Barack Obama, Nobel Peace (!) Prize Winner
In what one of the most appalling decisions since the Medal of Freedom went to Paul Bremer, Barack Obama has won the Nobel Peace (cough) Prize.
Setting aside the obvious question--what peace agreement did he negotiate> in what material way did he promote the cause of peace?--one has to slap one's collective forehead in amazement at the spectacle of a man getting ready to send 40,000 more troops to kill Afghans winning such a prize. The Iraq War continues without end. Afghanistan is ramping up. Drone planes are bombing Pakistani civilians for fun and profit. He's sabre-rattling with Guinea. He continues to torture detainees in Guantanamo, Bagram, Diego Garcia, various secret prisons, etc. He hasn't restored habeas corpus. He wants to renew the Patriot Act.
WTF?
Setting aside the obvious question--what peace agreement did he negotiate> in what material way did he promote the cause of peace?--one has to slap one's collective forehead in amazement at the spectacle of a man getting ready to send 40,000 more troops to kill Afghans winning such a prize. The Iraq War continues without end. Afghanistan is ramping up. Drone planes are bombing Pakistani civilians for fun and profit. He's sabre-rattling with Guinea. He continues to torture detainees in Guantanamo, Bagram, Diego Garcia, various secret prisons, etc. He hasn't restored habeas corpus. He wants to renew the Patriot Act.
WTF?
posted by Ted Rall at
12:36 PM
21 Comments:
WTF indeed Ted.
It is my fondest hope that this isn't just a slap at Bush. I am hopeful that the Nobel Committee is made up of intelligent people, who had the foresight to believe that handing Obama what amounts to a preemptive Peace Medal will inspire him to stop acting as a shill for the Democratic party (who are shills for a different set of corporations than the Republican Party) and start acting like an individual - a LEADER!
Everyone criticizes the award suggesting that we should instead wait and see what Obama does to deserve it. I suggest we not criticize the Nobel Committee just yet, and see if Obama can earn the prize.
I sent you an email earlier, though I'm not sure you got it. But I am suggesting that you crown Obama with the title of President Not Bush (and the Democratic Party with the title of the Not Republican Party) until such time as Obama (and the DNC) earns his own name by standing on his own achievements; rather than simply being the guy who was elected because he wasn't Bush - because in my mind, that is precisely why Obama is in the Whitehouse.
So, until Obama earns the prize, let's consider that the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize wasn't Barack Obama, but rather President Not Bush.
I jumped the gun on commenting on this, putting my two cents in on the comment page for your current article, but I couldn't help myself. I called my brother this morning, and he told me that Obama had won the Nobel Peace Prize. My response? "Yeah, right. It's October 9, not April 1 - nice try." Then I went online to msnbc.com, and couldn't believe my eyes.
Your list is thorough, Ted, but don't forget Obama's recent comments on Iran. That bought and paid-for fool is determined to project American military might from the Euphrates to the Indus. Some 'man of peace'!
Dale
State College
After making a good call last year, the Nobel Prize committee obviously felt they could take the rest of the century off.
Sort of like the US press following Watergate (America the Book reference).
After Bush, Manson would have been peaceful in comparison. I think that's what the Nobel crowd decided.
I love the fact that this is driving you crazy Rall. I love it more than watching right wing nuts froth at the mouth.
So much for you Obama "Schlobama" schtick. He has the Nobel prize and that is permanent. That is history. Long after your whining is forgotten, it will still be taught in the history books that Obama was only the 3rd sitting U.S. President to win the Nobel Peace Prize.
Nothing you can do to stop it Rall.
LOL!!!
Go Obama!!!
Who were the other people running against Obama for the prize this year? Dick Cheney & Glenn Beck?
Yes, "WTF!" was my own reaction this morning.
And no, this is not "Norwegian Naiivitee", it's a very political move, attempting to get US backing for arctic fishing rights (disputed by Russia) and probably oil/gas contracts in the Middle East, Africa, and/or Central Asia.
Occasionally we award someone who've actually done something meaningful, but very seldom for selfless reasons.
I don't know why any of you are surprised. This is typical thinking of elitist intelligentsia (see Aggie) where you don't have to actually accomplish anything, you just have to have the correct intension's and look intelligent (except for D student Al Gore). Leftists are so easy to dupe.
Ted, I don't know what I'd do without your site (probably continue to oppress women and rule the world, but I'd be a little less entertained). There might be other places to find valid criticism of Obama that's not from the right, but I haven't bothered looking for awhile.
He'll be in good company with Henry Kissinger.
Anon 4:13,
I'm pretty sure people will see Obama's price for what it really is. Much like the Time's Man of the Year awards.
You must be insane to think that people will not scrutiny his win in the future when the cult of personality can be broken. But I guess for now we have to listen to the cult of personality followers.
Why do you side with the Taliban, Ted? Are you a terrorist?
IT JUST DOESN'T MATTER! IT JUST DOESN'T MATTER! ~
"It just doesn't matter" makes more sense than the useless "History will judge." By the time the American Justice System gets around to indicting war criminals, George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and you know the others, they will appear in court in wheelchairs and hooked up to oxygen bottles. Oh, yeah, neck braces, too. Then a Supremely Compromised Court Justice will deem our home-grown war criminals "too frail" to endure a trial. Their memories will be faulty and the public records will have millions of words blacked out, not unlike George W. Bush's military records (ahem) and late actor, Errol Flynn's, FBI files.
It's a quarter past three, there's no one in the place except you and me, So stick 'em up, Joe.....
Anon 5:41,
Yes it does matter. If you think that history judging is useless then that is your opinion not the trend. Bush will never be tried, but history will.
The Nobel Peace prize is a joke, as if that wasn't made clear when Al Bore got it. Barry I is in good company, what with Sadat, Begin, Arafat, Kissinger and other pscyhos receiving it, while Gandhiji was snubbed.
I agree with what Michael Moore said, "Congratulations President Obama, now earn it!".
Yeah I could not believe it myself when I first saw it on Yahoo News. I didn't even know he was in the running. Also, uhmm what exactly did he do to deserve such a prize? I'm honestly conflicted, I don't know if I'm supposed to be confused or jus plain dumbfounded.
As Justin Raimondo (who is Libertarian, but is genuinely anti-war) put it, this is proof that that we are now in Bizarro World.
http://news.antiwar.com/2009/10/09/bizarro-peace-prize-awarded-to-obama/
Hello!
As Justin Raimondo (who is Libertarian, but is genuinely anti-war) put it
How is that a contradiction, Orville? Justin has been more consistently anti-war than Michael Moore, Ted Rall and Amy Goodman put together. It's actually socialists who are "anti-war" according to convenience.
No lie is too absurd.
Has anyone else reconsidered their position on the award since the Nobel committee members publicly commented on their justification for the award?
I think it's a stretch, but its somewhat believable.
I think it would have been nice of them to at least admit the other aspects of the award though.
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