Seems a bit strange for a country that’s involved in two wars.
Amazing. Obama only represents a “promise” of good deeds. He hasnt actually done anything yet.
Makes a mockery of the peace prize.
Strange that so many pin so much hope on the guy. Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present you with the ANTICHRIST Mr. Obama.
[quote]“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,” the Norwegian committee said as the prize was announced.
“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.”
Asked why the prize had been awarded to Mr Obama less than a year after he took office, Nobel committee head Thorbjoern Jagland said: "It was because we would like to support what he is trying to achieve".
“It is a clear signal that we want to advocate the same as he has done,” he said.
He specifically mentioned Mr Obama’s work to strengthen international institutions and work towards a world free of nuclear arms. [/quote]
I think that the message that the Nobel committee is sending is loud and clear and considering who they have given the prize to before… I think that we can all agree that regardless of politics this is one of the better choices… as I am sure that even most Republicans will agree… and that is not the case with some of the other Americans who were nominated and won.
[quote]Asked why the prize had been awarded to Mr Obama less than a year after he took office, Nobel committee head Thorbjoern Jagland said: “It was because we would like to support what he is trying to achieve”.
“It is a clear signal that we want to advocate the same as he has done,” he said.
He specifically mentioned Mr Obama’s work to strengthen international institutions and work towards a world free of nuclear arms.[/quote]
That’s silly. Of course, they also gave the prize to Kissinger and Arafat, so making a hash of it is nothing new.
Support: great. Results: better.
The prize is often given to those whose efforts show promise, but Obama’s still far, far too much promise and too little result. The contrast with Bush, no doubt, helps.
As usual, you are speaking in a languge of nuance, which I am sure was your intention… Do you agree with the prize being awarded or not? and if so, why and if not, why not?
As usual, you are speaking in a languge of nuance, which I am sure was your intention… Do you agree with the prize being awarded or not? and if so, why and if not, why not?[/quote]
Revised that post while you were writing. Does that answer sufficiently?
The nobel prize committee is trying to make politics? It is his first year year as a president without any real success. Maybe he will have, maybe not. Bush’s heritage is to expensive.
Does the committe wants to bolster him and his politics? That shouldn’t be the task of a Nobel prize committee.
In the words of the committee:
"“for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples”
I can see maybe good efforts, a nice face and a practical approach, some speeches without hatefull content against the arabs . But “extraordinary efforts”? Difficult decision.
Explain yourself.
Explain yourself.[/quote]
From the Nobel committee:
The contrast with the Bush administration needs no explanation.
The leader of the Nobel comity is a former prime minister and member off the sitting government in Norway.
He is also heading for some top job in the European something. I did not pay attention and don’t care.
Giving the price to a black dude from Africa don’t build any important relations in global economy.
Giving the price to a yellow bloger in China might piss off someone that is important in the global economy.
Generally coward decision with little value. From what I have seen off comments on Norwegian pages people react with shame.
There are people locked behind bars in Africa and Asia that has suffered and putt more effort into piece than this Obama superstar dude.
I don’t think we will see any more prices go to none important opposition leaders in none democratic countries.
I’m now going to drown myself in beer and shame.
PS: The use off black and yellow is not me trying to be racist, but simply pointing out that even we like to call ourself none racist we still don’t give a s*** about human rights for people that are not white.
:ohreally:
What a load of tripe!
He hasn’t even done anything yet!
This is really the lower rungs of the ladder into Hades, if the Nobel folks are giving out the prize to someone that they would “like to support what he is trying to achieve.”
I would give the prize to Master Cheng Yen of Tzu Chi.
She and her organization make the world a better place to life. I like their approach of just doing it and letting the others do the talking.
How can you give the prize to someone who might have good intentions but whose job description is to put the interests of the American people above the interests of all other people?
good point, he is at first the president of the USA not responsible for the world.
[quote=“hannes”]I would give the prize to Master Cheng Yen of Tzu Chi.
She and her organization make the world a better place to life. I like their approach of just doing it and letting the others do the talking.
How can you give the prize to someone who might have good intentions but whose job description is to put the interests of the American people above the interests of all other people?[/quote]
She was nominated in 1996.
good point, he is at first the president of the USA not responsible for the world.[/quote]
Not such a good point. Not if you accept that politics need not be a zero-sum game.
Explain yourself.[/quote]
Much of the world other than some die-hard neo-cons regarded Dubya Cheney Rumsfeld et al as the personification of the things they hated most about America: unilateralist, militarist, all too ready to stretch the law, cynical, manipulative etc. Hence, with Obama, who appears to much of the world as a multilateralist, open to winning hearts and minds in a deeper way, more concerned about human rights and “soft” issues, there is a contrast.
That was obvious Fred. No coffee today?
I think the point that hasn’t been mentioned here is race. How much of the motivation in awarding the prize to Obama stems from the social victory for America in electing an African-American president? No one wants to say it in case they are considered racist! It may not be the case at all. But it is worth considering, IMHO.
Except that Bush during his second administration did go to all of the international agencies, reaffirming their importance… not that this resulted in a lot of cooperation… but still. Now, however, that Obama is president… and a new chapter in US world relations has begun… well, I would say… the onus is now on many of the world’s nations to also ditch their parochial concerns to recommit themselves to doing more to shoulder the burdens of responsibility. I think that Afghanistan will be a key measure of that…
Conclusion: Again, all of this “contrast” with Bush but during his second term… and during Obama’s first term… wherein lies the major difference? I find it ironic that so many would claim to see this difference and then lecture America on its inability to perceive nuance. To me, the dislike of Bush often rested more on how he said something than what he said… and isn’t that a kind of discrimination? a suggestion that anyone who speaks to a domestic audience especially with a southern accent is more ridiculous than anyone else in any other nation doing exactly the same thing?
I will have to admit though… the lack of progress on Iran despite the international cooperation is frustrating… though I am not sure that there is much of anything that anyone can do… We live in an imperfect world often with no happy ending at the end of the movie… pity…
The deadline for nominations for this year’s award was on February 1st. So he was in office for two weeks and he already got nominated? Something stinks in the state of…ahem…Norway.
Weird. He really hasn’t done much to deserve it yet. Do good intentions count? Because then George W. Bush probably deserves one, too.
I hate Americans for stuff like this.
No offense, some of my friends are American. But this just makes my blodd boil and IO want you to acknowledge my feelings.