Nobel Peace Prize to President Obama

[Valandil]

I saw in the headlines this morning that President Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. What do you guys think about this? I'm a little puzzled because:

1. He has pretty much continued most of President Bush's actions in regard to Iraq, Afghanistan, etc. I mean, there's some tweaking - but we're still in Iraq (which really seems to be settling down quite a bit - continuing this trend for some time), and we're even upping things in Afghanistan as that area heats up. Now... I just cannot see President Bush receiving a Nobel Peace Prize. So why does President Obama get one for doing essentially the same thing?

2. The President of the United States has a lot of power. President Obama is still inside the first year of his first term. He could potentially be President of the US for another 7 years and 3 months. It seems odd to me to give him this award at this point - rather than toward the end of his run as President. At that point, it would have a better chance of addressing what he actually DID while in office. Conceivably, his Presidency might prove to be very aggressive by the time another 7+ years has passed.

Opinions? Other viewpoints?

[Varnafindë]

I must say I was surprised - and judging from the gasp in the room when the decision was announced (as shown on TV), so were most others.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee says that a major factor for choosing him, was his declaration against nuclear weapons. And they also say that they want to encourage the process, and therefore the award was not premature.

I'm not sure whether to agree or not ...

[Insidious Rex]

Yeah I woke up to the story on the radio and thought it was a joke at first. Definitely has a kind of April fools ring to it. I mean he hasnt done anything yet... Maybe this was a mea culpa for the Olympic insult? But seriously, its a little bizarre. And I think this could hinder him some politically because its sure going to piss off the conservatives who will simply take it as a political statement against the past administration. And what makes this even more stunning is arent the nominees decided by November of the previous year? And thats the same month he was elected! Well maybe he can wear the thing around his neck a la Flava Flave's clock when he talks to the Israeli's and Palestinians and it will give him a little more clout.

[Coffeehouse]

Obama received the Nobels Peace Prize for the unprecedented visionary statesmanship that he has shown in under a year that which no leader in our lifetime, no leader on the planet, has shown. Any other leader in the West stands in shame compared to the long-term perspective that this man has. He's decided to tackle every single major issue facing the US, and every single major issue that is confronting humanity. He is a rare breed and needs all the wind under his wings that he can get. I think he deserves this 100%. I wish him all the good luck and can't wait to see him in Norway to receive the Prize!

P.S. The decision to choose Obama was unanimous, and no, did not occur last year but during the last few weeks by the Nobel Peace Prize Institute in Oslo. This is a contemporary prize, not the 'best of 2008'...

Best wishes Obama!

[Insidious Rex]

And theres that famous European Obama lovin

Ok so what if things fester in Afghanistan Vietnam-like... Will they take it back?

[Varnafindë]

Originally Posted by Coffeehouse

P.S. The decision to choose Obama was unanimous, and no, did not occur last year but during the last few weeks by the Nobel Peace Prize Institute in Oslo. This is a contemporary prize, not the 'best of 2008'...

And the final desicion was made two days ago.

[Coffeehouse]

Obama governs with a mixture of realpolitik and idealism that is extremely rare. This is a prize to promote the momentum that is needed. It's about sending the signals when the signals are needed.

[Insidious Rex]

But its unprecedented! I mean have they ever done this before? Given the award to someone based on potential and great ideas? Simply as a show of support, albeit pretty weighty? As Ruth Marcus said, Jimmy Carter won in 2002 “for his decades [emphasis added] of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts.” Last year’s winner, Martti Ahtisaari, was cited “for his important efforts, on several continents and over more than three decades [emphasis added], to resolve international conflicts.” So I thought that’s really how it was supposed to work.

Dont get me wrong. I love me some Obama too. But I think this plays very differently in America then it does in Europe and elsewhere. For us its kind of strange... Even most democrats here I dare say woke up to the news and were perplexed at best. For us he may have made some proposals about subjects that were a breath of fresh air compared to the last administration but barely anything has been accomplished on those proposals and you could end up with some things being much less then what he initially implied when it comes to either health care or the economic turn around. Not to mention the war in Afghanistan is still very much in the air in terms of what strategy to take and me thinks THAT’S pretty significant when it comes to giving a PEACE prize. Well he may increase the troop size by 40,000 and bomb lots of villages but we want to commend his approach to peace! Huh? Shouldn’t we see how that plays out first at least… If things go bad for Obama this could really end up being an embarrassment for the Nobel Committee too.

Furthermore, I think most democrats inwardly cringed when they heard the news. You do realize that the conservatives will use this as ammunition AGAINST Obama (and other democrats who are already not showing nearly as well in current political races as they had in 2008). They will tout this as proof that those supporting Obama are irrational and out of touch and think of him as some kind of Messiah. They can use this to rally around to (ironically) fight the very proposals he apparently won the award for. And nevermind the foaming at the mouth furor this will result in from the tea bagging crowd… Thanks a lot Oslo!

