Obama Wins the Nobel Peace Prize

Does he deserve it

from JoeUser Forums

All those who were enamoured of Barack Obama's magic with words, literrally spinning a gossamer web of dreams with his rhetoric,will of course welcome the announcement from Oslo. Unlike George W. Bush, who reached out to his gun instead of quiet diplomacy, Obama has so far shown restraint and has given primacy to statecraft. I think like Theodre Rooseveldt Obama believes in taliking softly while carrying a big stick. Let me first then congratulate President Barack Obama. I am happy with the choice, though there are some disquiet already in the air.

Barack Obama as candidate for the Presidency did advocate peace in the Palestine-Israeli conflict. In fact in his Cairo University speech Obama reiterated the need for peace and even suggested a halt to the settlements on the West Bank. He successfully held a sumit meeting with the Prsident of the Palestinian Authority and Benjamin Nethayahu, the Premier of Israel. I think President Obama for all his effort towards peace did not succeed even in making the two take even a step toward peace.

As far as Iran nuclear issue is concerned, President Barak Obama has shown tremendous restraint and is still speaking the language of diplomacy. The Iranians have shown willingness to negotiate and I think the crdit for this shift goes almost entirely to Obama. But President Obama must also rule out the use of military force in the pursuit of Amarican objectives in the region, as any use of military force will engulf the Presian Gulf region in conflict. Now that President Barack Obama has got he accolade of the Nobel Peace Prize, his hand will lie lightly on the trigger.

It is in Afghanistan that President Obama faces his greatest challenge. Unlike the generals, Obama wants counter-insurgency to be aimed at providing security. In fact, the wat is slowly slipping out of hand and unless the uS shows more patience and thw willingness to absorb much more casualities, I am afraid the war in Afghanistan will end the Soviet way. So far President Barack Obama hasnot committed any major blunder. However, the war in Afghanistan will certainly fester unless the President changes his strategy. I feel the dismantling of the Pashtus areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan and their reconstitution as an independent Pashtun nation is the only solution to the problem of instability in Pakistan and insurgency in Afghanistan.

In Europe, President Barack Obama has become a hero because of his willingness to abandon the nuclear shield and accomodate Russian anxieties over Poland and Georgia. The Nobel Peace Prize is for that initiative alone.

nobel peace prize barack obama
4,696 views 17 replies
Reply #1 from JoeUser Forums Top

:sick:

Reply #2 from JoeUser Forums Top

In Europe, President Barack Obama has become a hero because of his willingness to abandon the nuclear shield and accomodate Russian anxieties over Poland and Georgia. The Nobel Peace Prize is for that initiative alone.
End of quote
\

Obama was in office for 11 days when the nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize ended. According to your article, the Nobel committee must be clairvoyant. Are you too blind to see it's political? They are promoting a European style liberalism in the US. It so apparent to those that will open their eyes.

 

WindowBlinds - Free yourself of the default settings, customize your desktop.
Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top

Obama was in office for 11 days when the nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize ended. According to your article, the Nobel committee must be clairvoyant. Are you too blind to see it's political? They are promoting a European style liberalism in the US. It so apparent to those that will open their eyes.
End of quote

You have a point. So the Nobel Prize is basically to rein in the hands of the US President.

Reply #4 from JoeUser Forums Top

So the Nobel Prize is basically to rein in the hands of the US President.
End of quote

That would appear to be what 5 unelected, unaccountable, socialist Norwegians would like to see happen.

Reply #5 from JoeUser Forums Top

You have a point. So the Nobel Prize is basically to rein in the hands of the US President
End of quote

What a great way to manipulate an ideological agenda... give a $1.4 million cash contribution "award" and a "prestigious", world renown prize. I'd say that buys a lot of valuable lobbyist time.

I re-read my earlier post, and it sounded a bit harsh. Wasn't my intent to offend, Bahu. 

