Nobel Peace Prize -- Barack Obama

He's been office less than a year, but the Nobel Peace Prize committee decided to award Barack Obama with its award for 2009. Of course the President was surprised by the announcement. I'm sure that his critics will find a way of using this against him (perhaps this will be a sign that he is the anti-Christ), but it is a sign that Obama is perceived internationally as one willing to take steps to bring peace.

This from a news report on what caused the committee to make the choice:

The Nobel Committee lauded the change in global mood wrought by Obama's calls for peace and cooperation but recognized initiatives that have yet to bear fruit: reducing the world stock of nuclear arms, easing American conflicts with Muslim nations and strengthening the U.S. role in combating climate change.


Congratulations Mr. President.

Comments

Anonymous said…
So he gets a prize for rhetoric. Hopefully this urges him on to actual action. Call for peace talks; quit spying on our on private citizens. Support freedom of religion, even in China. Act on campaign promises. Follow the Constitution! David Mc
Robert Cornwall said…
Hey, this is a recognition that the world community sees a change in the works. And there is a sense that hopefully this pushes him to make good on some other issues.

But, hey, he's only been in office for a few months. Bush became popular at this point simply because he was at the helm after 9-11 -- and had launched a war that, well, we're still involved in.
Mystical Seeker said…
My reaction to this is, wow, giving a "peace" prize to a guy who is fighting two wars ranks right up there with the peace prizes they gave to Henry Kissinger and Le Duc Tho in the annals of absurdity. Tom Lehrer once said that the awarding of the peace prize to Kissinger in 1973 made satire obsolete; the awarding of it to Obama in 2009 makes it doubly so.
Robert Cornwall said…
But, remember that he didn't start either war, and is trying to figure a way out of one and hopefully end the other creatively.

I say, give the guy a chance!
Mystical Seeker said…
True, but Nixon didn't start the Vietnam war, either.
Anonymous said…
But, Hey, Hey Bob.
This guy's a total politician who will wait till just before the next election to act- just in case things go sour. As far as politicians go, no, he's not so bad. If they’re going to give an award for potential, give it to each of earth’s inhabitants- Now there is an idea. Thanks for the quote mystical, I love Tom Lehrer David Mc
Gary said…
obama joins such infamous Nobel prize winners as AlGore, Jimmy Carter, and Yassir Arafat! No doubt he has much in common with each of them.

Surely the Nobel people don't harbor the illusion that they are taken seriously? Yeah, they probably do. lol.
John said…
I hate to sound like a sycophant, but I truly think the award is well aimed and and well deserved.

Few if any peace prize laureates have ever brought about peace, it is their efforts which have been lauded, not their successes.

Obama's success has been to change the tenor of the international conversation to one of hope and cooperation and away from one of competition, threat, and intimidation. Moreover, he has brought a message of hope to parts of the world that have never experienced real hope before, such as Africa. I watched news reports of African villagers calling on their own leaders to accept the challenge to become for them a local reflection of the spirit of Obama - adopting phrases such as "we can". His message is communicated by more than just his words, by the fact that the strongest nation in the world voluntarily chose to entrust its welfare to a man of color, a black man, a member of an often abused minority.

The award at this time is a very public show of support for the message he embodies.

Of course, it adds pressure to succeed, but it also sends a message to the rest of the world to receive his calls for peace and cooperation in an appropriate spirit and with a commitment to meet each gesture of good will with an equal measure of good will.

We should all be proud - that the world has taken notice of where we in the US appear to be headed, and they have extended a hand of support.

John

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