|
|
Post by sarah on Oct 9, 2009 11:09:19 GMT -8
Thoughts?
|
|
|
|
Post by robin on Oct 9, 2009 11:32:31 GMT -8
The Nobel Peace Prize committee has now rendered the award a joke, and meaningless. As if we needed any more reasons to believe this after awarding it to Al "I invented the Internet" Gore, Jimmy Carter, and Yasser Arafat.
|
|
|
|
Post by christopher on Oct 9, 2009 13:38:58 GMT -8
I'm a little behind the 8 ball when it comes to current events and politics. Is an objective reason for the award generally given? Or is it just a popularity contest? Here's a quote I found on the Katu news website: What exactly does that mean....a "new climate in international politics"?  I honestly can't give an opinion on this because I don't know what standard the prize is awarded by. Apparently, Obama doesn't seem to know either: |
|
|
|
Post by sarah on Oct 9, 2009 15:17:54 GMT -8
Ok, so I don't consider myself to be strongly politically motivated and will preface my comments by this information. I am currently registered as Independent, voted for Obama in this past election, voted for Bush in the one before that, consider myself a political mutt with values that are represented on both sides of the political party seesaw.
So this morning while taking my shower I found myself thinking about a recent commercial I had seen. It was for a Chia pet fashioned in the likeness of Obama. (when I first saw the commercial, I thought it was a joke, but it's not, you can buy your very own at Fred Meyer!) You can also purchase the likenesses of Lincoln, Washington and the Statue of Liberty.
I found myself thinking about how Obama is basically a celebrity, perhaps to the exclusion/eclipsing of anything else. The effectiveness of presidencies are determined years after the fact when time has passed to see the results those policies and commitments that those administrations have put into effect have had. Lincoln and Washington were held in high regard because of what they did during their respective lives and presidencies. (although certainly a lot of folklore and myths have grown up alongside their very real accomplishments)
It is indeed absolutely historic that we have our first black president, but I wonder how much of his popularity comes from a collective sense of guilt over the "sins of the fathers" in our predominantly white society. I question our obsession with congratulating ourselves on our collective progress toward reconciliation between races, is it somehow less racist to like a president because he is black?
So these were the thoughts that had been running through my mind when I opened up my computer screen to discover that Obama had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Huh? I said to myself. Now I know it is not without precedent to award based off of atmosphere of change and that other questionable choices have been made in years past. That said I think that the nominations were due just weeks into Obama's presidency (I think they are due in February). What could he have accomplished in that short time to win such an honor? Perhaps a few years down the road when we have had a chance to see the results?
|
|
|
|
Post by sarah on Oct 9, 2009 15:25:53 GMT -8
IMHO
|
|
|
|
Post by Kirby on Oct 9, 2009 15:49:28 GMT -8
I am reminded of Back to the Future, when 1955 Doc is told that Ronald Reagan is president in 1985...and later when marty shows Doc the video camera. Doc says "No wonder the president has to be an actor, he has to look good on TV!"
I have been a "cautious" Obama supporter, but he has been in office for almost a year and has given nothing but lip service. I'm disappointed that the Nobel commitee awarded this based on potential and ideas rather than actual service. In teh grand scheme of things, it's not really a big deal Obama won, but I can think of others that deserve it more.
|
|
|
|
Post by sarah on Oct 11, 2009 15:35:16 GMT -8
Hey did anyone else know that the Peace Prize comes with about 1.4 million dollars? (Obama is planning to donate it to charity)
|
|
|
|
Post by robin on Oct 16, 2009 1:50:13 GMT -8
Hey did anyone else know that the Peace Prize comes with about 1.4 million dollars? (Obama is planning to donate it to charity) I heard this when they announced that he won. I think it is noble of him to donate the money, but I thought that he should have declined to award altogether and allowed a more worth person to receive the prize and money. Oh well, at least he got something partly right.  |
|
|
|
Post by Kirby on Oct 19, 2009 15:02:43 GMT -8
|
|
|
|
Post by christopher on Oct 19, 2009 16:02:39 GMT -8
I knew there had to be a good explanation.
Well, off to prison I go...
|
|
|
|
Post by sarah on Oct 19, 2009 19:19:19 GMT -8
;D
|
|
|
|
Post by robin on Oct 20, 2009 6:50:30 GMT -8
Kirbstomp,
For some reason I am unable to see the picture that you put up. I feel like I'm missing out on something really funny.
|
|
|
|
Post by christopher on Oct 20, 2009 17:54:43 GMT -8
You are missing out. Try messing with your resolution, or right click and "save as" it's just a jpeg.
|
|
|
|
Post by moritz on Oct 30, 2009 7:30:34 GMT -8
When I heard that Obama won the Nobel Prize I thought: "That's ridiculous". I wondered what the rationale behind this was. After reading what the commitee had to say I pondered for a while. I still don't think that Obama achieved enough to deserve that honor. I fully agree with the swedish* committee, that Obama has created a very different political climate in the world - a much more positive one. With just a few gestures of good will and his charisma he was able to undo the vigorous anti-americanism the previous administartion helped to foster so much by a policy of black and white reasoning, arrogance and unilateralism, bringing about two wars (one of which was based on false premisses), increasing international terrorism instead of deafeating it, human rights abusing prisons... The damage done to the American image in the world can hardly be understood from within the United States. Yeah, Obama restored trust in american policies. He deescalated the conflict with Russia by dispensing with this ridiculous missile shield, he went further than anyone ever expected from an American president by presenting his vision of a world without nuclear weappons, he reached out his hand to Iran and other states, he treats Guantanamo as what it is. His way of approaching things is so much more positive then we were used to. But for the time being, he's lacking results. How could he possibly already have solved all the problems of the world? How could he possibly ever solve them? In my opinion, the Nobel Prize committee is not really awarding Obama with their decision, but disapproving of the old administration. Their decision in a way reflects the relief Europeans feel now the old chauvinistic administration is gone. Still there's got to be someone who "during the preceding year [...] shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses" (premisses for being awared with the Nobel Peace Prize). So I stay with my initial, more intuitive stand that Obama doesn't deserve the price (yet).** Anyway, questionable as the decision might be, the conservative reaction to Obamas award reveals a whole lot of bitterness and lack of grandeur. The countenance John McCain displayed at his concession speech would have been a dignified reaction. *as far as I know the Alfred Nobel was a swede and the committee is swedish, even if the price is awarded in Oslo, Norway **Perhaps it would be profitable to list a couple of people who did more in the preceding year to deserve the price. Who comes to mind (apart of Al Gore? - just kidding  )? |
|
|
|
Post by Josh on Oct 30, 2009 9:49:15 GMT -8
Bono. And I'm not joking.
|
|
|
|
Post by moritz on Oct 30, 2009 9:52:22 GMT -8
Bono. And I'm not joking. Yeah, Bono is pretty dedicated. Wouldn't know exactly what he's doing and how effectively, but he's definitly committed. |
|
|
|
Post by robin on Oct 30, 2009 17:39:07 GMT -8
This is the only statement in your entire post that seems to resemble reality at all. By the way, the only reason why Carter, and Gore won the Nobel Peace Prize is because they weren't Bush either. They must be so proud.  |
|
)?
