their private lives," Shevchenko said by telephone. Sergei Markov, a member of the Public Chamber and a former State Duma deputy with United Russia, said Americans may not be stupid but they do lack broad-based knowledge. He said he has spoken with many ordinary Americans and found that instead they are "very developed" in moral principles, pragmatism and leadership qualities. Russian media had a field day with Kerry's comments. The official government newspaper Rossiiskaya Gazeta ran the headline "U.S. Secretary of State: Every American Has the Right to Be Stupid," and Noviye Izvestia declared: "U.S. Secretary of State, After Making Up Kyrzakhstan, Endorses the Stupidity of Americans." Last week, Kerry told students in Virginia that the State Department supports democracy in "Kyrzakhstan," a nonexistent state and an apparent mix of Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. Kerry meant to say Kyrgyzstan, according to an official State Department transcript of Kerry's remarks that did not reflect the mistake. Kerry himself is well-educated and has broad professional experience, so his seeming slips of the tongue must be intentional and aimed at showing his human side to voters, Shevchenko said. Kerry, 69, graduated from Yale University and received his law degree from Boston College Law School. He served for 28 years in the U.S. Senate before being appointed to his current post by President Barack Obama last month. "Kerry is playing to the myth that Americans are stupid, as if to say, 'Yes, we are stupid, and we will keep doing what we are doing," Markov said, in a reference to U.S. foreign policy. Kerry's "Kyrzakhstan" gaffe was not the first mishap the Obama administration has had in its dealings with Soviet successor states. In 2009, Kerry predecessor Hillary Clinton presented Lavrov with a symbolic button to mark a reset in U.S.-Russian relations. But the Cyrillic text on the button read "overload" instead of "reset." © The St. Petersburg Times 1993 - 2011   Links:     Sunday, February 17, 2013 The same Walls, The same gods... "Исаев назвал призывы Белковского экстремистскими" | Religious Diversity And Democratic Institutional Pluralism | Religion in Russia     Last Update: 2.19.13: Политолог Станислав Белковский вызван на допрос в СК Mike Nova commented: The two ideological monopolies: ruling United Russia Party and ROC (MP) formed a reactionary "unholy" alliance, in order to maintain and strengthen their respective monopolies and their hold on political and religious powers. Presently they merged together like Siamese twins. A good surgeon is needed. A proper separation will be healthy for both parties. Mnogo religiy, raznikh i "nuzhnikh", A ne slepo kholopskih i rabski poslushnikh!     Religious Diversity And Democratic Institutional Pluralism   Veit Bader    University of Amsterdam Abstract Strict separation of church from a presumed ‘religion-blind’and strictly ‘neutral’state still is the preferred model in liberal, democratic, feminist, and socialist political theory. Focusing on the full, reciprocal relationships between society-culture-politics-nation-state and (organized) religions, this article makes a case in favor of ‘nonconstitutional pluralism’ in general, associative democracy in particular. Associative democracy recognizes religious diversity both individually and organizationally; it stimulates legitimate religious diversity; it prevents a hidden majority bias; and it provides a legitimate role for organized religions in the provision of a wide range of services, including education, on one hand, and in the political process, on the other hand. That organized religions should be informed, heard, and consulted in contested issues should be a crucial component of democratic participation. This also might help prevent the development of religious fundamentalism.