Okay, I'm lying. Obama wasn't named the greatest person since Jesus. Not yet, anyway. Instead, he was awarded the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize. When I first heard about Obama's tremendous "accomplishment," I thought it was some kind of a joke, especially because everybody on MSNBC's Morning Joe program was laughing as they made the announcement. Once I realized Obama really did win the prize, I immediately thought…….FOR WHAT ? I'm still trying to figure out FOR WHAT, even after hearing the Nobel spokeman's explanation, which follows:
"Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world's attention and given its people hope for a better future," the committee said. "His diplomacy is founded in the concept that those who are to lead the world must do so on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the world's population."
The committee said it attached special importance to Obama's vision of, and work for, a world without nuclear weapons.
"Obama has as president created a new climate in international politics. Multilateral diplomacy has regained a central position, with emphasis on the role that the United Nations and other international institutions can play," the committee said.
Hopenchange gone global. What's even more interesting about Obama winning the Nobel Peace Prize is that the nomination deadline for this year's prize was February 1st, EIGHT DAYS after Obama's inauguration. For what did Obama get nominated EIGHT DAYS after his inauguration ? For not being George W. Bush ? It seems so. Not that the Nobel committee is political or anything.
Regarding Obama's "accomplishments," as stated by the Nobel committee, no nuclear weapons have been dismantled, and we are still fighting two wars in the Middle East. All that has changed from the Bush administration is the rhetoric. Obama won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize For Rhetoric. That sets the bar pretty low, in my opinion. Maybe the field of candidates this year was really weak. I don't know.
Three other American presidents have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, and, unlike Obama, they all did something to earn it. The first was Teddy Roosevelt, who negotiated an end to the Russo-Japanese war. The second was Woodrow Wilson, who founded the League Of Nations. The third was Jimmy Carter, who mediated the Camp David Accords between Israel and Egypt. When Carter won the award in 2002, the Nobel Organization cited the following:
The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2002 to Jimmy Carter, for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.
And to think, what took Carter "decades" to accomplish, Obama did in only EIGHT DAYS.
Hmmm. Maybe Obama really is the greatest person since Jesus. I wonder why he hasn't turned water into jobs yet.
Or maybe the Nobel Committee is a joke. They've given Barack Obama the Nobel Peace Prize because he's Barack Obama. They've given him the Nobel Peace Prize for making a few speeches.
Gimme a break.
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And there were in the same country bloggers abiding in the internet, keeping watch over their sites by night. And, see, the Nobel Committee came on them, and the glory of the Lord Obama shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the media said to them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For to you is born this day in the city of Chicago a Savior, which is Barack Hussein Obama.
mmm…mmm…mmm!
Yes We Can !!!
Good one, irreverent one.
Awards mean very little…especially in our modern divided-over-everything age.
Many more vital events happening to talk about…..bashing Obama's award, insignificant in itself, I'm sure, will be all the rage for the next several days in the Village.
But then, anything that diverts attention away from serius stuff….
This is really indicative of the 'blank slate' that is Obama.
He was sold as the personification of hope. This is where the media failed in it's job. Obama had a cup of coffee in a US Senator's seat before he ran for president. As a Illinois State Senator, he was known for voting present. He has a pattern of not taking a stand. Without any knowledge of who he was, everyone could pin their hope on the board and attribute it to Obama.
The Nobel committee is (or was) still taken in by the 'promise.'
But life happens and people are starting to see through the vision and are becoming more and more dissatisfied. This explains the approval ratings decline and the tea parties.
In all honesty, these are impossible coalitions to keep together. It happens to all politicians that promise all things to all people.
In the end, the Nobel people will be as disappointed as the American people are becoming.
You fellows are forgetting The Beer Summit.
His intentions are apparently for world peace, just as Mangini's are to win a super bowl for Cleveland, but neither has much to show for it right now except talk. It does seem they might have waited to see what results he produces.
I agree with the Rev again on this one point: it's very insignificant and frivolous at this point in time. Men cry 'Peace', but …
Let all Americans savor this moment and congratulate our President. The mere fact that he is not Bush is enough to qualify him for the Nobel. This award really looks to the future, and not past, accomplishments. And look!! It already bears fruit: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/Afghanistan/article6866894.ece#
OKay here's your change Da King WHO would you have picked and WHY ? Who deserved it more this year? All you critics I want to hear your pick maybe it is Glen Beck ..just tell me who so we can judge your choice.
I'll tell You why Obama was a great choice .
NO one gave the world HOPE this past year as he did . He changed the pessimistic world from Bush to HOPE . NOT just here but world wide.
