Nobel Peace Prize for Obama - no comments?

[Freya]

Hmm... Somehow I'm quite shocked. I would've guessed that someone posted a thread about Obama winning the nobel peace prize... But there's none. I searched for both Obama and nobel peace prize... nothing!!! I. am. shocked.

So, as many of you come from America, what do you think about this?
Is it of no importance? Do you just wish it didn't happen? (XD")

I've read so many articles about Obama, newspapers had huge pictures, showing Obama and almost shouting "OBAMA WON NOBEL PEACE PRIZE!!!", still there's no thread about it... hmm... .-."
It's not that I desperately want a thread about it, mind you, but I would like to read your reactions on this matter.

I'm still not sure myself. I neither like nor hate Obama, and I'm not sure if he deserved this prize. .-." There are many pros and cons of this, so... I just have to think about it for a while, I suppose. xD"

[Pete]

It was a bullshit gesture. I'm pretty sure on his first day on the job, he wound up killing 30-some innocents in a bombing gone awry. I think that he only won the prize because he wasn't Bush, who the global community considered a warmonger. So by default, he was given the prize because he wasn't a "warmonger." It's just liberals patting other liberals on the back for being liberal. You can even look at it as a not so subtle **** you to conservatives. The only thing Obama has done in his 9 months of presidency is check out a few sporting events and hasn't done a damn thing for peaceful change.

So far "peace" includes:
Killing innocents with drones.
Saying he will disregard borders to kill Al Qaeda*
Still pandering to Israel and helping to cover up attacks
Heating up the war in Afghanistan*
Practically invading Pakistan*

What's even stranger is that the nomination period ended 2 weeks into his presidency. I don't think he even had his stuff out of boxes at this point.

Hell, I haven't killed any Afghanis, should I be considered for a Peace Prize? I've done a lot more towards establishing peace in my own neighborhood. Such gestures include:
NOT flipping people off while driving anymore.
NOT slashing the tires of the dude who parallel parks like he's playing bumper cars.
NOT decking the guy who tried to start a fight at a bar the other night.

*I'm all for these things, but I'm making a point.

[Jeordam]

for the last few days. I didn't want to just rush off and think on the fly or what not, but instead I wanted to sit back and examine what all this was about. Ultimately, I find him winning this award as a slap in the face to those who have won it in the past for actually doing something through their life. Granted, the last winner that I think of who one it was Al Gore. He may be the champion for a cause which is a total fabrication, but that has yet to be determined. Even Al Gore spent more time doing stuff...traveling...awareness programs...than President Obama has one. Gore's spent *years* championing this cause (all the way back to when he was VP...and even before).

The Nobel Peace Price, in this instance, has become nothing more than a popularity contest. President Obama got it for talking a good talk. For providing peace and hope talk, and for generally giving good speeches & being himself. Is this fair to past winners who have spent their *lives* championing their cause. President Obama was in office for 2 weeks when the nomincation closed.

Although I could be dramatically wrong (its been known to happen on rare occasions), but I think that this is actually going to hurt him in the long run. Have you ever heard good things about a movie...your friends build it up, all the reviews/media says its the best and most awsome movie in forever...and then you go and see it, and its not nearly as good as you think. Why? Because the expectations could never, ever reach the reality of the situation. The reality of President Obama's situation is that he is in the deep end of the pool, and he has not yet demonstrated that he can swim. He has not followed through on his promises as of yet, and he has demonstrated nothing more than indecision and inaction. His party is in very real danger of loosing the House of Representatives, and key members in the Senate may not even be voted back into office.

I pray that he can make some wise decisions. He was certainly not the candidate that I voted for, and ultimately nothing short of a complete recanting of every one of his liberal policies and him changing parties could get me to vote for him in the next election (and even then). Even with this in mind, however, I do not dislike him. I do not hate him, and I wish him only the best, because at the end of the day, he is still my President. More than anything, I'm embarassed for him. Him getting this award now would be like giving a "Most-Fit/ Best-Health" award to someone who is significantly obese who is 2 weeks into their diet/workout program.

~Jeordam

[Dodie16]

I really don't pay attention to that sort of thing, but I did look up some more information about it just so I could be "in the know" I suppose.

