Nobel Peace Prize goes to... Obama

[Duckie]

This just reinfornces my low opinion of Nobel Peace Prizes. He's been in office less than a year has done basically jack shit other than given a bunch of speeches and has accomplished basicallly nothing other than explode the deficit and continue the financial ruin of the country.

I guess not being Bush and some flowery rhetoric is the only criteria the Nobel commitee is looking for these days, they must have swalled the HOPECHANGE pill and not looked at what his actual accomplishments to date are.

Yeah, I'm loving the conservative QQing. Certainly improving US-Russian Relations, US-European Relations, or Nuclear Disarmament had nothing to do with it. He's getting it because because he's ruining the country by giving it over to those negro muslims by passing the Stimulus Bill!

I WANT MY COUNTRY BACK

[KrauserKrauser]

Because obviously it's only the stimulus money I am talking about, not the handing over of more and more power to the Fed, the Nationalization of the Auto Industry, the continued Bailouts of the banks and the proposed bills like the $15k credit for ANYONE buying a house. This short term gain, long term hassle approach makes his claims of looking to the future and building a better future make me want to retch.

He's improved US relations? Russian relations? like all of the 5 minutes he's been President? Sweet! I want Britney Spears or Lindsey Lohan or Paris Hilton to be awarded a medal honoring their morals and chastity before they actually have a chance to do a God damn thing.

Giving this medal to him so early without him actually doing anything significant is fucking bullshit and speaks to the lack of substance behind the award. If anyone can get it by giving a bunch of pre-prepared practiced speeches read off a teleprompter, why give it to Obama and not his speech writing team.

[Duckie]

Because obviously it's only the stimulus money I am talking about, not the handing over of more and more power to the Fed, the Nationalization of the Auto Industry, the continued Bailouts of the banks and the proposed bills like the $15k credit for ANYONE buying a house. This short term gain, long term hassle approach makes his claims of looking to the future and building a better future make me want to retch.

He's improved US relations? Russian relations? like all of the 5 minutes he's been President? Sweet! I want Britney Spears or Lindsey Lohan or Paris Hilton to be awarded a medal honoring their morals and chastity before they actually have a chance to do a God damn thing.

Giving this medal to him so early without him actually doing anything significant is fucking bullshit and speaks to the lack of substance behind the award. If anyone can get it by giving a bunch of pre-prepared practiced speeches read off a teleprompter, why give it to Obama and not his speech writing team.

Because obviously it's only the irrelevant republican talking point I'm talking about, not the irrelevant republican talking point, irrelevant republcian talking point, irrelevant republican talking point, and the irrelevant republican talking point. A black democrat winning a nobel peace prize for international relations after doing things I disagree with on a completely irrelevant domestic front makes me want to retch.

He's done great things? Really? I think I'll just deny them rather than admit that Russian-US relations are they best they've been since 1945. I'll make a celebrity comparison because the 2008 McCain campaign told me to, even if it really doesn't make any god damn sense in context.

Giving him a medal without him actually having done anything besides repair rocky relationships between the world's most powerful country and every other western nation speaks to a lack of man who isn't Obama holding the award. If anyone can get it by being the president and doing significant things on promoting world peace and nuclear disarmament, why does Obama have to get it and not Reagan QQ.

[KrauserKrauser]

Hilarious stuff. Ok, you are saying that a new President that is significantly different from the previous President deserves a Nobel Peace prize as long as the rest of the world likes him?

So the Nobel Peace Prize is a world wide popularity contest?

Any proof to back up the claim that US-Russian relations being so hunky dorey? Any ideas why that might be? Oh yeah, he's caving to Russian pressures and lowering our ABM capabilities! Hooray for Obama he's reducing our security and apeeasing the Russians, Super!

He not only wants nuclear disarmement, he want's to get rid of all nukes, everywhere. Also, I think he wants everyone to move to fun fun happy land and eat tea and crumpets all day long. When my President makes asinine high minded and impossible goals I don't want to give him an award, I want to smack some sense into his utopia-deluded mind and work toward achieveable goals.

I'm fine with the Nobel Peace Prize being the world Homecoming Queen pagaent, I'll just pay as much creedance to their election and awards as I did in High School, basically none, because it is not based on accomplishments, simply popularity.

[Duckie]

I'm not sure if you're trolling or if you actually believe what you're writing. Is there a Poe's law for American Conservatives?

I'm loving the Conservatives crying into their pillows because an internationally admired man has won an award for assisting international cooperation, because he's the enemy and the enemy always does everything wrong. Well, most conservatives. Some are just editing wikipedia to say "Goddamn fucking niggers" and "MUSLIMS TAKING OVER" and stuff. But that's hilarious too, in a sadder way.

[Aaron]

I'm not sure if you're trolling or if you actually believe what you're writing. Is there a Poe's law for American Conservatives?

