Obama wins Nobel Peace Prize

[Hack&Lube]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

Does this officially make the Nobel Peace Prize awards an official joke award now?

Had he done something that would be different. A Speech in one of the most US friendly Arab countries IMHO doesnt cut it - give that Speech in Iran, Afghanistan, Syria, Lebanon, Libya and I will be impressed.

What does it matter where it was given? It was clearly directed toward all Arab countries including the ones you mentioned and it clearly was seen and broadcast (on Al Jazeera, etc.) in those places and had an impact, etc.

[Puppet Guy]

...isn't this like handing the Hart Trophy to Ovechkin a week after the season starts?

[Devils'Advocate]

Maybe after George Bush set the bar so low for presidents, they figured "at least this guy isn't fanning the flames, so let's give him the prize".

[Devils'Advocate]

Originally Posted by Puppet Guy

...isn't this like handing the Hart Trophy to Ovechkin a week after the season starts?

Funny thing that.

"Obama's administration has made a mess of absolutely everything"
and
"Obama hasn't been in office long enough to have had any impact on anything"

[octothorp]

The problem with the Nobel Peace prize (and to a lesser extent the other Nobel prizes) is that they do not so much reward past actions as much as seeking to influence current and future events. They'll highlight someone who's champion of an issue they want to draw attention to, even if the person has not necessarily done a lot for that issue yet. Al Gore comes to mind here. With Obama, my guess is that they see him as someone who has the potential to have a significant impact on resolving the ongoing middle-east crisis, and they want to try and build an international consensus behind him in order to give him more clout. It's a highly flawed if somewhat well-meaning approach, but this particular decision stretches their credibility more than any other choice they've made.

[VladtheImpaler]

Originally Posted by MelBridgeman

hay buddy..how is it going? See any crows lately?

You might notice I picked Kipper first in CP draft.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by octothorp

The problem with the Nobel Peace prize (and to a lesser extent the other Nobel prizes) is that they do not so much reward past actions as much as seeking to influence current and future events. They'll highlight someone who's champion of an issue they want to draw attention to, even if the person has not necessarily done a lot for that issue yet. Al Gore comes to mind here. With Obama, my guess is that they see him as someone who has the potential to have a significant impact on resolving the ongoing middle-east crisis, and they want to try and build an international consensus behind him in order to give him more clout. It's a highly flawed if somewhat well-meaning approach, but this particular decision stretches their credibility more than any other choice they've made.

Didn't they just give a Canadian one for something 40 years ago (I can't remember what)

I think giving Obama one is just a publicity stunt since the Nobel Prize is so irrelevant now. A stunt that's backfiring already.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

Didn't they just give a Canadian one for something 40 years ago (I can't remember what)

I think giving Obama one is just a publicity stunt since the Nobel Prize is so irrelevant now. A stunt that's backfiring already.

Yeah I saw that on the news, he was the guy that invented the digital camera sensor that converts light hitting the sensor into digital signals.

A huge invention.

[Azure]

“The Republican Party has thrown in its lot with the terrorists - the Taliban and Hamas this morning - in criticizing the President for receiving the Nobel Peace prize,” DNC communications director Brad Woodhouse told POLITICO. “Republicans cheered when America failed to land the Olympics and now they are criticizing the President of the United States for receiving the Nobel Peace prize - an award he did not seek but that is nonetheless an honor in which every American can take great pride - unless of course you are the Republican Party."

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmi...errorists.html

Yay.

Y'all that disagree with this are terrorist supporters. Nice job.

[FlamingLonghorn]

Originally Posted by mikey_the_redneck

It's not what Kennedy did..............it's what he was going to do, before getting shot in the face for wanting to do it. He is the last president who wasn't a corporate puppet.......

This belongs in the conspiracy thread.

[zuluking]

In the shadow of the great peacemaker, Obama:

Sima Samar, women's rights activist in Afghanistan: "With dogged persistence and at great personal risk, she kept her schools and clinics open in Afghanistan even during the most repressive days of the Taliban regime, whose laws prohibited the education of girls past the age of eight. When the Taliban fell, Samar returned to Kabul and accepted the post of Minister for Women's Affairs."
Ingrid Betancourt: French-Colombian ex-hostage held for six years.
"Dr. Denis Mukwege: Doctor, founder and head of Panzi Hospital in Bukavu, Democratic Republic of Congo. He has dedicated his life to helping Congolese women and girls who are victims of gang rape and brutal sexual violence."
Handicap International and Cluster Munition Coalition: "These organizations are recognized for their consistently serious efforts to clean up cluster bombs, also known as land mines. Innocent civilians are regularly killed worldwide because the unseen bombs explode when stepped upon."
"Hu Jia, a human rights activist and an outspoken critic of the Chinese government, who was sentenced last year to a three-and-a-half-year prison term for 'inciting subversion of state power.'"

