Obama Wins Peace Prize - So Soon?

[JonJCT]

Obama's greatest accomplishment to date was winning the Peace Prize. Otherwise he hasn't done jack. He is the same old, same old as far as politicians go. Oh, and James, I love your lace pillow. Does your wife just let you get anything you like? What is that, Laura Ashley?

[planetbaldy]

post more vids with this format

[AsherZ42]

Dose anyone know who else was nominated for the Peace prize?

[AsherZ42]

Never mind, they can't release the list of people that were nominated for the Peace Prize untill 2059

[olumorador]

OBAMA WINS THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE: huh???????????

[bnbalenda]

Obama deserves the Nobel Prize and his Republican critics are jealous.

[sashanj848]

I thou the same why the heck should he have won such an award for work that has not even been seen! Ok he gave people hope but we dont only live on hope but also actions when we said were going to do something thats an action! so they should have wait I feel its all about kissing ass and his head even bigger then it is!

[carrollcrescent]

PART 7 RESPONSE TO AftT3rsshock25

One last point - I agree that he has more charisma than any current world leader. In retrospect, perhaps he could have applied that quality to managing any negative fallout from declining the prize. I am sure he would have succeeded after all, he is the darling of the US and foreign press. Just my opinion.

[carrollcrescent]

PART 6 Response to AftT3rsshock25 If Obama had indeed achieved an objectively recognizable measure of world peace, then, in my view, he could have justifiably accepted the prize. As it is, he is still developing a road map to peace. Given the status quo, I believe that he has handicapped his own ability to effectively tailor US activity to world circumstances, at least in the short to medium term.

[carrollcrescent]

PART 5 RESPONSE TO AftT3rsshock25

After all, the US Presidents most critical stakeholder group is his constituents, and it is THEIR vested interests that he should seek to protect first and foremost, even if it means prolonging a war or starting a new one (Im not at all advocating these actions however, like anyone who is not a professional oracle, I cannot crystal ball the future of the USs place on the world stage).

[carrollcrescent]

PART 4 RESPONSE TO AftT3rsshock25

In my view, a leader should always have a macro-strategy in place - a strong guiding set of principles that will drive his long-term (domestic and foreign) policy agenda world peace is always a commendable high-level goal. However, at the same time, he should also ensure that he retains sufficient flexibility to make pragmatic decisions on a needs basis, free of any unnecessary additional constraints .

[carrollcrescent]

PART 3 RESPONSE TO AftT3rsshock25

He has, in effect, strengthened the political stakeholder profile of Europe, and increased his/the US's need to manage their future concerns and expectations regarding the US's actions. Put another way, he has effectively tied his presidential brand to foreign interests.

[carrollcrescent]

PART 2 RESPONSE TO AftT3rsshock25

He is now in the unenviable position of having accepted a continental mandate to pursue world peace at all costs - of "being damned if he does and damned if he doesn't" - particularly in relation to escalating or winding down the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, closing down Guantanamo, and any future US military endeavours.

[carrollcrescent]

PART 1 RESPONSE TO AftT3rsshock25

Look, there is no definitively right or wrong way to handle this situation. I agree there are consequences to every action (or inaction). However, you might also wish to consider the possibility that Europe has a political agenda that it is attempting to impose on the Obama administration through the Nobel Committee, that will be triggered by his acceptance of the prize (which, at the time of writing, he has already done).

[SabraMagdalena]

I sort of agree with Kotecki- this is a great honor for Pres. Obama, but what has he really done? The way it's been explained to me is that this is Barack Obama's reward for bringing America back to the international table and making her interested in negotiating, after 8 years of Bush Doctrine-style machismo.

Noble, indeed. But I still wish they had waited a little longer, because this comes dangerously close to looking like an empty gesture.

[ryanruns]

SabraMagdalena, while I can see your angle, Nobel Peace Prize nominations must usually be submitted by February 1 of the year. That's less than two weeks from the date Obama stepped into the White House. When you look at it that way the entire ordeal is even more ridiculous.

I can see if this was the end of his presidency and he had made major changes that warranted Nobel Peace Prize recognition, but Obama should have gotten something accomplished before then.

