Has America gone Mad?

[moira finnie]

I have the impression from watching the President acknowledge the prize, that he is all too aware that he has not had a chance in only 9 months to accomplish enough to warrant its receipt. Perhaps it's just me, but using the Nobel Peace Prize as an "attaboy" in acknowledgment of the welcome change in tone that has occurred since Obama took office may prove to be more of a burden than a boon for him--and the man already has more than enough to handle domestically and internationally.

Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai of Zimbabwe, whose efforts to restore civility to his country peacefully in a long transitional phase from the leadership of Robert Mugabe or the largely faceless but incredibly brave dissidents in China might have been more appropriate choices and they probably needed the money that goes with the prize. I suspect that Obama wishes they had been named or that former Senator George Mitchell's work in brokering peace in Northern Ireland should have been recognized as a real accomplishment.

I sort of gave up on the Nobel committee after they gave the peace prize to Yasser Arafat in the '90s, but perhaps they see it as an incentive toward peace rather than a recognition. I hope it's not degenerating into a popularity contest, but what isn't these days?

[mrsl]

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Coffee Dan:

Granted much of what he has tried to do has been thwarted by both sides of Congress, and he has, and will have, an uphill road to climb for his whole term, but first thing out of the shoot, within practically hours of taking his oath, he announced his plan to sit down and talk to any nations' leaders who would agree to meet with him, and his agenda always included peace talks. and recommendations of maintaining peace. After eight years of the moron and his side-kick devil-man, I'm sure it's a treat simply to converse with a man who can complete one full sentence without stepping on his tongue. It's really unfortunate that Obama has gained the respect of more than 1/2 of the world leaders, and can't get it from his own countrymen.
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[charliechaplinfan]

I think it is a shame that Obama has got this award so early in his Presidency. Is it an award for words rather than deeds? If the committee had held back until he had had more time in office there wouldn't be the questions and raised eyebrows there are today. Are the Norwegians trying to curry favour with your new President?

I'm sorry, there are people out there risking their lives, bravely battling against injustices, I too think of Morgan Tsvangirai. The shame is on my own government for not taking Mugabe on.

I cannot see what Obama has achieved to warrant this award.

[ken123]

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Coffee Dan:

Granted much of what he has tried to do has been thwarted by both sides of Congress, and he has, and will have, an uphill road to climb for his whole term, but first thing out of the shoot, within practically hours of taking his oath, he announced his plan to sit down and talk to any nations' leaders who would agree to meet with him, and his agenda always included peace talks. and recommendations of maintaining peace. After eight years of the moron and his side-kick devil-man, I'm sure it's a treat simply to converse with a man who can complete one full sentence without stepping on his tongue. It's really unfortunate that Obama has gained the respect of more than 1/2 of the world leaders, and can't get it from his own countrymen.
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The positive rating for the USA have skyrocketed, all over the world, since Obama replaced " Mr Skull & Bones " Bush. That being said many big time money men, from Chicago and elsewhere, all prime backers of " the military- industrial complex ", so named by President Eisenhower in his Presidential Farewell Speech,are deeply connected with Mr Obama, the Crown family of Chicago, being perhaps, the most well known .

[MichiganJ]

I'll be glad to explain it to you, Ann -- as soon as you can tell me what President Obama did before Feb. 1, 2009 that was worthy of a Nobel Peace Prize. (NB: Feb. 1 was the nominations deadline for this year's NPP.)

Perhaps the Nobel Committee can shed some light:
http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peac ... press.html

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

President Obama accepts the award:
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1119987.html
"I am both surprised and deeply humbled by the decision of the Nobel committee," he said. "I do not view it as a recognition of my own accomplishments but rather as an affirmation of American leadership on behalf of aspirations held by people in all nations."


As surprised as everyone, including President Obama himself, it is pretty sad that the White House has to do damage control because the sitting President of the United States had won the Nobel Peace Prize.

[charliechaplinfan]

I think the problem is that although no one questions his motives, which I'm sure are the best and wanting to use diplomacy as the way forward. We all pray for his success in this, anything is better than the way of the past. The problem for me is that it just smacks of opportunism by the Nobel commitee, Obama is the man of the moment and they seem to have fixed their star to his comet.

Maybe I'm missing something here, I've not read anything yet to convince me that this award was the right one. For me it's actions and the personal bravery of Morgan Tsvangirai who has struggled under great danger for years that should be rewarded and not words and rhetoric of a President who has only been in office a very short while when it's too soon to reward or know what his lasting legacy is to the world.

[movieman1957]

At least Obama was as surprised as everyone else.

[MichiganJ]

I think the problem is that although no one questions his motives, which I'm sure are the best and wanting to use diplomacy as the way forward. We all pray for his success in this, anything is better than the way of the past.