"Wei Jingsheng, who spent 17 years in Chinese prisons for urging reforms of China's communist system. He now lives in the United States."

[Joborule]

I'm black, and even I think this is rediculous. What has he done yet!?

[CaptainCrunch]

Sima Samar's story is extremely awesome and inspirational.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Joborule

I'm black, and even I think this is rediculous. What has he done yet!?

I don't know whether to laugh at this or laugh at this and then dive behind my couch.

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

Personally, I think it's way too early to evaluate Obama's impact on the U.S., let alone world peace. In that sense, I think this is a bit goofy. However, it's also totally beyond his control. I think it's very funny that somehow an unsolicited award that was deliberated on in another country is evidence of Obama's own arrogance in the mind of some posters.

The committee is saying that they are looking to future, not past accomplishments, as is pretty standard for the Nobel Peace Prize (totally different criteria than other Nobel prizes):

"We trust that this award will strengthen his commitment, as the leader of the most powerful nation in the world, to continue promoting peace and the eradication of poverty," the Mandela Foundation, named for the former South African president who spent decades in prison, said in a statement.

I still don't agree with it, but it does explain how they made their choice. We might quibble with their methods, but ultimately none of us has any more control over the process than Obama himself.

For the information of those who don't know, the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded by a five-member panel appointed by the Norwegian parliament. Nothing to do with the other Nobel Prizes, which are deliberated on and awarded in Sweden through a much different process.

If anyone actually cares, here are Obama's comments about it (emphasis mine):

Let me be clear, I do not view it as a recognition of my own accomplishments, but rather as an affirmation of American leadership on behalf of aspirations held by people in all nations."

I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many transformative figures that have been honored by this prize," he said. "I will accept this award as a call to action, a call for all nations to confront the challenges of the 21st century."

Can you believe the arrogance? I mean seriously: how dare he say that he doesn't yet deserve the award and that it is a call to action for the future rather than a reward for his past actions!!

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by octothorp

The problem with the Nobel Peace prize (and to a lesser extent the other Nobel prizes) is that they do not so much reward past actions as much as seeking to influence current and future events. They'll highlight someone who's champion of an issue they want to draw attention to, even if the person has not necessarily done a lot for that issue yet. Al Gore comes to mind here. With Obama, my guess is that they see him as someone who has the potential to have a significant impact on resolving the ongoing middle-east crisis, and they want to try and build an international consensus behind him in order to give him more clout. It's a highly flawed if somewhat well-meaning approach, but this particular decision stretches their credibility more than any other choice they've made.

Ya, it has already been mentioned, but when it comes to partisan politics, people will believe what they want to.

[Clever_Iggy]

This is a pretty significant smudge on the Noble Peace Prize. Obama has potential to cross many borders and reach out to countries that are/were suspicious of the US's involvement diplomatically in the past.

But 8 months after taking office? A joke.

Living in the US, I'm glad Obama is making an effort internationally to repair the reputation damaged by past presidents/administrations, but I'd like him to win the award for fixing this fataing country so I have a job and can afford to live first.

[Kjesse]

Agreed. This was really dumb.

[CaptainCrunch]

Hay guyz, I've been nominated for the ignoble war prize, the ceremony is being held in North Korea this year and all of you s are invited.

[Iowa_Flames_Fan]

Originally Posted by Clever_Iggy

This is a pretty significant smudge on the Noble Peace Prize. Obama has potential to cross many borders and reach out to countries that are/were suspicious of the US's involvement diplomatically in the past.

But 8 months after taking office? A joke.

Living in the US, I'm glad Obama is making an effort internationally to repair the reputation damaged by past presidents/administrations, but I'd like him to win the award for fixing this fataing country so I have a job and can afford to live first.

Well, apparently it was the beer summit that sealed the deal.

Ms. Valle said she hoped that Mr. Obama's victory would be seen not only as a victory for him, but "as a tribute to the healing power of beer."


Ms. Valle acknowledged that the President's win was widely considered an upset, with most pundits having expected the prize to go to Mad Men or 30 Rock.

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/andy-b..._b_315108.html