Barack Obama wins nobel peace prize

[Dragoforce]

Ok. I'm a big fan of him in every way, but this is perhaps taking a little bit to far?

[Jockel]

I'll wait and see how the right winged idiots try to compare him to hitler again this time.

[Ed Oscuro]

No Republican is going to feel comfortable hitting against him for being the first sitting President to win the prize since Woodrow Wilson and Teddy Roosevelt

It's funny, but last week there was a lot of opining from the press that the Administration had a "terrible week" because of the failed Chicago 2016 Olympics. Well, that didn't last long, did it? Domestic players are still going to demand to see results from his many initiatives sometime soon, but I don't think the prize is just sour grapes against President Bush or veiled anti-Americanism at all. In the recent history of the Nobel Peace Prize, they've awarded it to Carter in his post-Presidential period - the period where he had traveled to North Korea and started peace talks by his own initiative (the Clinton Administration didn't like that), and oftentimes he has said things that people think naive or at least politically inopportune. If anything, that comparison will be a part of arguments in attempts to equate Obama to an anti-Israeli, anti-American Exceptionalist, anti-crying Bald Eagles feeling. People will try to say that the Committee lately rewards Presidents who are either ineffective or borderline anti-American.

[Jonathan Ingram]

Nobel peace prize has been a joke since... forever. I mean, the prize was given even to people like Gorbachev, the fucking Gorbachev. And I`m pretty sure that Bush and Blair were among the nominees once too. So, it comes as no surprise to me that someone like Obama won it this year.

[Dragoforce]

Nobel peace prize has been a joke since... forever. I mean, the prize was given even to people like Gorbachev, the fucking Gorbachev. And I`m pretty sure that Bush and Blair were among the nominees once too. So, it comes as no surprise to me that someone like Obama won it this year.

There are no nominees for the nobel prize I gather that you're not a fan of glasnost, but I can assure you that the rest of the world was quite relieved when the wall came down. I agree with you partly about the peace prize though, I think it lost a lot of legitimacy when they gave it to Kissinger.

[Ed Oscuro]

Reply #2:
Russian opinions on Gorbachev are hilarious. This specific prize is for international peace initiatives, not for economic success.

The breakup of the Soviet Union...well, bad for Russia, good for everybody else. Even Gorbachev hates that it happened.

[Domino]

Eh, Obama didn't deserve it.

[Acid King]

Has he really done anything to deserve this?

[Ex-Cyber]

Yeah, this doesn't make any sense. Apparently the committee wanted to "encourage" him.

[neist]

He hasn't even been president for a year yet!

Good grief! How about we wait until hes not president anymore until we shower him with praise, mkay? You know, when we actually know what he's done.

[Jonathan Ingram]

There are no nominees for the nobel prize

Maybe not nominees, but "people likely to win" for sure. I heard the names of Obama and Clinton being thrown around as the likely candidates for this year`s Nobel peace prize.

I gather that you're not a fan of glasnost, but I can assure you that the rest of the world was quite relieved when the wall came down.

I`m no fan of unemployment and a lack of social guarantees(which is what the reforms ultimately led to). Also, this has nothing to do with the wall coming down. Gorbachev`s policies led to a number of serious military conflicts in Nagorno-Karabakh, Trans-Dniestr and Abkhazia which took the lives of hundreds of thousands. Not to mention his handling of Chernobyl - on his orders people in the affected areas were not alerted of what had happened and May Day demonstrations were held as usual. Methinks a man with such a background is not someone you award with a peace prize.

Has he really done anything to deserve this?

He stepped up the occupation of Afghanistan. That`s gotta be worth something for the imperialists in charge of handing out these prizes.

[TLB]

i don't quite think he's earned it, solly cholly.

[antron]

Did any of you feel that the world had changed a little after he won? A lot of people did, and I think this is why he got it.

[brentsg]

I heard one analyst this morning that felt this win was a down payment on his potential.

Uhh ok... but I thought prizes were awarded for success and achievement.

Another analyst also said that this will move Africa forward, which I don't really understand.

I feel like I'm in the middle of a movie with a nonsensical plot that I can't follow.

[undamned]

Ok.

It keeps mentioning his "vision." Can I get rewarded for my wonderful visions of a peaceful world?
-ud

[Ed Oscuro]

People are forgetting that the Nobel prize is awarded to help recipients continue in their line of work - hence the $1.4M prize. It's not a "good life, you can go die happy now" thing. President Obama did have a career before the Presidency (short, but still there), and as Antron notes, there's been some changes in the world already since his election. Others have noted that the committee doesn't take nominations after a date early in the year, but I'm not sure that means they won't consider things happening since that time.