I'm loving the Conservatives crying into their pillows because an internationally admired man has won an award for assisting international cooperation, because he's the enemy and the enemy always does everything wrong. Well, most conservatives. Many conservatives are just editing wikipedia to say "Goddamn fucking niggers" and "MUSLIMS TAKING OVER" and stuff. But that's hilarious too.

Would it not be better to award it later if these improvements stick? I admit as American Presidents go, he's above average but awarding him this without seeing whether things are going to change over the long run seems premature.

[Thanas]

Yes, I agree. I too like Obama, but this is far too early, especially considering that if he continues to handle the israelis with kid gloves, he will not achieve one of his major goals.

[Duckie]

Oh, I don't deny it. There are probably some better nominees that could have been picked- the usual dissidents and civil rights campaigners and the like, but there's ample reason to have picked Obama too. There were worse choices than Obama, like Sarkozy, in the short list. Yet if Sarkozy were chosen, you wouldn't see this hilarious rightard bloo-blooing going on. It's purely a function of who the nominee is, not what he did.

There's also been worse choices, like that one lady whose name I cannot remember who documented abuses of the native population by some central american military (Guatemala) who was later revealed to have made up some of her book.

If he does something more amazing like create middle eastern peace or something, they can just give it to him twice. Nobel Prizes aren't a one-per-life affair. Several people and one organisation have won twice, and the Red Cross has three of the things even though by its very nature it only does one thing. I guess they pass them out to the Red Cross whenever they have a slow year or something.

A bad choice, but the hilarity in the usual racist and/or right wing tears are great. Especially their "BUT HE DOES STUFF I DON'T AGREE WITH" shouting. Did you know Martin Luther King didn't get a Nobel Peace Prize because he was an adulterer? Oh wait, he did. Turns out irrelevant-to-nobel-peace-prize-concerns are irrelevant. (Then again, conservatives have always harped on MLK's adultery as a valid reason to not honour him or to not respect him, so I guess they might have argued that when he got his.)

[The Spartan]

Is it bad that the first thing I thought about is that I'll have to listen to the bitching for the next few weeks or months?

I do think it's probably a little early. He's obviously done things that could warrant a Nobel Peace Prize, but, well, it's not even been a year.

[Anguirus]

Chalk me up for the "what the fuck is he winning this for?" category. When I read that this morning I was more-than-half-convinced that somehow this happened because the Nobel Committee heard Rush Limbaugh crowing over how much the international community hates Obama because of the Olympics. That or they read Chuck Asay.

[RedImperator]

This comes off more like a sigh of relief than an actual, considered decision. I'm with Thanas and Kendall: this is too early.

Though I'm also with Duckie--the hysterical reaction from the right is worth it for the epic lulz.

[Aaron]

Is it bad that the first thing I thought about is that I'll have to listen to the bitching for the next few weeks or months?

No, I thought that as well. Along with "wonder if he's going to donate the 1.4 mil to something".

[CJvR]

Huh?

For what exactly, getting voted prez in the US isn't a qualification IIRC.
Give the man a few years then he might get it on merit rather than for expectations.

[Simplicius]

"Assisting international cooperation" seems like a rather low bar for a Nobel, since that's just part of the job description for any non-douchebag world leader. Obama's to be applauded for his big diplomatic push and trying to get the US out of the hole Bush dropped us into with respect to international relations, but I would prefer to see such a prize given after his diplomatic reputation has been cemented by at least a term.

There's probably a parting "fuck you" to American unilateralism built into this award as well as acknowledgment of Obama's efforts. It almost makes more sense as a political statement made possible by president's attitude toward diplomacy.

[Duckie]

Guys, Obama didn't spring fully formed from the head of Zeus on 4. November 2009. He might also be getting it for his long-term commitment to nuclear disarmament just like International Physicians for the Prevention of a Nuclear War and their nobel peace prize despite that they didn't actually manage to remove every nuclear weapon in the world either?

And certainly you need results, not attempts and talks and the like, so the first ever successful Iranian nuclear talks and the Russian relations improvements and the fact that America is no longer a completely reviled name around the entire world and the like don't count. This is why no israeli or palestinian has won a Nobel Peace Prize. Oh wait? Yasser Arafat won one along with Rabin and Peres for their negotiations on peace despite that they didn't stick? Oh whoops, scratch that then.

And certainly he's done nothing in 10 months that could possibly matter, he's getting it because he was elected president of the united states. This is entirely just a "we like who you elected america" thing.

The consensus has already formed- people have gut decided "too soon, no qualifications" and so they will declare it too soon no matter what, so it's not even like this post has a point. I'm loving everyone deciding with their gut rather than actually bother to think about Obama's accomplishments and why this could possibly have happened, right after they deride conservatives for thinking only with their gut and making justifications afterwards.