He worked his butt off to win the election. First by beating the favorite Hillary Clinton then going against a white war hero John Mccain. He made history by being the 1st black man to be a American President . He gave Hope to every black child in this country . He gave a new face to America politics world wide.
So come on critics who would have been better ?
and ps .
not a single republican President ever won it. shame shame all they can do is criticize
It is not the hope award, it is supposed to be a peace prize.
In his first 8 days in the Presidency did enough that it could qualify him for a first place tie. I would suggest that he should be tied with EVERY SINGLE OTHER person on the planet.
This is right up there with awarding the Dixie Chicks a Grammy for embarrassing President Bush. The left is comfortable in politicizing everything.
Six billion people tied for first. And just so I don't upset your sensibilities, I'll even concede that Bush, Rumsfeld and Cheney would all be tied for second place.
I guess nobody here has put the names Roosevelt, Wilson and Carter together. Try that one realizing that both Roosevelt and Wilson were the first real American progressives with one from each party. Whoops that sounds like Andrea got hopped up over nothing since Roosevelt was our first Nobel Peace Prize President. Yes, Andrea he was a Republican until he decided to be a Bull Moose.
Now look at the other recipient as just a bit progressive. Then folks we have to realize that one other American was named for a Nobel recently. Wasn't his name Algore? No he was never the President of the US but he did get a prize for other than the real reason stated.
Now lets consider the fact that Norway is a very socialistic state and that all these men were also that way. Do we not know that Hillary said she wanted to be considered the same kind of progressive as the early 20th century progressives were? Somehow I think that if you look just bit at the four men you will see that they were all progressive as hell and three of them got the award for what they had accomplished. Well I guess being the best "talker" in the world for the year of 2008 may have been enough promise of HopenChange for European socialists to look at as The Man. He has accomplished so much change toward socialism in the US in such a short time that they have to have even more Hope for the world.
Following Bush didn't do any harm to him either. It is widely known that the European socialists just didn't like Bush and that got him a lot of support from the commission. Has there ever been a man who hit with such perfect timing as this one? If so I sure don't know who it was unless maybe Alexander the Great.
Andrea,
I didn't want to hurt your feelings by bringing up the fact that Teddy Roosevelt served the nation as a Republican. I guess that makes the first progressive president to win the prize a Republican. Don't cry at being called on your little cheer, because somebody had to call you on that.
Thank you for confirming my point, Andrea.
Technically he was a republican but a progressive who left the republican party to join up with the party he should have been with . Even if Norway is progressive this is world opinion. And it is pretty good a US president was chosen. I am still waiting to hear who you guys would have chosen instead. I suppose you also agree with Teddys progressive ideas towards socialist programs being you are also a republican just like him.
@Android (The programmed one):
I nominate Kermit the Frog. He has accomplished just as much and has been doing it longer. Besides, he's the perfect Green candidate.
Andrea, all snide remarks aside, consider your question. I had not even thought of it, but likely someone else deserved this.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/who-were-the-nobel-peace-prize-nominees/article1312931/
Here is an article, pick anyone from this list. They at least did something. There is also a monetary award, so if a legitimate winner was named they could potentially use the money for other peaceful events. But it was more important for the voters to take a slap at the US.
I would have nominated George Tenet……….he could have worn his Presidential Medal of Freedom he got from Dubya to the awards ceremony
this from Counterpunch…….
"We’re talking about a man whose practically first act upon taking office early this year was to escalate the ugly and pointless war in Afghanistan with the addition of some 20,000 troops, and who, even as the Nobel committee was discussing his award, was meeting with his military and political advisors to consider expanding that war even further, both in Afghanistan and across the border into Pakistan.
The Nobel Committee claimed that during Obama’s short period as president, the US “is now playing a more constructive role in meeting the great climatic challenges the world is confronting. Democracy and human rights are to be strengthened."
Well, certainly when compared to the prior presidency of George W. Bush, that statement is correct, but that’s not saying much. After all, under President Obama, Guantanamo’s terrorist prison is still in operation and is holding people whom even the government admits are guilty of nothing. Under President Obama, the US has also blocked the Goldstone Report which condemns Israel of war crimes in its recent assault on Gaza. And under Obama, the US military in Afghanistan has continued to slaughter disproportionate numbers of civilians through its wanton use of aerial bombardment, pilotless Predator drones, and antipersonnel weaponry."