I think Obama shouldn't have gotten it, at least not so soon. Has he really done anything yet that is worthy of such an award? I think that Obama should refuse the award so it could be given to someone more deserving. It wouldn't be the first time someone has done so. I agree with Pete, in the fact that it was a slap in the face to conservatives. (I'm not stating my political affiliations or anything, but that does seem rather strange...

The Nobel Peace Prize is a notoriously difficult award to predict, but yesterday's decision was clearly a political choice, with three of the past six peace awards going to Bush adversaries.

Barack Obama's peace prize starts a fight - Times Online

I think it's nice that Obama is donating the prize money to charity.

[Clint]

The only reason he won the Nobel Peace Prize is the exact same reason why he was elected president in the first place; because he's black. If you think about it, what has he done to deserve it besides being the first black president? He's taken a shitload of vacations since being elected, but that's about it. Of course, it's understandable that a black president would take so many vacations, because of that whole work ethic thing.

[Jeordam]

The only reason he won the Nobel Peace Prize is the exact same reason why he was elected president in the first place; because he's black. If you think about it, what has he done to deserve it besides being the first black president? He's taken a shitload of vacations since being elected, but that's about it. Of course, it's understandable that a black president would take so many vacations, because of that whole work ethic thing.

That's not cool. If you want to judge him on his actions, then equate those actions to who he is as a person, a leader, and as a man. His actions, or lack thereof depending on how you see it, have no bearing upon his ethnic background. If we were going by our ethnic background, I should be picking produce by the side of the road...instead I have degrees and advanced degrees in everything from business to biology, music, and theology. Our actions are our own, not as a result of our skin color.

~Jeordam

[Fluffy]

The only reason he won the Nobel Peace Prize is the exact same reason why he was elected president in the first place; because he's black.

The funny thing is that if he had lost, everyone would be saying the same exact thing about that; "He lost because he's black." No matter what happens to him, it's always because he's black.

I personally don't care that much, though, honestly. I'm not into these kind of things, but can anyone tell me who would have been better suited to win this? Really, I'd like to know, because I'm not very well informed about other people. One of the other nominees, or perhaps someone else you have in mind?

Who do you people think should have won?

[Dodie16]

I personally don't care that much, though, honestly. I'm not into these kind of things, but can anyone tell me who would have been better suited to win this? Really, I'd like to know, because I'm not very well informed about other people. One of the other nominees, or perhaps someone else you have in mind?

Who do you people think should have won?

Apparently, 2009 holds the record for most nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize (205). As for who these people/organizations are, we won't know for 50 years because of some tradition that the Commitee has:

Nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize

Every year, the Norwegian Nobel Committee sends out thousands of letters inviting qualified people to submit their nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize. The names of the nominees and other information about the nominations cannot be revealed until 50 years later.

As for who I would have liked to have seen get it, I really can't name a specific person, but I would have liked for it to go to someone who spent a greater deal of time in the effort of peace than Obama.

Just something I came across when looking up info: Gandhi never won a Nobel Peace Prize. He's been nominated but he never won. That's lame...

[Clint]

That's not cool. If you want to judge him on his actions, then equate those actions to who he is as a person, a leader, and as a man. His actions, or lack thereof depending on how you see it, have no bearing upon his ethnic background. If we were going by our ethnic background, I should be picking produce by the side of the road...instead I have degrees and advanced degrees in everything from business to biology, music, and theology. Our actions are our own, not as a result of our skin color.

I'm not racist, I just threw in that work ethic thing in there just to seem racist, because I'm funny as hell. It's not my fault that the Afro-Americans are so offended by racism. You could call me a honky all you want. It won't bother me. But in reality, he actually did win the Nobel Peace Prize for being the first black president, because he really hasn't had time to do anything else besides being black. I'm pretty sure it has something to do with breaking the Civil Rights barrier. That would at least make sense.

The funny thing is that if he had lost, everyone would be saying the same exact thing about that; "He lost because he's black." No matter what happens to him, it's always because he's black.

That just proves that white is right.

[Che]

Everything is so ****ed anymore. The government has control over everything, the politicians bullshit their way to Nobel Peace Prizes that don't mean anything anymore.

I get tired just hearing about it. What a mess.

[RagnaToad]

A prize like that just sounds like it's important, but it's something that is awarded to someone every single year, whether it was a shitty year full of shitty wars or the most peaceful year of the past decades. So no matter what happens, you just have to be lucky to be the most popular/controversial/peaceful person in that year in the minds of the right people. It doesn't really mean anything (anymore?).