Man, if only the McCain 08 camp had managed to manoeuvre Obama into getting the 2008 Peace Prize. That would have wrecked him entirely, suddenly he'd no longer have any valid qualifications for anything short of a hot dog stand.

[Count Chocula]

What, now campaign speeches, hot air, and withdrawing missile defense from a NATO ally qualifies one for the Peace Prize? The only concrete thing he's done is leave Poland and adjacent NATO states vulnerable to Russian missiles. Everything else has just been talk.

He peddled Hope, and the Nobel committee is giving him a nice chunk of Change. Compared to the Nobel Prize awards for chemistry, physics, literature, or medicine, where the recipients are rewarded for actually doing or inventing something, usually a lot of something, the Peace Prize looks like the "Hey! Let's give a spiffy medal to somebody we like!"

[Duckie]

They do, unless you want to remove the Nobel Peace Prize from every single recipient. In case you didn't know, diplomacy isn't a physical object you can touch and measure, so insisting it have as much rigour as the prize in Chemistry is complete stupidity, but also understandable for american conservatives and other developmentally disabled persons who don't see any concrete value in things the nobel peace prize commemorates like international cooperation, world peace, or commitment to equality for all human beings.

But as usual, you don't like who got it so you're whining. Would we see Chocula and Krauser whining if Sarkozy got it for his attempt at a Gaza ceasefire? Maybe a little because he's French and they don't like the French or Socialists, but not much.

"Hot Air" such as the first ever successful talks with Iran, bringing Russian-American Relations to the first time where they can ever be considered 'passable', and successfully revitalising the image of America from something to be spat upon to the most admired country in the world according to a recent poll. Man he's done nothing at all for the international community. Clearly they're giving it to him and not such hugely qualified other frontrunners such as Sarkozy (who has done what exactly?) because they HATE THE REAL AMERICA. I WANT MY COUNTRY BACK QQ.

But he's the enemy and the enemy can never do anything right. Always oppose the enemy, even if he says something sensible or does something right! Glad to see the Republican strategy for 2010 has filtered down into its dittohead soldiers. Or did it filter up from them?

[Fingolfin_Noldor]

Has there been any precedence for a Nobel Prize Laureate who declined the prize?

[J]

Because obviously it's only the stimulus money I am talking about, not the handing over of more and more power to the Fed, the Nationalization of the Auto Industry, the continued Bailouts of the banks and the proposed bills like the $15k credit for ANYONE buying a house. This short term gain, long term hassle approach makes his claims of looking to the future and building a better future make me want to retch.

Question. How is internal economic policy relvant to the Peace prize?
You do realize he's not getting the award for economics here.

[Straha]

This actually does piss me off.

Not because I don't like Obama (and, for the record, I don't) but because just off the top of my head I can think of Mir-Hussein Mousavi and Morgan Tsvangiri as current politicians more deserving of the award, and at least three activists who deserve at least this level of recognition, and heavens know how many there are that I can't think of. Give the award to them, not to a President whose greatest achievement, so far, is 'hope'.

I wonder how long it'll take for someone to say that this is the Norwegian Parliament meddling in American affairs? If it hasn't happened already.

[Duckie]

Six Laureates have refused- 3 because Adolf Hitler forced them not to accept, 1 because Stalin did the same, 1 because he's Sartre and has some complex philosophical reason, and 1 because despite his attempts at a peace accord he did not actually produce lasting peace in his country.

Personally I think it should have gone to Tsvangiri.

[Duckie]

This actually does piss me off.

Not because I don't like Obama (and, for the record, I don't) but because just off the top of my head I can think of Mir-Hussein Mousavi and Morgan Tsvangiri as current politicians more deserving of the award, and at least three activists who deserve at least this level of recognition, and heavens know how many there are that I can't think of. Give the award to them, not to a President whose greatest achievement, so far, is 'hope'.

I wonder how long it'll take for someone to say that this is the Norwegian Parliament meddling in American affairs? If it hasn't happened already.

Some stories are also citing his attempts at nuclear reduction, nuclear disarmament, and nuclear non-proliferation, which would make sense as the modern version of the Nobel Peace Prize's original intents: promoting world peace, cooperation between nations, and reduction of standing armies.

For one, palestinians and israelis have gained peace prizes without getting permanent middle eastern peace. Barack Obama just by being Not A Republican has done more for international cooperation and brotherhood between nations than anyone else. Let alone that he actually has done a lot to repair Russian-American relations, European-American relations, and is probably one of the foremost American politicians involved in nuclear disarmament in the modern day.

Guys, Obama didn't spring fully formed from the head of Zeus on 4. November 2009. He might also be getting it for his long-term commitment to nuclear disarmament just like International Physicians for the Prevention of a Nuclear War and their nobel peace prize despite that they didn't actually manage to remove every nuclear weapon in the world either?