There are plenty of people in the United States who pray that Obama fails at everything. There was palpable excitement and cheers when Chicago was the first city dropped by the Olympic committee, as if Obama personally responsible.

The problem for me is that it just smacks of opportunism by the Nobel commitee, Obama is the man of the moment and they seem to have fixed their star to his comet.

The Nobel has always been used to send signals. When they rewarded human rights activists in the past, by putting pressure on oppressive regimes, we cheered the politics behind it, and applauded the use of the prize. The awarding to Obama has not fundamentality altered the nature of the prize.

[movieman1957]

While I don't subscribe to the notion that Obama was alone esponsible for losing the Olympics I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't go with the notion that he might be responsible for bringing them to Chicago. That might leave him open to those remarks.

I think Chicago got lucky. The Olympics are famous for driving host cities into crushing debt.

[silentscreen]

I think the problem is that although no one questions his motives, which I'm sure are the best and wanting to use diplomacy as the way forward. We all pray for his success in this, anything is better than the way of the past. The problem for me is that it just smacks of opportunism by the Nobel commitee, Obama is the man of the moment and they seem to have fixed their star to his comet.

Maybe I'm missing something here, I've not read anything yet to convince me that this award was the right one. For me it's actions and the personal bravery of Morgan Tsvangirai who has struggled under great danger for years that should be rewarded and not words and rhetoric of a President who has only been in office a very short while when it's too soon to reward or know what his lasting legacy is to the world.

Alison, I think you're entirely right. The Nobel prize should be rewarded based on deeds, not rhetoric. Talk is cheap, but actions speak volumes over words. I could say so much more, but I'll refrain due to the obviously sensitve nature of the topic, but that doesn't mean I've stopped thinking.

[ken123]

While I don't subscribe to the notion that Obama was alone esponsible for losing the Olympics I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't go with the notion that he might be responsible for bringing them to Chicago. That might leave him open to those remarks.

I think Chicago got lucky. The Olympics are famous for driving host cities into crushing debt.

I was against the Olympics coming to Chicago for the reason of the debt. But can anyone blame President Obama, whose political home is Chicago, for trying to secure this event for his adopted city & the USA ?The rights reaction at every ( perceived ) Obama failure is disguisting. Btw I didnt not vote for Mr Obama or Senator McCain.

[silentscreen]

I'm very surprised Ken, but I like it. Ron Paul was very underrated.

[ken123]

I'm very surprised Ken, but I like it. Ron Paul was very underrated.

I am very glad indeed that you like my post re Obama & The Olympics, but I am not a Ron Paul fan, except in regard to " The Fed ", and his opposition to American Imperialism.Thank you !

[mrsl]

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I wasn't sure who Tsvangirai was, so I googled him so I don't say anything to embarrass myself. All I can say is, actions DO speak louder than words, but beside the fact that Obama has not yet been physically hurt for what he has said and done, he has at least done what he said he planned to do, e.g. he has met with several world leaders, and will continue to do so to discuss world peace and the halt of possessing nuclear weapons. I've only done a brief look at Tsvangirai but what I did see was apparently he was in the same political position during presidential elections that the democrats were in 2000, and 2004 - that being up against crooked opponents with machines big enough to cover their tracks. As for his beatings and arrests, lets face it, he's in Africa which is a little different than here. I'm not saying he's not more worthy, only that he has been at it longer because he had higher office than Obama did here. The fact is, Obama took office in January, 2009, and Tsvangirai took his (Prime Minister), in February, 2009. Finally on this subject, I don't imagine Obama went and held guns to the Nobel committee's heads to elect him, did he? He was awarded the prize, should he have said "No Thanks"?

Ken 123:

What is this title of the Crown Family of Chicago? He was a professor, then an alderman, then a senator for which he campaigned. I never heard that phrase before - who said it? I have several cousins who have been aldermen for their districts, but none of them aspired to higher office, it doesn't make them losers, any more than it made Obama an upstart.
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[ken123]

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Ken 123:

What is this title of the Crown Family of Chicago? He was a professor, then an alderman, then a senator for which he campaigned. I never heard that phrase before - who said it? I have several cousins who have been aldermen for their districts, but none of them aspired to higher office, it doesn't make them losers, any more than it made Obama an upstart.
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The Crown family is the Henry Crown ( now deceased 1990 ) family, founder of Material Service Corp, now run by his son Lester ( born 1926 ). The Crown family are big financial backers of Mr Obama, from the beginng of his political career and major stockholders of General Dynamics, a major defense contractor. General Dynamics has a long history of nefarious activities. Please look up " The TFX Scandal ", which occurred during JFK Presidency, and the book " Captive City ", which is Chicago by Demaris, both will tell plenty about the Crowns, not always in a good light. " The Tobitt Document " by William Torbitt (Aka David Copeland - real name now deceased - about 1980 ) gives an accounts of the events leading to November 22, 1963