Obama deserves the Nobel Peace Prize and here's why

[Geek_Girl]

He scrapped the Missile Defense Shield Plan in Poland.
http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/americas/09/17/united.states.missile.shield/index.html

He has a commitment in strengthening the United Nations.
http://usun.state.gov/briefing/statements/2009/september/129601.htm

He is using all Diplomatic peaceful options when dealing with Iran.

In my view Obama is committed to peace and deserves the Nobel Peace Price. My hope is he will find a way to quickly get us out of Iraq and Afghanistan without destabilizing those regions.

[Mrs. Overall]

1. Nice. I can't believe DUers are unrec'ing threads that point out positive things Obama has done.

[LisaM]

2. Maybe they'r not DUers?

Be that as it may, it's hardly as if Obama lobbied for or solicited this. I thought his acceptance of it was very thoughtful and well put.

[Mrs. Overall]

8. Have you been reading the threads today?

Many well known DUers are absolutely pissed that Obama received this prize and some are even calling on him to reject it on the grounds that he doesn't deserve it.

I've read several posts saying that Obama is as "horrific" as bush and company.

This is not DU's best day.

[LisaM]

16. Yes, I have. I've also read threads that act as if he's the Prince of Peace himself

I was surprised he got it, but I think he's the type who will take it seriously and will want to live up to it. So I overall think that the Nobel committee did the right thing. I don't see any reason why this very prestigious award can't be used to promote peace, not just honor it.

[stuball111]

7. Rec'd and piss on those who unrec!

I've seen some negative shit too, but I put it in the category of limpnuts... and any poo-poo on this award thing has GOP written all over it!

[Hekate]

3. You are invited to the Party Thread in GD. Woot!

Where for the next 24 hours, we are dedicated to happiness. :party:

Hekate

[GodDamLiberal]

4. Next year - Charlie Brown

will get the prize for physics because he keeps trying to
kick that dam football in an effort to prove Newton's
second law of motion.

[tekisui]

11. Damn. nt.

[Ozymanithrax]

5. He had done none of those things when he was nominated...

twelve days into his administration.

For other Nobel prizes, you actually have to accomplish something. Most often, the prize comes a decade or more after the accomplishment because it takes a long time for the ramifications to become clear.

Only with the peace prize is it unnecessary to accomplish anything substantive, or anything at all. It is like applauding for a movie after the opening credits.

[Geek_Girl]

10. I believe he was nominated because he campaigned so heavily on

improving US relations with the rest of the world. Most people and world leaders found that very inspiring. Perhaps that is why he was initially nominated. But I think the past several months his actions have shown that he is truly committed to Peace. Unfortunately our media does not highlight those accomplishments.

[Ozymanithrax]

12. When Rabin and Arafat shared the Peace Price they were at least trying...

though nothing came of it.

Martin Luther King was nominated after years of struggle in 1964.

Don' get me wrong, I am happy he won it. I just wish he did something singular for the honor.

[saracat]

6. But my undertanding is that it was to be awarded for work prior to Jan.9, 2009. Is that correct?

[ProSense]

13. Read the statement.

We are not awarding the prize for what may happen in the future but for what he has done in the previous year. We would hope this will enhance what he is trying to do...He has created a new international climate...One of the first things he did was to go to Cairo to try to reach out to the Muslim world, then to restart the Mideast negotiations and then he reached out to the rest of the world through international institutions...The Committee has attached special importance to Obama’s vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons...Obama has as president created a new climate in international politics. Multilateral diplomacy has regained a central position, with emphasis on the role that the United Nations and other international institutions can play
And further,


Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world’s attention and given its people hope for a better future. His diplomacy is founded in the concept that those who are to lead the world must do so on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the world’s population...

For 108 years, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has sought to stimulate precisely that international policy and those attitudes for which Obama is now the world’s leading spokesman. The Committee endorses Obama’s appeal that ‘now is the time for all of us to take our share of responsibility for a global response to global challenges.'

more

[saracat]

14. I understand .

[rollingrock]

9. At the same time

he is sending 40,000 more troops to the quagmire in Afghanistan, who his own general says is a disaster.

and we're still stuck in Iraq.

[old mark]

15. I absolutely agree. He has done much for removal of nuclear weapons

and to advance diplomacy over threats and militarism in his few months.He has put America in the lead of nations working for peaceful settlement of international tensions.

AND he did it as almost a secondary function while dealing with the terrible problems inflicted on us by the GOP in this country.

He deserves it. I'm very proud of him.

mark

[Monk06]

17. Exactly so. In fact scrapping the Missile Shield was reason enough for the NP all by itself.

Now Russia is advocating the revisiting of START
and complete elimination of nuclear testing.

And he did it unilaterally without protracted
negotiations. Just one stunning act of good faith.

That deserves the Nobel

[Geek_Girl]

19. I really feel his accomplishment have been downplayed in our media

I think that is why many seem surprised or think that he is undeserving.

[Arkana]

18. He's the first world leader in a long time who's been willing to step into the fire

of diplomatic relations with places like Cuba and Iran.

I think that factor weighed on their decision as well.

[BooBluePotion]

20. After being Passed over by

The Olympic Committee just days ago I can agree with Hekate and give a woot woot to the President his family and all of you out there striving for peace but damn that Olympic Nobel package looks nice

Oh well :)

[customerserviceguy]

21. Its mostly in comparison that he looks less than deserving, however

MLK was thrown in jail multiple times before he got his Peace Prize. VP Al Gore worked tirelessly for years on issues of global warming.

And Jimmy Carter's Camp David Accords are still holding nearly thirty years later. When you get Egypt and Israel to stop fighting for a generation, you really have accomplished something.

It just feels like President Obama is merely being honored for good intentions at best, and as a manipulation of US foreign policy at worst.

[GodlyDemocrat]

22. So he deserves it for not bombing Iran essentially?

Obama called getting the Nobel Peace prize a "call to action". That's funny, I thought you got it for having already done something.

The Nobel committee really hurt its credibility, not on political lines because the conservatives never put too much weight into the Nobel Peace Prize process anyways, but with the general world community who will now wonder whether merely having power to create havoc but not using it is enough to get the Nobel Peace Prize.