[Jonathan]

Here is the explanatory statement:

The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 is to be awarded to President Barack Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples. The Committee has 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. Dialogue and negotiations are preferred as instruments for resolving even the most difficult international conflicts. The vision of a world free from nuclear arms has powerfully stimulated disarmament and arms control negotiations. Thanks to Obama's initiative, the USA 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.

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. 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.

For 109 years, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has sought to stimulate precisely that international policy and those attitudes for which Obama is now the world's leading spokesman. The Committee endorses Obama's appeal that "Now is the time for all of us to take our share of responsibility for a global response to global challenges.

[Valandil]

Saturday Night Live tomorrow suddenly seems quite appealing.

[TurinTurambar]

Im not quite sure what he did to deserve it. He really hasnt done anything besides talk about universal healthcare, sign a worthless stimulus, and bailouts some banks. THis all seems pretty strange. If it is cause of the nuclear declarations... He hasnt actually done anything hes just talked about doing things. And he talks alot.

[Coffeehouse]

Originally Posted by Insidious Rex

But its unprecedented! I mean have they ever done this before? Given the award to someone based on potential and great ideas? Simply as a show of support, albeit pretty weighty? As Ruth Marcus said, Jimmy Carter won in 2002 “for his decades [emphasis added] of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts.” Last year’s winner, Martti Ahtisaari, was cited “for his important efforts, on several continents and over more than three decades [emphasis added], to resolve international conflicts.” So I thought that’s really how it was supposed to work.

Dont get me wrong. I love me some Obama too. But I think this plays very differently in America then it does in Europe and elsewhere. For us its kind of strange... Even most democrats here I dare say woke up to the news and were perplexed at best. For us he may have made some proposals about subjects that were a breath of fresh air compared to the last administration but barely anything has been accomplished on those proposals and you could end up with some things being much less then what he initially implied when it comes to either health care or the economic turn around. Not to mention the war in Afghanistan is still very much in the air in terms of what strategy to take and me thinks THAT’S pretty significant when it comes to giving a PEACE prize. Well he may increase the troop size by 40,000 and bomb lots of villages but we want to commend his approach to peace! Huh? Shouldn’t we see how that plays out first at least… If things go bad for Obama this could really end up being an embarrassment for the Nobel Committee too.

Furthermore, I think most democrats inwardly cringed when they heard the news. You do realize that the conservatives will use this as ammunition AGAINST Obama (and other democrats who are already not showing nearly as well in current political races as they had in 2008). They will tout this as proof that those supporting Obama are irrational and out of touch and think of him as some kind of Messiah. They can use this to rally around to (ironically) fight the very proposals he apparently won the award for. And nevermind the foaming at the mouth furor this will result in from the tea bagging crowd… Thanks a lot Oslo!

Remember: the Nobel Peace Prize has been handed to leaders for their qualities who were not even remotely close to finish the work that they were then undertaking. Willy Brandt's Ostpolitik for German unity, and Gorbachev's peaceful dismemberment of the Soviet Union are two classic examples of this. The Prize shifts attention each year, sometimes to tireless, unknown individuals, sometimes towards organizations, sometimes to long-standing diplomatic work, and sometimes even to people who have been very vocal in promoting peace in a very narrow field, as Wangari Maathai for her environmental work in Kenya. This year the Nobel Peace Prize Institute decided to give it to encourage Obama's efforts and all the efforts he has spent throughout 2009 to change the climate of international relations. This year's prize is forward-looking and it's timing is perfect.

And really I couldn't care less what bickering conservatives think about this. All the signals are that they've had their shot to take the dozens of hands that have been extended across the aisle. They have decided to put ideological blindness and party before their nation. What a redunant regional party that sorry excuse for conservatists are becoming. Conserve, conserve, conseve. Conserve what? A multi-trillion dollar deficit? Ineffective and expensive healthcare? Good old Bush days of international ridicule? Give me a break. Democrats will be emboldened by this, not the other way around. And I don't believe for a second that Obama is going to blink here.

[Valandil]

Originally Posted by Coffeehouse

Remember: the Nobel Peace Prize has been handed to leaders for their qualities who were not even remotely close to finish the work that they were then undertaking...
:
:

And let's not forget - to Yasser Arafat who has STILL not wiped Israel from the face of the earth.

[Amael]

I find Obama to be a very intelligent and capable leader, but I must say that he hasn't accomplished much. The Nobel Peace Prize is to be focused on rewarding accomplishment, not just good intentions. I must agree with Valandil. There's still a lot of time left in which to evaluate the US's new president and his actions. He may later become unworthy of that prize, or prove that he was indeed worthy. Putting the country into debt is a pretty big accomplishment. If he and other political leaders and those pushing the buttons can produce justified results from spending all that money, then it was all for something. But if healthcare has hit yet another program that won't work and the education system continues to have its currently-low standards, then there will not have been much to show for it. Big investments require big (and positive) results. To put a lot of investment into something and get little or less than no return (in the case that the results are negative) is obviously the big risk. Hopefully it does work out, but it hasn't yet. It's a bold plan, but I hope that those within the administration and throughout can hold to the plan in a way that produces results we can be proud of. Rewarding a plan that hasn't been fully-implemented just doesn't seem to make sense. Usually the results of a plan are rewarded if anything is at all.

