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Obama's Nobel Peace Prize

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The Nobel Peace Prize Comes to Barack Obama

Barack Obama ran on a mixed platform of peace that was widely regarded by a confounded and bedraggled nation as a peace platform in earnest. His election, many thought, would bring about positive change and a building momentum toward peace. Yet early into his presidency it became clear to some of those who hadn't taken Obama's promise to escalate the war in Afghanistan seriously and who had believed we would be immediately out of Iraq, that Obama was by no means a peace president. Perhaps no president really can be, as being elected to the post of commander in chief of the most powerful military in the world (that none the less can't claim victory over the destitute nations of Iraq and Afghanistan) may mean that being a full time peace maker is not in the provenance of one known as the commander in chief. Still, many people were shocked when on October 9, 2009, the new president received the Nobel Peace Prize.

Contents at a Glance

The Nobel Committee's Reasoning for Obam...
Why Shouldn't Barack Obama Have Received...
The Danger of Mass Hysteria and the Myth...
Peace Links
Organic Cotton Peace T-shirts
New Guestbook

The Nobel Committee's Reasoning for Obama's Reward

The Nobel Peace Prize committee awarded Barack Obama the Nobel Peace Prize "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples." They were talking about the way in which he has spoken to people in the Middle East and Muslims at large, and the way he has agreed to dialogue with "unfriendly" nations. This was a big part of Obama's campaign. They were also alluding to a rejection of the Bush administration's inability to speak in diplomatic terms or talk with nations he did not see eye to eye with.

Why Shouldn't Barack Obama Have Received the Nobel Peace Prize

Obama's actions speak louder than his words

This list represents realities that have existed up until Obama's reception of the Nobel Peace Prize, and in spite of future events and crises which we cannot predict, these facts should set the context in which we understand Obama's award.

Obama's presidency is still new, and he has not obtained significant results or even made significant efforts toward furthering peace.
A large undisclosed number of troops remain in Iraq under the Obama administration.
Obama ran on the promise to escalate the war in Afghanistan, a promise which he is keeping.
Obama has supported cross boarder raids and drone attacks in Pakistan which have resulted in the deaths of innocent civilians.
Though Obama has pledged to close down Guantanamo, he openly supports the Bush doctrine of illegal black site detention facilities in places like Bagram.
The Obama administration has remained relatively unresponsive to the Micheletti coup in Honduras which militarily ousted democratically elected president Manuel Zelaya.
In spite of a lack of hard proof for a current, ongoing nuclear weapons program in Iran, and Iran's agreement to allow inspectors to examine their nuclear energy facility, the Obama administration continues to threaten economic sanctions on the basis of nuclear weapons.
The Obama administration has been critical of the Goldstone report, which details possible war crimes on both the Palestinian and Israeli side. Abas's capitualation to the pressure the administration placed on him to reject the consideration of the report has created Palestinian outcry against a leader who won't support them in an examination of the facts of the conflict.
Though we as Americans may not be aware of better qualified peace makers in the world, there are plenty of them out there, who unlike Obama are not presiding over two military occupations but whose lives are dedicated to peace.

The Nobel Peace Prize in Question:

What does it mean when a prestigious Nobel Peace Prize is awarded to someone who is currently leading a country in war?

The Danger of Mass Hysteria and the Mythic Status

Barack Obama and the Rise to Power

Clearly the Bush presidency was a failure. From the intense hatred for Bush, the scene was set for a strong emotional appeal for change. Barack Obama captivated not just Americans but people around the world. Yet his campaign speeches mainly stayed in the realm of grand rhetoric with little concrete information. Because we Americans have endured the failures of Bush, we were already in a vulnerable state. Uncritically backing a candidate on pure charisma, however, is basically the same theme we saw when Bush took office. Being swept up by the emotional energy without looking at the complex issues will keep us in perpetual child like subservience, never really understanding why the crises we face exist and what we need to do about them. We may like to think about notions like democracy, but when we elevate our leaders to the status of rock stars, super men, or divinely appointed servants of God, we are giving away our power as citizens.

Peace Links

Obama's Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech Text: Read the war propaganda as a "peace" speech yourself.
Peaceful World: A look into some of the obstacles toward peace, as well as some grass roots solutions.
Nonviolent Peace Force: "Nonviolent Peaceforce is an unarmed, professional civilian peacekeeping force that is invited to work in conflict zones worldwide." These people are actually engaged in making the world a more peaceful place, as unlike a standing president, their actual mission is grounded in peace.
People of Peace: Three powerful peacemakers are briefly examined, along with links to their work.
Nobel Peace Price Official Website: Though awarding Obama with the Peace Prize calls into question the Nobel Committee's integrity, you still may wish to look at their site.

Organic Cotton Peace T-shirts

New Guestbook

Reply

naturalpaths Feb 29, 2012 @ 2:51 pm | delete

What a joke huh? Sad, there have been so many criminals awared this prize, like Henry Kissinger, now Obama. I don't think very highly of the "award" based on the thugs who have gotten it in the past and present. Of course, intermixed are more deserving people, nonetheless, I think the entire thing is corrupted.