President O'Bama Nobel Laureate...

[InsaneApache]

....pour quoi?

[Rhyfelwyr]

Not everyone is as refined in foreign languages as yourself.

[CountArach]

Link

Not really sure why to be honest...

• Hasn't achieved anything conrete on Palestine-Israel, whilst not condemning Israel strongly for their invasion.
• Pursuiing nuclear disarmament without... you know... disarming himself...
• Continuing and perhaps escalating Afghanistan
• Withdrawing from Iraq, but not totally

Surely there are far better people than this?

Oh and I realise that I am going to be agreeing with Conservatives on this one... yes I am confused too.

[Furunculus]

"for what reason?"

jolly good question.

obama hasn't done anything yet, so this only devalues the Peace Prize further, and gives Obama's critics a comedy stick to beat him with.

[Fixiwee]

Link

Not really sure why to be honest...

• Hasn't achieved anything conrete on Palestine-Israel, whilst not condemning Israel strongly for their invasion.
• Pursuiing nuclear disarmament without... you know... disarming himself...
• Continuing and perhaps escalating Afghanistan
• Withdrawing from Iraq, but not totally

Surely there are far better people than this?

Oh and I realise that I am going to be agreeing with Conservatives on this one... yes I am confused too.

Obama has improved the diplomatic relationship with

• Russia
• The muslim world
• Europe
• Iran

He got the nobel prize for those achievments. This prize is a hint that this path is the only one for global peace. Something the former administration did not realize.
He did not start the two wars that you are talking about. Starting wars is easy y'know.
Nuclear disarmament is a long process. You can't think that the 3 weeks since the UN meeting is enough time y'know.

[CountArach]

Obama has improved the diplomatic relationship with

• Russia
• The muslim world
• Europe
• Iran

He got the nobel prize for those achievments. This prize is a hint that this path is the only one for global peace. Something the former administration did not realize.
He did not start the two wars that you are talking about. Starting wars is easy y'know.
Nuclear disarmament is a long process. You can't think that the 3 weeks since the UN meeting is enough time y'know.

If he achieves... hell... even two of the things on the list I posted then I would support him getting it. He hasn't, so he doesn't deserve it - at this time.

[The Stranger]

Obama has improved the diplomatic relationship with

• Russia
• The muslim world
• Europe
• Iran

He got the nobel prize for those achievments. This prize is a hint that this path is the only one for global peace. Something the former administration did not realize.
He did not start the two wars that you are talking about. Starting wars is easy y'know.
Nuclear disarmament is a long process. You can't think that the 3 weeks since the UN meeting is enough time y'know.

he didnt get it yet right? hes just nominated, if im correct. it would be weird if he would win...

[InsaneApache]

he didnt get it yet right? hes just nominated, if im correct. it would be weird if he would win...

US President Barack Obama has won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8298580.stm

[Fixiwee]

he didnt get it yet right? hes just nominated, if im correct. it would be weird if he would win...

No he won.

@Count. Have you listend to the speech in Cairo and are you aware on the efect it had on the relationship between the muslim world and the USA?

edit: As far as I know, the peace nobel prize is awared for the endavor, not the results. And you can't argue that Obama is not trying to improve the worlds situation.

[Banquo's Ghost]

Quite extraordinary.

The Nobel Peace committee has long bounced between respectability and sheer political fawning (with occasional visits to La-la Land) but this is weird even by their standards.

Good intentions are the road to Hell, not to a Peace prize. If President Obama wants to show class and his commitment to change, he'll refuse the award. In his shoes, I'd be too embarrassed to show up.

[Furunculus]

This prize is a hint that this path is the only one for global peace.

never have i seen a more glorious example of hubris.

tho as yet i am not sure whether it belongs to a bunch to scandinavains for thinking they know best on matters of world governance, or to you for ascribing such divine judgement to those same scandinavians.

[Husar]

It still seems weird even to me, if it's just about effort you could just as well give it to me, I'm really thinking about world peace often and haven't hurt any muslims.

And what Banquo just said.

[Furunculus]

i have "yes we can" tatooed on my manly parts, and i bought a dish-dash when i was last on holiday in foreign parts, can i have one too?

[InsaneApache]

No you can't.

[Viking]

My initial thought is that this is ridiculous. At a later time, maybe..

[Fixiwee]

never have i seen a more glorious example of hubris.

tho as yet i am not sure whether it belongs to a bunch to scandinavains for thinking they know best on matters of world governance, or to you for ascribing such divine judgement to those same scandinavians.

(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding

Anyway. It's quite funny that you use words like hubris concerning my post, yet also remarking sarcasm like "divine judgement". If I am presumptuous, then so are you.

[Tellos Athenaios]

• Russia
• The muslim world
• Europe
• Iran

He got the nobel prize for those achievments. This prize is a hint that this path is the only one for global peace. Something the former administration did not realize.

So essentially he gets a Nobel Prize for doing his job and he has not actually achieved too much of that. I really do think that while it is admirable work he's done and all; it is not really Nobel Prize material: not yet. Nobel Prizes should go to continuous & sustained efforts, for perseverance in the face of difficulty and to exceptional breakthroughs in the field of endeavour. So far Obama has done a lot but it is mostly symbolic and certainly not a continuous & sustained effort (he's been in office for less than a year); though it is certainly better than the rile-up-the-rest-of-the-world-and-do-not-care attitude that the previous administration was so successful at.

