Obama awarded 2009 Nobel Peace Prize

[Grizzly]

Obama awarded 2009 Nobel Peace Prize - CNN.com

Just thought I would get the ball rolling. Good morning everyone!

 

[Grizzly]

Oh, and what do I think about this? In a sense, it feels like a backhanded compliment. It's like the Nobel committee is saying "thank goodness you guys came to your senses and voted the warmongering neocons out of office".

 

[Baggins]

Awarded for what he might do rather than for what he has, other than not be GWB.

Still a kick in the nads for those who were crowing about how the loss of the Chicago Olympic bid showed the world did not love him.

No that is why they gave him the world's most prestigious political prize.

 

[JoyJuice]

This ought to drive the wingnuts crazy.

 

[JoyJuice]

..

 

[Grizzly]

This ought to drive the wingnuts crazy.

I'm sure it will. They hate it when nonconservatives receive international praise.

 

[Staccato]

I confess, this shocked me: when the news reported the headlines I thought they had made a mistake. The guy's been in less than a year, and, as Baggins says, apart from being Bush, what has he actually done to deserve this award? Premature.

 

[xMinionX]

Well, that was unexpected. Probably not a good idea, either. I don't think he has done enough yet to deserve this. Efforts are one thing, but I would think you need to see results before prizes are handed out. I believe results are coming, but they're not here yet.

I'm gonna go ahead and jump in with Baggins and Staccato. Feels like this award is for being 'Not Bush.' While that's laudable, it doesn't deserve a Nobel.

 

[Kalevalatar]

Awarded for what he might do rather than for what he has, other than not be GWB.

The guy's been in less than a year, and, as Baggins says, apart from being Bush, what has he actually done to deserve this award?

I'm gonna go ahead and jump in with Baggins and Staccato. Feels like this award is for being 'Not Bush.' While that's laudable, it doesn't deserve a Nobel.

President Obama's acceptance speech in Oslo (quoted with permission):

Nobel Lecture by President Barack Hussein Obama

Your Majesties, Your Royal Highnesses, Excellencies,
Distinguished members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Dear Friends and Colleagues around the world,

First, allow me to extend my deepest gratitude to my predecessor, President Emeritus Bush. George, this one is for you. As the whole world knows, I would not be standing here tonight were it not for your eight years' reign.

 

[AirPo]

So if the President send more troops to Afghanistan, is the Nobel committee going to ask for it's money back?

 

[Staccato]

I've read through a few comments on news sites (not the best place to get a balanced view of opinions, I know), and people seem to be split into roughly three camps:

1. Jubilant. A well deserved award for what Obama will surely achieve in the future.
2. Laughable. This action reinforces their belief that Obama is an egocentric buffoon over whom the rest of the world swoons.
3. Puzzled. The award is too early.

I find myself squarely in the latter of the three categories. Those in the second group would react in a similar fashion if Obama received so much as a gold star saying "Good Effort" on it. Those in the former are who I find rather perplexing.

Can anyone think of a noble prize, for one of the other four categories, that has been awarded pre-emptively, in anticipation of what someone might achieve? Did Crick and Watson posit their findings, receive their noble prize, then discover the significance of nucleic acids? I'm not being against Obama here, but awarding this to him, at this point in time, devalues the prize in my view.

 

[CaDan]

The National Trolling Service predicts a 75% of trolling in this thread today, with periods of light to moderate troll activity continuing into the evening. Some trolling may be heavy in some locations.

 

[Veyrlian]

President Obama's acceptance speech in Oslo (quoted with permission):

Originally Posted by OBAMA
Nobel Lecture by President Barack Hussein Obama

Your Majesties, Your Royal Highnesses, Excellencies,
Distinguished members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Dear Friends and Colleagues around the world,

First, allow me to extend my deepest gratitude to my predecessor, President Emeritus Bush. George, this one is for you. As the whole world knows, I would not be standing here tonight were it not for your eight years' reign.

Fabulous! I'll give him a Nobel price just for that wit.

Well, seriously, it seems premature, so I think they did give it to him just for "not being George W. Bush". And his not-Bushiness certainly has calmed the rest of the world, so why not?

 

[Kalevalatar]

Next issue: how can those Nobel guys give the prize to someone who cannot even prove that he was born, let alone born "live"?!?

Just trying some trolling here...

 

[DaisyDay]

I believe he was given the prize for opening dialogs with nations previously deemed so evil you couldn't even talk to them. It's kind of sad that even this little is light years ahead of what we used to have.

 

[trunks2k]

1. Jubilant. A well deserved award for what Obama will surely achieve in the future.
2. Laughable. This action reinforces their belief that Obama is an egocentric buffoon over whom the rest of the world swoons.
3. Puzzled. The award is too early.

I find myself squarely in the latter of the three categories. Those in the second group would react in a similar fashion if Obama received so much as a gold star saying "Good Effort" on it. Those in the former are who I find rather perplexing.

I'm in neither category, I'm in the "This is just a statement on the previous administration" camp.

 

[AirPo]

I wonder who he was up against?

 

[Gawron]

Posted by AirPo:

“So if the President send more troops to Afghanistan, is the Nobel committee going to ask for it's money back?”

The Nobel Committee once gave this award to Yassir Arrafat. They will never ask for it back.

Posted by CaDan:

“The National Trolling Service…”

Thanks for showing up and contributing nothing.

Posted by aisey Day:

“I believe he was given the prize for opening dialogs with nations previously deemed so evil you couldn't even talk to them.”

The nominating deadline for this award was February 1st of this year. How many dialogs did Obama open less than two weeks in office?

Posted by Airpo:

“I wonder who he was up against?”

Nobody. But seriously, apparently nobody important. I agree with those who have stated that this was more about the prior administration than this one.

 

[[serious]]

The main thrust of the press release was his work on nuclear disarmament as a senator.

 

[iggy123]

Most people who win the award are somewhat socialists. No surprise here. The family that started the Nobel Peace prize was the family of the man who invented dynamite. They felt guilty.....I am so sick of societies making people feel guilty for the use of their brain and knowledge. The only good thing Obama has done....is being drastic with his socialist programs...it is making people open there eyes and realize what he is. The truly sad thing about Obama receiving this award ...somebody else was robbed of it... who has actually earned it. For a man to come up with peaceful ideas (which is never going to happen) and some good speeches (which I am sure he did not write)....just does not cut it for me. All it does is diminish the value of the award.Oh by the way....The actual voting for this award was held on February 1st 2009. 10 DAYS into the Obama presidency. That is what they were basing their votes on. There are people who have devoted their lives to the cause of peace who were overlooked....just so Obama could get an unearned award for 10 days of work. All the award is... a political platform, not a reflection on anything he has done...just on his beliefs.This is nothing different then somebody getting a promotion based upon something other then their performance.