“So often in the past there has been a division between left and right, between capitalists and communists or socialists, and especially in the Americas, that’s been a big debate,” Obama said. “Those are interesting intellectual arguments, but I think for your generation, you should be practical and just choose from what works. You don’t have to worry about whether it really fits into socialist theory or capitalist theory. You should just decide what works,” he added.
That sounds pretty harmless. It actually sounds pretty wise. He didn't say "you HAVE to be practical." He said they SHOULD be practical. His comment doesn't demand anything, it merely suggests. The true differences that may exist between "isms" is subjective anyway. That has been demonstrated vividly throughout recent history. There's much to be critical of Obama for... but, this is hardly controversial to me.