Most of you know I'm a big Obama supporter and so far he's doing a good job, considering the nutjobs he constantly has to prove wrong.

But did he deserve the Nobel Prize for Peace? Hell no. He's the leader of one of the most aggressive nations in Western society, and I believe he could have closed down Guantanamo Bay faster than the way things are going now.

But it does show us what an impact he has had on educated, intelligent people who sincerely believe in what he's trying/busy to accomplish.

But yeah, I was totally overwhelmed. It's a surprise, but it doesn't bother me at all. Like I said, the Nobel Prize is only cool in the categories of Literature etc. Because it is based on the things a person has accomplished during his/her whole life.

Also, I delibirately didn't start a thread about it, because I was so tired of the whole 'USA VS. the rest' discussions.

[ChloChloAriadne]

To sum it up, I think he won because -
1 - He seems friendly enough
2 - He's black
3 - He's not Bush.

Well and truly NOT good reasons to win such an award.

He was also nominated for the award when he had only been in office for ten days, which proves that he didn't recieve it for doing anything of worth.

I'd say that it's akin to somebody writing three pages of a 1000 page book and winning the Nobel prize for Literature.

I'm fairly neutral about him and he may have potential to win it in the future, but this is just far too soon.

At least he's giving the prize money to charity, which I think is a nice gesture.

[GypsyElder]

The only reason he won the Nobel Peace Prize is the exact same reason why he was elected president in the first place; because he's black. If you think about it, what has he done to deserve it besides being the first black president? He's taken a shitload of vacations since being elected, but that's about it. Of course, it's understandable that a black president would take so many vacations, because of that whole work ethic thing.

Partially true, I think the main reason why he won the piece prize at all is simply the fact that he's not Bush. I think everyone was just happy to get him out of there.

I'm sick of everyone saying "omi gosh the first Black President" Yes, a Historical moment, because it shows that "racism" is is going out the door which is good, But the guy isn't even full African American right?. Even if he was, with how things are today who cares? and for people who think it's a calamity to have a black president, what do you think is going to happen because of it?

[Rocky]

I think getting the Nobel Peace Prize was a good thing for Obama and for the US as well. Sure, he probably wasn't the most deserving of it, but if anything I could see the award holding him accountable with keeping his promises and doing the "right" thing while he is in his presidency.

Maybe not, but who know? Anyways, cheers.

[Govinda]

How else were the Norwegians going to get him to come to Oslo? They're just after an autograph. It's blatant

Besides which, the guy the prize is named after got famous for inventing, sing it with me, gunpowder. That substance has done so much for peace. It's always been bullshit.

[Andromeda]

Alfred Nobel didn't invent gunpowder, it was dynamite that he invented. The Chinese were more or less the inventors of gunpowder if memory serves me. Nobel was aware of how deadly a material he invented. That was why he had the Nobel Prizes started. He wanted to leave something behind that did not promote death, considering his legacy and fame was for explosives. However contradictory it is having a Peace Prize the result of someone known for making it easier to kill people. I think in the end he regretted his work.

[Maridia]

Not that this is the most relevent thing. Remember when the Dixie Chicks shit talked Bush and America shit themselves cause they "Disrespected" the President. Annnnd a couple months later he became the punchline to every joke...if you get people in motion on some things it's sad how they just rally much like an angry mob. Almost like a sports team, except with our money, and freedom...

[cbchick]

I think getting the Nobel Peace Prize was a good thing for Obama and for the US as well. Sure, he probably wasn't the most deserving of it, but if anything I could see the award holding him accountable with keeping his promises and doing the "right" thing while he is in his presidency.

Maybe not, but who know? Anyways, cheers.

yea i agree. he's only been in office for a few months, it's gonna take him some time to make changes to the US and such. he cant do it in a matter of a week or so? give him some time.

i also heard from my mom that he won the award because of his speeches and the way he wants to change the US and make it a better place. tho, im not really into the politics thing and stuff, so i dont kno much about it.