Reply #6 from Stardock Forums Top

Unlike George W. Bush, who reached out to his gun instead of quiet diplomacy, Obama has so far shown restraint and has given primacy to statecraft.

End of quote

In other words, he hasn't done anything and US allies cannot rely on him to do anything.

 

Barack Obama as candidate for the Presidency did advocate peace in the Palestine-Israeli conflict.

End of quote

I don't want to talk down the achievement of advocating peace, but which presidential candidate has ever not advoocated peace in the "Palestine"-Israel conflict?

(In fact, outside the likes of Hamas, the PLO, and many Arab states, who has ever advocated war in the "Palestine"-Israel conflict?)

 

As far as Iran nuclear issue is concerned, President Barak Obama has shown tremendous restraint and is still speaking the language of diplomacy. The Iranians have shown willingness to negotiate and I think the credit for this shift goes almost entirely to Obama.

End of quote

The Iranian regime has shown no such willingness. There are still no talks.

When the Iranian people stood up against their regime, Obama showed "restraint" and remained quiet, only to confirm to the world that he still regards the Iranian regime as Iran's legitimate government a few weeks later.

 

In Europe, President Barack Obama has become a hero because of his willingness to abandon the nuclear shield and accomodate Russian anxieties over Poland and Georgia. The Nobel Peace Prize is for that initiative alone.

End of quote

Do you think Obama is a hero in Poland and Georgia? What about Albania and Kosovo (where Bill Clinton and George W. Bush are heroes)?

The fact is that Obama has done absolutely nothing yet and it doesn't look as if he will do anything at all about anything.

Africa, where George W. Bush was very popular, put great hopes into the first black President, but in contrast to George Bush Obama has done and said nothing about Africa. He has not increased aid (as George Bush did) or even made as much as a mention of the genocide in Darfur. Obama might enter history as the US President who has done the least for the black race.

He allows a genocide against blacks to continue while talking about peace in the Arab-Israeli conflict. Like the Arab leaders he uses the middle-east's smallest and least deadly conflict as an excuse not to do anything about the bigger and deadlier conflicts in the same region.

His withdrawal of troops in Iraq has caused violence and terrorism to increase again and for the first time since 2004 not even the Kurdish region is safe any more. And for that he got the Nobel Peace Price.

I don't think Obama even knows what's going on in the world. And when he criticised George Bush for the invasion of Iraq he certainly had no idea why the Bush administration even felt the need to invade Iraq. I am sure he still doesn't know.

 

One year of Obama, including the time as President-elect, and here is where we stand regarding war and peace:

Israel: situation is worse than before, more violence, new hope for the terrorists

Iraq: more violence than a year ago, now even in the Kurdish region

Afghanistan: complete confusion as to how to continue

Russia: caved in, abandoned East-European allies and Georgia

Sudan: changed focus from peace treaty in southern Sudan to away from Sudan

Iran: gave new legitimacy to the regime at the very moment the Iranien people revolted

Africa: changed focus from increasing aid to ignoring Africa

 

What will it take to convince Obama's supporters that his foreign policy is a disaster for America and the world? Apparently a world-wide increase in violence does not do it. Deaths in Iraq don't count if they cannot be attributed to George Bush any more. That's how Obama solves problems: he just ignores them and the media follow suit.

Once the world isn't told about something, the world thinks the problem doesn't exist.

 

 

Reply #7 from Stardock Forums Top

The Iranian regime has shown no such willingness. There are still no talks.
End of quote
He has not increased aid (as George Bush did) or even made as much as a mention of the genocide in Darfur.
End of quote
In other words, he hasn't done anything and US allies cannot rely on him to do anything
End of quote
I re-read my earlier post, and it sounded a bit harsh. Wasn't my intent to offend, Bahu
End of quote

Forgiven. No Problem at all. Anyway, it was certainly nice of you.

The Nobel Peace Prize is certainly going to hedge in the Obama Presidency and I agree with Christopher Hitchens in the latest Newsweek the President Obama has done little to earn the Prize.