I would have thought all those things listed would have made King and his fellow travelers jump for joy with the announcment. Especially the the blocked Goldstone Report.
http://www.counterpunch.org/lindorff10092009.html
I nominate Yasser Arafat for the Nobel Peace Prize. What? He has already won. In that case I second Kermit's nomination.
I'd rather have accolades tossed than shoes.
Dave I agree there are probably many other people who could have won it. But that still does not make Obama undeserving. If something was to happen to him today he still would have been the president who changed the "thinking or direction " the US is now going in. One of diplomacy . If he doesn't accomplish much he still tried. Perhaps they gave it to him because of the timing ( he followed Bush ) and perhaps they gave it to him so he would be encourage to continue on his path and not give up and change course. But the republicans are really acting like children and full of sour grapes. Perhaps what gets the GOP goat is the fact Obamas done much more in his few months than Bush did in 8 years towards peace. They had to watch the U.S.-led efforts to strengthen the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty . They had listened to Obama pledge to close down Guantanamo and leave Iraq. And instead of parading around like bush did for 8 years Obama was HUMBLE because he knows he still has a long way to go.
What did Bush do the first 8 months ? We got attacked and he sat there . The biggest attack on US soil. So maybe you guys should give Obama a little credit and respect. .
Pointless war Afghanistan ? Afghanistan where the taliban hides . Afganistan might be a very hard war to win but certainly is not pointless .
Andrea, I get that you like Obama. But take a step back and look. This is truly a moment where you can see the emperor has no clothes.
He had to be nominated before he was in office for two weeks. Do you think he was nominated because he was going to give a good speech at sometime in the future?
When you put on a party hat for a phony accomplishment, people will question your voracity when you are celebrating a real triumph. Be patient, he will have accomplishments.
This award says nothing about Obama, it is a slap at Bush, and nothing more.
Correction – I said Obama was only in office for eight days before he was nominated. It was actually twelve days.
So I guess he really DID deserve the award after all.
To Andrea – even Obama appeared a little embarrassed over winning the Nobel Peace prize. He said he felt he didn't deserve it. That's obviously true, all partisanship aside. He won because he isn't Bush. It's political. You should have specific accomplisments in place to win the award. Obama doesn't have them yet, and he certainly didn't have them when he was nominated after only being in office twelve days. This award is a joke. Maybe one day Obama will deserve the award, but that time is not now.
I'm wondering if any other world leader has ever won the PEACE prize when his country was fighting two WARS. Irony, anyone ?
Quidpro,
I'm wondering how you cede part of Afghanistan to the Taliban and keep Al Qaeda out at the same time. I saw Princeton professor Cornel West on the Bill Maher show tonight, and for once he said something that made sene. He said separating the Taliban from Al Qaeda is like trying to separate wet from water.
Sounds to me like the liberals are looking for a way to lose another war. Maybe Obama will win the peace prize again next year for losing Afghanistan, though I imagine all the women left under Taliban rule would disagree.
You are correct, King. The joke of Obama winning the Nobel based on the accomplishments of his campaign for, and first 12 days of, the office of POTUS is too obvious. The global elite looked to the future in making this pick. They thought that such a preemptive award would influence US policy.
The real joke is that the Norwegions and other correct-thinking progressives knew that Obama is enough of a narcissist that he will now seek to earn the award he has already won. Thus, we see his comment that the Taliban might be an acceptable participant in the future government of Afghanistan. This is just prelude to withdrawl.
And think how far he may go to justify his new statu as Peacemaker in Chief. Unilateral disarmament, adoption of Kyoto accords and socialized medicine cannot be far behind.
It's easier to talk about peace than it is to achieve it, especially if you appear too eager for it.
I'm excited about 14 more years……….
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=5372477n
Quidpro,
You've give me something to ponder. I was thinking the Nobel committee was suffering from standard delusionary, stardust-in-their eyes Obama worship, and were giving him the prize as a rebuke against Bush. I hadn't really thought about them trying to influence U.S. policy by using Obama as a tool for a faux "peace." But I've been off my game this week with the flu (regular, not swine). That's my excuse
Exactly, Tbomb.
Andrea, did you say that Teddy Roosevelt joined the party most like him? I hope you don't think he joined up with the Democraps. He became a Bullmoose while running for President after someone asked him how he felt while recovering from a gun shot wound that someone gave him for trying to upset the Republicans. He replied that he was as fit as a Bull Moose and his THIRD Party was called the Bull Moose party although he was appealing to Republicans for votes.
I think that Andrea needs to do some reading of history to straighten this part of our history out in her head. Roosevelt was never a Democrap.
The only history book you'll get a liberal to read is one written by Howard Zinn.