[Govinda]

Alfred Nobel didn't invent gunpowder, it was dynamite that he invented. The Chinese were more or less the inventors of gunpowder if memory serves me. Nobel was aware of how deadly a material he invented. That was why he had the Nobel Prizes started. He wanted to leave something behind that did not promote death, considering his legacy and fame was for explosives. However contradictory it is having a Peace Prize the result of someone known for making it easier to kill people. I think in the end he regretted his work.

Ah, yes, sorry. But he was heavily involved in gunpowder. He set up the first gunpowder beach silos very near to my hometown, on a site that later became a weapons factory (my home county was bombed to death during the second world war because of this factory). There's a little underfunded museum on the site now, run by an old man. The giant holes where Nobel kept his shit are still visible on the beach, disguised as miles of dunes.

I respect the Nobel prizes for technology and so on, because his invention did change the world, and can be useful. But I can't respect the Peace Prize. ****ing Bono from U2 won it once. Really. Bono.

[Sasquatch]

Th Nobel Peace Prize has been a political award for decades. It used to mean something, but not anymore. Jimmy Carter got a Nobel Peace Prize -- sure, Habitat for Humanity is a great program, but Carter did nothing to promote peace but bash Israel and offer "Palestine" nearly everything it wanted, which resulted in absolutely nothing. As mentioned, Bono got a a Nobel Peace Prize. Yassir Arafat -- one of the most violent sons of bitches in history -- won a Nobel Peace Prize. (Yeah, the guy that has flat-out admitted that he won't stop attacking Israel until Israel doesn't exist anymore and every Jew is slaughtered. Peaceful guy, huh?) Hell, Al Gore won a Nobel Peace Prize. That guy has done absolutely nothing for peace. Mohammad El Baredei go it, and he helped cover up Iran's nuclear program. Mikhail Gorbachev got one. Kofi Anon got on.

In the past, it was respectable. Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson received Nobel Peace Prizes. The Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. got one. The 14th Dali Lama got one. The Red Cross has gotten two or three. Mother Teresa, Desmond Tutu, Nelson Mandela, all actually DID work for peace. What happened?

But you've got to look at the prize committee. This is a group of people who blatantly stated that they gave Jimmy Carter a Nobel Peace Prize as a "kick in the legs to America". It's nothing more than a political move.

And good for Obama - he gave his prize money to charity. As is customary with Nobel Prize winners.

[Jin]

But I can't respect the Peace Prize. ****ing Bono from U2 won it once. Really. Bono.

Discussion over.

V'yetnam zhivyet boretsya pobyedit!

[RagnaToad]

Bono never won the prize, people.

How else were the Norwegians going to get him to come to Oslo? They're just after an autograph. It's blatant

Besides which, the guy the prize is named after got famous for inventing, sing it with me, gunpowder. That substance has done so much for peace. It's always been bullshit.

The Nobel Prize is a Swedish thing. Stockholm is the city you're looking for. And like Andromeda stated, he didn't invent gunpowder. That has been around way longer.

As mentioned, Bono got a a Nobel Peace Prize.

No he didn't. He was nominated several times and received the 'Man of Peace' award. But no Nobel Peace Prize.

Yassir Arafat -- one of the most violent sons of bitches in history -- won a Nobel Peace Prize. (Yeah, the guy that has flat-out admitted that he won't stop attacking Israel until Israel doesn't exist anymore and every Jew is slaughtered. Peaceful guy, huh?)

Calling him one of the most violent sons of bitches in history is not very relevant, as he is no more violent than many American presidents (coughNixoncoughW.cough). You'd have to compare his actions to what other leaders in the same situation would do. I agree that he didn't deserve to receive an award like that at all. A comment like the one you're mentioning alone would exclude him from my personal short list...

And indeed, the Prize is worth shit these days.

[Govinda]

Obama to come to Oslo to receive Nobel-Norway PM | Reuters

In that case, Ragna, that's the biggest typo involving the word 'Stockholm' that I've ever seen . And yes, I got gunpowder and dynamite mixed up, oops. I only associate Nobel with gunpowder because he filled my local beaches with it. Dynamite still blows people up. He may have been trying to turn himself around, trying to make something good come of something bad, and for that, fair play to him. But still.

Man of Peace, Peace Prize, pffft. They still recognised that greedy asshole.

[RagnaToad]

Obama to come to Oslo to receive Nobel-Norway PM | Reuters

Now that's just plain weird.

Why would he go to Norway to receive a Swedish prize awarded by an organisation based in Stockholm?

