Nobel Peace Prize: A world sigh of relief?

[coberst]

Nobel Peace Prize: A world sigh of relief?

Awarding the Nobel Peace Prize might represent a world wide sigh of relief.

The United States, the most powerful nation on this planet, follows up eight years of President George Bush with an election in which the Republican Party chooses an aging John McCann with running mate Sarah Palin as contender for the presidency and finally elects President Barack Obama.

Scary stuff!!

[Rade]

President Obama getting Nobel Peace Prize is a way for nations of the world to pat the head of USA and say, good puppy. USA is a recent human social phenomenon (a puppy) from the perspective of Europe, Middle-East, Asia, Africa. They are happy to see USA has elected a leader that, at least on paper and in speech, "may not" s--t in the wrong places and make a mess they are then forced to clean up. Only time will tell if the world is correct. The Nobel Prize to President Obama is a prize to USA citizens, but, given that such an honor is not possible within the rules of the award, the nations of the world give the honor to the USA citizens via its elected leader.

[C1ay]

The Nobel should be reserved for actual accomplishments, not promises of nobility as yet unrealized...

[Donk]

Originally Posted by C1ay

The Nobel should be reserved for actual accomplishments, not promises of nobility as yet unrealized...

100% agree. I cheered along with many other people when Obama was elected, but it's still looking like "Yes, we can – maybe..."

The politic thing for him to do would be to refuse the award on the grounds that he hasn't achieved his aims yet. Is that likely?

[Buffy]

Actually, even Obama agrees:

Originally Posted by Barack Obama

I do not view it as a recognition of my own accomplishments, but a recognition of the role of American leadership...To be honest, I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures [who won in the past]. I will accept this award as a call to action, a call to all nations to confront the common challenges of the 21st Century.

When first contacted by the press with the news, one White House staffer said, "It's not April 1, is it?"

For once I'll agree with coberst and say that he would not have had a snowball's chance in hell of winning this had not Bush been so bad, and that's something that even the Radical Right is saying, with amazingly little awareness of the irony....

It is as hard to do your duty when men are sneering at you as when they are shooting at you,
Buffy

[UncleAl]

What did Obama do and when did he do it? The man is all process and no product.

[Buffy]

Always good to get it from the horse's mouth:

Originally Posted by Nobel Press Release

The Nobel Peace Prize for 2009

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 108 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."

Oslo, October 9, 2009

(highlighting, Buffy's)

Yah, basically this is saying that the elimination of the Bush Doctrine--we can invade anyone who we even think is dissing us and you can "Go F^&* Yourself" (copyright (c) 2006, Dick Cheney) if you don't like it--is the most important step toward peace in the last year.

Not sure I'd disagree with that either, even if all he had to do was win the election.

For those of you who don't agree, who would you nominate for the Peace Prize?

Just what is it that America stands for? If she stands for one thing more than another it is for the sovereignty of self-governing people,
Buffy

[freeztar]

The horse's mouth is elegant, indeed.

Though, I'm inclined to agree more with Clay's sentiment. He's only been in office for 9 months now. His presidency is in its infancy. And as historians like to remark, his legacy can only be identified after all is said and done and his reign can be analyzed in retrospect.

[Buffy]

Originally Posted by freeztar

Though, I'm inclined to agree more with Clay's sentiment. He's only been in office for 9 months now. His presidency is in its infancy. And as historians like to remark, his legacy can only be identified after all is said and done and his reign can be analyzed in retrospect.

Sure, but if it's "undeserved," what are you going to do about it? He's already admitted he doesn't deserve it, and is accepting it in the name of the American people who clearly support the kind of action and world-wide desire that the Nobel committee expressed.

You yourself just joked about how much safer we've been since January in another thread.

And does it deserve this much vitriol?:

Originally Posted by Rush Limbaugh

Something has happened here that we all agree with the Taliban and Iran about and that is he doesn't deserve the award.

Originally Posted by Rush Limbaugh

the Nobel gang just suicide-bombed themselves..

Originally Posted by Erick Ericsson

I did not realize the Nobel Peace Prize had an affirmative action quota for it, but that is the only thing I can think of for this news.

Originally Posted by Bill Kristol

Mikhail Gorbachev won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1990. A year later, he was out of power and the Soviet Union had dissolved....beginning in 2013, Obama will have lots of free time to spend hobnobbing with Gorbachev on the international celebrity circuit.

Originally Posted by Glenn Beck

Nobel Prize committee awards its 1st 'participation' trophy. gd job Prez Obama 4 participating! Who's so cute? Yooouuuu R.

Originally Posted by Glenn Beck

The Nobel peace prize should be turned down by Barack Obama and should be given to the tea party goers and the 9/12 project," Beck said on his syndicated radio show today. "Because of the tea party goers and the 912 project people that stood in his way and stopped him from accomplishing from the things that he thought, 'Please I'm the messiah, I'll be able to accomplish that.'

(h/t Huffington Post)

Originally Posted by Mona Charen

Before they break out the champagne at the White House, they may want to pause over the fact that Obama now shares this honor with Mohammed el-Baradei, Yasser Arafat, and flagrant liar Rigoberta Menchu Tum.

Originally Posted by Clownhall

This is just more evidence the "messiah" mentality has reached the world stage...

Originally Posted by Hot Air

This makes three times, incidentally, in just seven years that the committee’s turned the Peace Prize into a “f*** Bush” award by bestowing it on a liberal American Democrat.

Originally Posted by Dan Riehl

At this rate, the man is going to become reviled by a majority of the American people in four years.

(h/t firedoglake)

At least one Republican had the right idea:

Originally Posted by Tim Pawlenty, Gov, Minnesota (R)

I would say regardless of the circumstances, congratulations to President Obama for winning the Nobel Prize. I know there will be some people who are saying “Was it based on good intentions and thoughts or is it going to be based on good results?” But I think the appropriate response is when anybody wins a Nobel Prize that is a very noteworthy development and designation and I think the appropriate response is to say “Congratulations.”

Is it treason and "hating America" to attack and belittle the President ONLY if he's a Republican?

I do agree that it doesn't have a lot of justification--other than the commentary on Bush policies, which is pretty significant--but gee whiz. Is having a "liberal" President justification for cheering when America loses (Chicago Olympics), and attacking its wins (with Obama saying the prize is not for him but for America)?

Conversation should be pleasant without scurrility, witty without affectation, free without indecency, learned without conceitedness, novel without falsehood,
Buffy

[Boerseun]

From an African perspective, the wires have been abuzz from Lagos to Cape Town with rabidly pro-Obama editors all asking themselves "Huh? What happened? Sure, we like Obama, he's got African roots, he's a way to bring Africa to the White House's attention, but what the hell did he actually do to deserve this?"

...and like them, I have to agree. It's way too early in the game to even nominate the guy. Give it at least to the end of his first term, and then judge the man. But it's a done deal now. Which only makes me wonder why.