[SabraMagdalena]

Yours is an entirely valid point, and I welcome it. However, did they decide to give the award to him right then and there on the first of February? That would've been truly ridiculous. When did they decide to give it to him?

[ryanruns]

Well, not exactly. Since the nominations were due in Feburary, the Nobel Committee effectively awarded Obama the Nobel Piece Prize for his first two weeks of his work as president and effect on the country during the presidential race, I suppose.

The timing of it all makes this award look like, as you said, an "empty gesture" that was purely political and ideology-driven. I voted for Obama and think he has some great ideas, but ideas don't get you anywhere. We have yet to see if he can act.

[ryanruns]

I agree completely. The whole thing is just a joke.

[gotilk]

Just look at the history of the prize. I agree with everything you've said here, BUT and.. BIG but here...

Historically this prize has not consistently been about accomplishment. It's often been about encouragement.

So.. too soon? Not even remotely.

[dangerkitty5000]

I remember being similarly outraged and confused when the announcement came as to who won last year's Golden Dot Award for best vlog. :P

[meangirlbecca]

The Nobel Peace Prize is such a joke. Looks like they are awarding everybody. They even gave one to Dalai Lama - the old guy who struggles to separate Tibet from China...how ironic! Do they even have a standard?

[kirby4d]

Yes that lying ex-dictator deserves no peace prize. He has deluded the world with his poor Tibetans bullshit

[HayaJi]

In the UK they're saying it's about the hope and good vibes he's brought after, frankly, eight years of belligerent and inward-looking "bushism"....., some even say that America might find it almost insulting and some sort of finger-pointing exercise at the choice made after Bush. I do know it feels a bit early and rather unsubstantiated.... (I really like the guy tho BTW). He's a good orator but the proof of the pud will be in his actions, not his speeches (however rousing they might be).

[jp3711nc1]

didn't they give the peace prize to a terrorist dictator?

[kirby4d]

Yasser Arafat, yes.

[Stonehouse760]

WOW! Who knew? You can actually recieve a Nobel Peace Prize for doing nothing!

[joecandito]

yeah, just make a bunch of promises and there you go, pulitzer prize

im gonna tell the commitee that votes for this that im planning on making a food replicator to solve world hunger

it doesnt matter if we actually do what we promise to do does it? i mean isnt the hope i generate from the idea of mye solving world hunger enough for me to get my prize?

[Mastikator]

The Nobel Peace Prize is a joke. Seriously, first Al Gore for... nothing, really.

Then Obama for... nothing, again.

I've accomplished nothing grand, where's my Peace Prize?

[kirby4d]

He brought climate change to the forefront, which the rest of the world understands is real.

[freedominsomalia]

obama is a bitch! mu8agaha

[hascat]

what a joke. he hasn't done a damn thing for peace.

[kuryamtl]

actually he has done more for peace than 8 years of Bush 2 foreign policy, however I think the committee could have waited at least a few years.

[carrollcrescent]

it's a little like being awarded an A+ - for EFFORT, NOT ACHIEVEMENT - at school. Focus on PROCESS is a good thing - but only if it ultimately produces an OUTCOME. If I were Obama, I would, very graciously, decline the prize, citing more deserving nominees at this juncture in time. Now, THAT would be the mark of a great man ...and a Nobel Laureat- in- the- making.

[Aft3rshock25]

Your idea is grand and noble *har har* and all, but you need to consider other factors. Should he decline the prize it would be seen as an insult to the international community and once again America would be seen as being holier than thou. I agree that his receiving of the prize is premature, but I think it's ridiculous that people are faulting Obama for it. It's not as if he pulled a Kanye West and declared himself the greatest man on earth. You can't really fault a guy for being charismatic.

[carrollcrescent]

Hi - I've provided a 7 part response to your comment (see below).

[hypothetisch]

The peace prize is awarded by the Norwegian nobel committee and in the last couple of decades it's basically turned into a honorary job for retired Norwegian politicians.

Imagineif the the committee was in America it would probably be run by Tom DeLay and Al Gore.

So that's why they make so many questionable decisions.

[poochock2212]

i completely agree! he was just elected!

[GeamProducts]

SO SOON??