That's like going to Belgium to receive a German award...

[smurphy]

I believe that despite his good intentions, he doesnt deserve it.................yet. I also believe his inability to try and reign in the rogue states(you know, the"axis of evil") may damage peace in the long run. And theres a precedent in the oval office, Woodrow Wilson in 1919, unable to make France toe the line at the treaty Versailles, 20 years later the third reich invades Poland. Well you know the rest.

[Sasquatch]

Calling him one of the most violent sons of bitches in history is not very relevant ...

We're talking about the Nobel Peace Prize. A prize for peace. Yes, violence is relevant.

... as he is no more violent than many American presidents (coughNixoncoughW.cough).

Not only false, but also irrelevant. Nixon and Bush didn't state as their country's goal the complete destruction of a neighboring country and the slaughter of an entire religion. And Nixon and Bush didn't win Nobel Peace Prizes, did they?

You'd have to compare his actions to what other leaders in the same situation would do.

In the same situation, like ... being extremist Muslim, the "leader" of a nation that doesn't exist, and having an extreme hate for every member of a neighboring country and an opposing religion? We don't need to consider what other extremist nutbags would do.

Why would he go to Norway to receive a Swedish prize awarded by an organisation based in Stockholm?

The Nobel Institute is on Oslo. And it's not a Swedish prize, it's a Norwegian prize -- only, at the time, Sweden and Norway were the same country.

And my mistake, you're right -- Bono didn't win a Nobel Peace prize. He was nominated for at least three, however, and he did win the Man of Peace award, granted by the World Summit of Nobel Peace Prize Laureates.

[RagnaToad]

The Nobel Institute is on Oslo. And it's not a Swedish prize, it's a Norwegian prize -- only, at the time, Sweden and Norway were the same country.

Wikipedia:

"The Nobel Prize (Swedish: Nobelpriset) is a Sweden-based international monetary prize."

"[...]These Prize ceremonies are held at the Stockholm Concert Hall, with the Nobel Banquet following immediately at Stockholm City Hall."

but

"The Nobel Peace Prize ceremony has been held at the Norwegian Nobel Institute (1905–1946); at the Aula of the University of Oslo (1947–1990); and most recently at the Oslo City Hall."

So I guess that means we're both right?

And I'm not going into politics with you any further for now, but apart from the little 'Nation that doesn't even exist' comment, I'm pretty much hearing what you're saying.

[Sasquatch]

Hahahahah. Agreed.

The Nobel Peace Prize is the milkman's son of the Nobel Prize family. While most Nobel Prizes (Physics, Chemistry, Physiology/Medicine, Literature) are awarded in Sweden (with recipients chosen by specific Swedish institutes), the Peace Prize is awarded in Oslo, Norway -- and the recipient is chosen by five elected members of the Norwegian parliament. Way to make it difficult, Alfred.

The pathetic thing about Obama -- and most people don't realize the extent -- is that his nomination wasn't for his time as President at all, even though the deadline for nominations was only thirteen days into his term. That would be pathetic, of course -- a Nobel Peace Prize for only thirteen days as President. But what's even more pathetic -- and shows the true character of the Nobel Peace Prize now -- is that the Prize is for actions during the preceding year. So it wasn't for early 2009 at all, it was for 2008. And what did Obama do in 2008? He campaigned and was elected. That's it. Really -- look at his Senate record for '08. All he did was try to get people to vote for him. Nothing else. So what happened is that Barack Obama received a Nobel Peace prize for his political campaigning and election.

Sad, ain't it? They might as well have had all the living Nobel Peace Prize laureates stand in line and kick every one of 'em in the nuts. Of course, they might not even feel it anyway, after the awards to Carter, Kofi Anon, Arafat, Gorbachev, and Al Gore.

[Walter Sobchak]

There is a certain charm in Obama accepting the award and then ordering thousands of more soldiers to Afghanistan.

It is fun having a celebrity President, though. He might have turned out to be almost as fascist and militaristic as the guy that left a few months ago, but isn't this ride just so much more fun? For all I care he could personally butcher dozens of Arabs, withdraw all aid from the poorest parts of Africa, and order the military to storm Congress and employ martial law, but as long as he makes another NCAA bracket next year, who is really going to care? The mistake has been not having a fantasy football team.