Ok.

It keeps mentioning his "vision." Can I get rewarded for my wonderful visions of a peaceful world?
-ud

It uses the word twice. Diplomacy, three times. One for climate (in the sense of relationships, another time for the climate issue).

I guess you'd take away Woodrow Wilson's prize on account of the League of Nations not being recognized at home? It was his "vision" that eventually changed the world. Notice that he was awarded his prize in 1919, before the eventual defeat of his effort at home. Sometimes it's hard to tell if these efforts to recognize good direction from the leadership cause a backlash...they shouldn't, but it seems to happen.

[cools]

It keeps mentioning his "vision." Can I get rewarded for my wonderful visions of a peaceful world?
-ud

A world I could really enjoy living in, and can envision peace and prosperity for all could only come post-holocaust/mass genocide/you get the picture.

It's so dark inside.

[ArrogantBastard]

Ridiculous. He hasn't done enough to deserve the Nobel Peace Prize, IMHO. If I recall, the deadline was Feb. 1st and the president took the office for two weeks. Hardly enough time for the president to do anything Nobel-worthy. And we're still engaged in two wars.

I voted for this asshole hoping that things will change for better, and nine months later after doing nothing, he gets a Nobel Peace Prize instead? Christ.

Edit: It is now an Affirmative Action Nobel Peace Prize.

[BulletMagnet]

I can understand the committee's motivation here, in hoping to send the message of "dude, you've got an opportunity here, we're all waiting, don't screw this up" (it also offers a nice counterpoint to the conservatives who insisted that "the international community rejected Obama" when it didn't give Chicago the Olympics, though obviously it won't slow the tidal wave of bile any) - at the same time, I don't know much about the prize's history, or how much precedent there is for rewarding future potential as opposed to past accomplishments. At this point I can't say much else - if Obama does get around to forwarding the numerous peace initiatives he's spoken about, perhaps in part due to the nudge he got from the Nobel committee, then I'll have no beef with their decision, as in my opinion getting results when they're needed (especially when people are dying due to inaction) is far more important than "traditional decorum" or whatever you care to call it. If Obama continues along his current path of kowtowing to opponents who are going to oppose everything he does, no matter how innocuous or downright benevolent, then this year's prize was well and truly wasted.

[sven666]

..and here i thought the nobel prize was supposed to be a recognition of achievements and not an encouragement to have good intentions

I feel that in 10 years time we should have invented cold fusion and cured cancer, can i please have the physics and chemistry prizes, please?

dont mind obama tho and i think a few years down the line he might have been eligeble to recieve the honour (provided his intentions came thru), but this is just too much too soon...

[evil_ash_xero]

I'm a big fan of Obama, but this was a bit much.

I think Clinton would be more worthy with all of his charity work.

[szycag]

I voted for the guy and this still pisses me off. He hasn't DONE anything but bend over every time the neocons gave him a mean look. Fuck this.

[Domino]

I voted for the guy and this still pisses me off. He hasn't DONE anything but bend over every time the neocons gave him a mean look. Fuck this.

And more 'STIMULUS' checks.

[SpooN]

I don't know much about the history of the Nobel Peace Prize as well but a quick glance at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_Peace_Prize makes clear that giving the award to someone "in advance" is not unprecedented. Take it as an encouragement or reminder for Obama to heed his words.
That being said the notion that Obama has not done anything yet is a bit weird in my eyes, the climate change in international relationships is very apparent and some of his policy changes, be it towards Israel or concerning nuclear disarmament, are not exactly nothing.

I would agree that he was not the best choice though since it was obvious that it would backfire as seen in this thread.

(btw as far as I know the time of nomination is not the time evaluation of the nominee stops so it doesn't matter that he was only like three weeks in office)

[t0yrobo]

Preemptive awarding? Interesting.

[Vexorg]

It's been pretty clear for years now that the thing is a "leftist of the year" award, and has absolutely nothing to do with peace.

[evil_ash_xero]

Well, I don't think right wingers usually do a whole lot for peace, honestly.

[Ed Oscuro]

Stuff

"To be honest, I do not feel I deserve to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures who have been honoured by this prize."

But, he said, "I will aceept this award as a call to action, a call for all nations to confront the challenges of the 21st Century."

Kind of takes the wind out of the sails for some of the bitching.

[BryanM]

I think I've heard we've approved the funds for the bombs necessary to strike Iran's underground nuclear sites.

Fun times ahead.

(I still think they should have spent that money they spent on burning down poppy farms on getting me a taco. That's the kind of stimulus I can approve of. Damn anti-taco fascists.)

[Specineff]

Anybody who does not continue with the Bush-shaggery that W started deserves the prize.