Friday, October 9, 2009

Obama, I'ma let you finish, but MLK had the best Nobel of all time

So, it's been so thoroughly hashed through the internet and traditional media that it's barely worth even addressing, but it's damn hard not to. Finding out at lunch today that Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize was startling to say the least. I had to confirm it between half a dozen different people before I would believe it. Sure, the world has been fawning over Obama for ages now, but surely there was a line that could be drawn in the sand. To give any U.S. President the Nobel Peace Prize after 8 months in office, during which he's done nothing to accomplish any semblance of peace anywhere....this was just too much.

Even putting aside the fact that Obama was basically handed a preliminary pat-on-the-back award for all the marvelous things he will accomplish in the future, it is simply unforgivable that the Nobel Committee would award their Peace Prize to a man responsible for thousands of deaths. Brian Doherty from Reason.com posted "The Peace Prize Body Count" earlier today:

Civilian casualties (est.) in two wars being waged by the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize:
Afghanistan, Feb-July: 886
Iraq, Feb-Aug: 2,629

But in all seriousness, this really isn't that surprising, nor does it really matter. The Nobel Prize has been highly politicized for a long time now, and while there are obviously still plenty of deserving people who win the Nobel, then there are the Al Gores and Barack Obamas of the world. And there will doubtlessly be more outrages to come in the future. I'll wait for them with bated breath.

11 comments:

  1. It's got my hopes up that someone like you or me could win a Pulitzer, since standards have indeed sunk quite low.

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  2. Henry Kissinger won one once, so that awards a joke anyways.

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  3. I'm still in shock, total shock.

    WTF?

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  4. Good post, Erika.

    It's got my hopes up that someone like you or me could win a Pulitzer, since standards have indeed sunk quite low.

    The Nobel Committee has never had high standards when it comes to the "Peace" Prize.

    But, based on those same standards, I nominate you, Ginx, for several Pulitzers!

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  5. Upon reflecting, I think it was two things:

    1. The "not-Bush" factor.
    2. Peace lobbying.

    Regarding #2, you know how lobbyists give politicians money or nice things? Then when politicians go to make decisions, they decide "What the hell, let's throw the organizations represented by those nice lobbyists a bone."

    Maybe it's a not-so-subtle way of saying end the wars and stop detaining people illegally.

    Then again, it is Sweden. I'm sure there's a bank conspiracy that Glenn Beck will be happy to tell us about next week.

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  6. 1. The "not-Bush" factor.

    Yes, he received the prize for not being George W. Bush. It's too bad really, because Obama could have actually deserved a Peace Price if he'd followed through on the expectations so many had for him during the campaign last year.

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  7. I am so disappointed. I no longer have respect for that award.

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  8. Alright, well since "not-Bush" wasn't clear...

    Bush had this sort of "fuck you" attitude to the rest of the world. He set the bar really low for US diplomacy. Obama's speech in Egypt sets a radically different tone, though sadly it is in word alone.

    Also, I don't think he deserves it, nor am I justifying his acceptance of it. I'm just trying to think of reasons he would be considered.

    Personally, I think he should decline to accept the award if he hasn't made constructive steps towards peace before the ceremony.

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  9. if he hasn't made constructive steps towards peace before the ceremony

    Step one: Pull all US troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan.

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  10. Step two: Pull troops out of every other nation on the planet... since we militarized the whole fucking world for some reason.

    Step three: End clandestine torture operations.

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  11. Obama got the Nobel Peace Prize due to something he's been doing for years, before being president. If you'd bother to look stuff up, before complaining.

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