[Coffeehouse]

Originally Posted by Valandil

And let's not forget - to Yasser Arafat who has STILL not wiped Israel from the face of the earth.

Yasser Arafat is dead.

And the man received the award together with one of Israel's most visionary statesmen, Yitzak Rabin, and Israeli Shimon Perez at time when the prospects for peace in Israel-Palestine were looking very good. Then, as you probably know, Yitzak Rabin was shot dead by a radical ultrawing Israeli.

This prize makes sense for those who manage to raise their view of the situation of world affairs up some notches and see what Obama is really trying to do. I bet a lot of money that most people in the US, or anywhere else for that matter, understand really the kind of commitment and acceleration of process that Obama has initiated towards ridding the world of nuclear weapons. How many people knew who Martti Ahtisaari was or his diplomatic work before he won the prize last year? That's what I thought!

And Amael: No Obama did not put your nation into debt. 8 years of a Bush Administration and the nation's consumption but your country into debt. As you probably know, for the foreseeable future (50 years ahead in time), the greatest bill that is going to have to be paid by America is on healthcare. Nothing else comes close. As your president has emphasized, that health care is going to have to be reformed before it's too late, and that means increasing the debt, because, reform costs money. It seems to me to be the best of two evils. But hey, I'm not American, you guys decide how far ahead into the future you want to push the inevitable tough choices.

And again. No, the Nobels Peace Prize is not solely about long-term accomplishments. This time they decided to look at 2009 and see what person has made the most effort to promote peace. Your president has reached his hand out towards the Muslim world, he has worked hard on the abandonment of nuclear weapons and he has, more than anything else, change the world's cooperative mood into a decisively more positive one than the **** that thrown around by Bush.

[Amael]

Bush was terrible by any means of the word. My words down on Obama winning the Nobel Prize do not lean for either or. I do not consider myself the average redneck conservative. I believe that his intentions are quite good. No matter the result, it will be better than Bush's administration most likely. I am not a Fox News follower, nor a follower of the Elect Sarah Palin 2012 gang. Bailing out these corporations is something future generations will have to deal with if something isn't done sooner to alleviate that issue. President Bush left things about as bad as they could get, agreed there. Nobody's going to even attempt to disagree.

Rejecting the idea of Obama receiving the Nobel Prize does not automatically make someone lean toward the Republicans. It's the same thing as people said when Bush was in office. When Bush was in office, many who were of the anti-war crowd were considered "Anti-American". I was amongst those many people who would have been called Anti-American for the way I felt about the war in Iraq. It's difficult for Obama to reach out to the Muslim world with a war still being fought that we still can't seem to get out of. It's terribly difficult for Obama to say that America wants to talk peace with parties in the Middle East when the United States is one of the chief nations with which the Middle East has trouble, and vice-versa. Once the soldiers in Iraq are back home, it may be a tad bit easier to state that any attempt at peace is being made. The change between the current administration and the last hasn't had enough time to be given a chance. Many don't give Obama the chance he deserves, but the Nobel Prize is at the other end of that spectrum. I feel that Obama's already a trillion trillion times more-deserving of the Nobel Prize, but the results so far are uncertain. The steps he is taking are the right ones. Hopefully he'll continue to follow through for the long haul.

The bill for healthcare is among the highest bills we will be paying for the next 50 years. It would agreeably be that way should any person be in office right now. That bill would either be paid with how the health system has been, or with the changes that need to take place. The way the health system has been is literally murder. To keep it going without this change would be leaving the health of millions completely up to chance. Change is needed. The change has yet to really come.

But obviously I was under the false assumption that the Nobel Prize was for some sort of long-term accomplishments. I didn't happen to think that it was a person of the year award. Forgive my ignorance. Obviously this is a trait I've shown a lot of here, and I shall attempt to keep my mouth shut when the grown-ups are speaking.

[inked]

I, too, thought one had to do something for a Nobel Prize. But there was Al Gore and now Obama, so I guess being an American Democrat is sufficient to get an award now-a-days.

The O man was in office for 10 whole days before the award, right? Dyn-o-mite! Sort of like the source of Nobel funds, huh?

[Amael]

Originally Posted by inked

I, too, thought one had to do something for a Nobel Prize. But there was Al Gore and now Obama, so I guess being an American Democrat is sufficient to get an award now-a-days.

The O man was in office for 10 whole days before the award, right? Dyn-o-mite! Sort of like the source of Nobel funds, huh?

Basically, ya, it sure does seem like it. I wonder if there's an American Republican version of the Nobel Peace Prize? I can only imagine what the logo would look like! XD

[Comic Book Guy]

What charity is Barry giving his prize money to?

[GrayMouser]

I'm generally an Obama supporter, but count me in with the "way too early" crowd. He really hasn't accomplished anything yet.

Best joke, from Michelle Malkin:

"Where's Kanye West when you really need him?"