[Fixiwee]

So essentially he gets a Nobel Prize for doing his job and he has not actually achieved too much of that.

In a nutshell: He does his work a lot better then his predecessor

I really do think that while it is admirable work he's done and all; it is not really Nobel Prize material: not yet. Nobel Prizes should go to continuous & sustained efforts, for perseverance in the face of difficulty and to exceptional breakthroughs in the field of endeavour.

From the NY times:
As to whether the prize was given too early in Mr. Obama’s presidency, he said: “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.”

The prize committee said it wanted to enhance Mr. Obama’s diplomatic efforts so far rather than anticipate events in the future.

So far Obama has done a lot but it is mostly symbolic and certainly not a continuous & sustained effort (he's been in office for less than a year);

Sometimes a symbol is all it takes. Thes speech of Cairo cannot be downplayed.

though it is certainly better than the rile-up-the-rest-of-the-world-and-do-not-care attitude that the previous administration was so successful at.

So?

[CountArach]

@Count. Have you listend to the speech in Cairo and are you aware on the efect it had on the relationship between the muslim world and the USA?

Yes... so what? He still perpetuates the status quo on the Israel-Palestine situation.

edit: As far as I know, the peace nobel prize is awared for the endavor, not the results. And you can't argue that Obama is not trying to improve the worlds situation.

I'm not arguing that he isn't trying, but thousands of other people are working towards it as well. He is simply in a high-profile position and has a penchant for oratory.

Fixiwee - would you say that ramping up activity in Afghanistan, thus conducting an action that will harm relations with the Muslim world, is a move that is becoming of a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize?

[Ser Clegane]

If President Obama wants to show class and his commitment to change, he'll refuse the award. In his shoes, I'd be too embarrassed to show up.

It would probably have been a good idea to already decline when the nomination became public, this would have helped to avoid this odd situation.

At the risk of being repetitive - this is indeed a very odd decision.
It actually even robs Obama of the chance to receive this honor for potential tangible achievements a couple of years down the road which would be much more satisfying.

A gesture to show that he is on the right track? Nice - but a complete waste IMHO. He receives enough praise already - and no matter whether this praise is justified or not, at this point it seems completely unnecessary to throw in a Nobel prize to hammer the point home.

I am rather disappointed...

[Fragony]

silly to say the least but stranger things have happened

[naut]

Haha. Good joke.

[Tellos Athenaios]

Sometimes a symbol is all it takes. Thes speech of Cairo cannot be downplayed.

Yes but my point is that is a symbol from a man who's been in an office from which we expect symbols like that on a regular basis; also a man who's promised lots of stuff but so far has yet to deliver much of that too -- when there are so many other and at the moment certainly more deserving candidates with a much more inspiring track record?

As it stands it's a bit of a waste of a Nobel Prize moment, really.

CountArach summed it up nicely:

I'm not arguing that he isn't trying, but thousands of other people are working towards it as well. He is simply in a high-profile position and has a penchant for oratory.

[Furunculus]

This prize is a hint that this path is the only one for global peace.

never have i seen a more glorious example of hubris.

tho as yet i am not sure whether it belongs to a bunch to scandinavains for thinking they know best on matters of world governance, or to you for ascribing such divine judgement to those same scandinavians.

(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding

Anyway. It's quite funny that you use words like hubris concerning my post, yet also remarking sarcasm like "divine judgement". If I am presumptuous, then so are you.

nothing merely your assumption that some random scandinavians are qualified to sit in judgement on success not yet gained.

again, it is not i that ascribes such wonderful foresight to the nobel muppets, but you.

[rvg]

They should create a new Nobel Prize category: "For Being Barack Obama." Then they can subsequently award it to him every year for the rest of his life.

[Fixiwee]

nothing merely your assumption that some random scandinavians are qualified to sit in judgement on success not yet gained.

again, it is not i that ascribes such wonderful foresight to the nobel muppets, but you.

You have only made a joke out of my statement yet. Please tell me what is wrong about diplomacy, the will to talk to each other and rewarding a man for the intentions? If you are trying to derail my statement ad absurdum I fail to understand the reason behind it.

[Ronin]

Leave it to the Norwegians

[Lemur]

I was convinced this was another Onion article, until I clicked the link. I realize they've given the NPP to some offbeat characters such as Yasser Arfafat and Henry Kissinger, but this one really takes the odd cake.

[KukriKhan]

One more tick-mark on the "To-Do" list of Things to Accomplish Before being Selected Simultaneous Secretary General of The United Nations and NATO, after this part-time gig as POTUS.

[Don Corleone]

I think it was rather shrewd by the Nobel committee. Jump on Obama's recent acquiesences to Russia (blocking deployment of the missile shield) and Iran (will not prevent them from developing nuclear weaponry) and reward these in such a high profile, verifiable manner as to prevent the President from ever acting out of accord with their wishes in the future when he becomes more mature in his term (and when presidents stop playing world diplomat and start playing to the home crowd again to get reelected).

What's that? You want to prevent Venezuela from invading Costa Rica? But we gave you the Peace Prize.... you have to just verbally condemn it, you can't actually DO anything about it....