And certainly you need results, not attempts and talks and the like, so the first ever successful Iranian nuclear talks and the Russian relations improvements and the fact that America is no longer a completely reviled name around the entire world and the like don't count. This is why no israeli or palestinian has won a Nobel Peace Prize. Oh wait? Yasser Arafat won one along with Rabin and Peres for their negotiations on peace despite that they didn't stick? Oh whoops, scratch that then.

And certainly he's done nothing in 10 months that could possibly matter, he's getting it because he was elected president of the united states. This is entirely just a "we like who you elected america" thing.

But hey, HE HAS NO QUALIFICATIONS HE HAS DONE NOTHING NOTHING AT ALL I TELL YOU THERE IS NO LOGICAL REASON HE COULD BE SELECTED ABOVE OTHER CANDIDATES BY ANY CRITERIA WHATSOEVER ALL HE HAS DONE IS SAY HOPE AND CHANGE. Just keep screaming it and it'll be true, just like the same exact attempt to say "Obama has done nothing" in 2008. The Media is of course already screaming about it, but I love people on SDN attempting to cement it even here.

I love the groupthink forming here as we speak by people who are too dense not to actually think or read but instead just make a gut decision and stick with it. "Obama has done nothing by create the word hope" indeed. Certainly he hasn't worked on nuclear disarmament as a Senator, lead the US from becoming a country that people spit when they talk about to a new age of world respect and admiration, hosted multilateral nuclear talks between Iran and the western powers that for once seem to actually be accomplishing things, fixed the dangerously deteriorating Russian-American relations under Bush that came to a head at Georgia, gotten Russia to stop toying with supporting Iranian nuclear ambitions quid-pro-quo for America not poking Russia in the eye over missile defenses Poland didn't even want, and numerous other things.

None of that counts. Why? Cause gut says so.

[Straha]

This actually does piss me off.

Not because I don't like Obama (and, for the record, I don't) but because just off the top of my head I can think of Mir-Hussein Mousavi and Morgan Tsvangiri as current politicians more deserving of the award, and at least three activists who deserve at least this level of recognition, and heavens know how many there are that I can't think of. Give the award to them, not to a President whose greatest achievement, so far, is 'hope'.

I wonder how long it'll take for someone to say that this is the Norwegian Parliament meddling in American affairs? If it hasn't happened already.

But hey, HE HAS NO QUALIFICATIONS HE HAS DONE NOTHING NOTHING AT ALL I TELL YOU THERE IS NO LONGICAL REASON HE COULD BE SELECTED ABOVE OTHER CANDIDATES BY ANY CRITERIA WHATSOEVER.

I love the groupthink forming here as we speak by people who are too dense not to actually think or read but instead just make a gut decision and stick with it. "Obama has done nothing by create the word hope" indeed.

Way to shove words in my mouth, asshole.

Did I say he's done nothing? Why... no I didn't.
Did I say he has no qualificiations? Why... no I didn't.
Did I say he's done nothing but create world hope? Once again I didn't. What I did say, and what all your quotes back up, is that that is his greatest achievement.

You know what? When it comes to his creation of hope, more power to him. What he's done is certainly remarkable, and if I got the chance I'd metaphorically pat him on the back for everything he's done. But there are easily half a dozen people who have DONE MORE than Barack Obama for world peace. Even your quotes emphasize his "attempts at nuclear reduction, nuclear disarmament, and nuclear non-proliferation" and his long term personal commitments. Personal commitments are great, and I'm 100% behind most of his diplomatic initiatives, but to quote Sideshow Bob "They don't give a Nobel Prize in attempted Chemistry" and I don't think they should give a Nobel Prize to Barack Obama for 10 months that can largely be summed up as attempted diplomacy. Give it to someone else this year and if you want Barack Obama to get the prize give it to him either A. When he makes a huge diplomatic leap into the abyss (by, for instance, unilaterally recognizing Iran) or B. When one of his Diplomatic initiatives pays real dividends. Not now.

[Duckie]

Uh huh. And Nobel Prizes always have to go for the most deserving candidate rather than being explicitly given to whomever the Nobel Committee feels like. That's why Gandhi has a Peace Prize.

Glad you didn't quote my listing of all the diplomatic things he's done either, like his very real accomplishments viz Russia and Russian involvement in Iran. They were unnecessary to the meaning of my post.

[Dooey Jo]

withdrawing missile defense from a NATO ally qualifies one for the Peace Prize?

Well, you see, Norwegians, and most of the world, think "peace" means "peace", not "I want my cold war back". Crazy, I know, I mean, how can there ever be peace if we don't keep pointing our missiles towards each other? But what can you do about the dictionary. They should really rename it the "Reagan America Fuck-Yeah Prize" to reflect its true purpose.