In my part of the world there is an ad for a chocolate called Bourneville in which the question is asked: You do not buy a Bournville, you earn it. So the same can be said for Obama. He has not really earned the Peace Prize.

As for Africe, American interests are not really at stake in Darfur so no President is going to do much except make holy noise.

The iranians have indicated very subtly their willingness to talk and even have allowed a UN team access to the secret nuclear facility.

Reply #8 from JoeUser Forums Top

As for Africe, American interests are not really at stake in Darfur so no President is going to do much except make holy noise.

End of quote

President Bush found time for southern Sudan and Liberia anyway...

American interests are not at stake in "Palestine" either. America cannot profit from whatever goodwill she gets from Arab nationalists and Muslim fundamentalists by switching sides or even taking a neutral stance (or even ending the conflict). Those Arabs that the US need (the Saudis etc.) are already doing what America wants. Throwing Israel to them will not make things better but will create an enemy who now thinks that America will run and abandon her friends if attacked.

As for Africa in general, American interests are not at stake directly but world interests are. We cannot afford to lose an entire continent and the Africans were so far good enough not to fall for Islamic fundamentalism or to committ acts of terrorism. They are the poor the left are talking about when they try to excuse terrrorism as a desperate act of the poor. Except that the Africans do not committ terror attacks, rich Arabs do.

If Obama ignores Africa, the lost continent will come back to haunt us. The world cannot afford an entire continent to be available as pray for whomever promises help. We have to help Africa now before it's too late.

I was hoping a black President would understand that better than George Bush did. But apparently Bush's pro-African stance will remain the best America had to offer.

 

Reply #9 from JoeUser Forums Top

The iranians have indicated very subtly their willingness to talk and even have allowed a UN team access to the secret nuclear facility.

End of quote

The Iranian regime is weakened by the protests. They need the world to recognise their legitimacy in order to show that they have things under control.

If Obama is willing to grant them such legitimacy without getting anything in return (and make no mistake, they are NOT going to end their weapons project for this) he will merely keep the regime alive.

If Obama wants to end the Arab-Israeli conflict, all he has to do is take out the Iranian regime. The Arab nationalists are beaten and willing to sue for peace. The crime lords in Saudi-Arabia don't care about Jerusalem either way. And the traditional Arab monarchies (Jordan, Morocco, the Gulf states) are more than willing to work with Israel and accept her existence if there is no outside pressure on them not to.

What Obama is doing now is merely prepping up Hizbullah and Hamas. That's not good for Israel, it's not good for the Arabs, and it's certainly not leading to peace.

Hizbullah and Hamas are the reason there is a war, not our partners for peace.

 

Reply #10 from Stardock Forums Top

I was hoping a black President would understand that better than George Bush did. But apparently Bush's pro-African stance will remain the best America had to offer.
End of quote

There is virtually no difference between Bush and Obama when it comes to US interests. Great powers conduct their foreign policy on the basis of fear, honor and security and these words of Thucydides the Athenian are as true to day as they were 2500 years ago when he used these word in the Melian dialogue.

Now tell me is any of the three involved in the continent of Africa.

Reply #11 from JoeUser Forums Top

Now tell me is any of the three involved in the continent of Africa.

End of quote

Non sequitur. You are assuming that I agree with your statement about "fear, honor and security".

 

Reply #12 from Stardock Forums Top

The Nobel Prize for Peace recognises Omama's intentions not achievements.  Further more, though the nominations closed within 11 days of his Presidency being inaugurated, the fact remains that the decision to award him the Prize has taken into consideration the nuclear shield issue and the hand of friendship to Islamic nations.

On Afghanistan I am afraid it will be a blloeeding wound as the only solution to the problem is to integrate the tribal parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan and the creation of an independent Paktunistan. The Taliban can remain inside thjis landlaocked mountainous country and slaughter their own till kingdom come and the world should not care a whit as along as they remain within their teritory.

Reply #13 from JoeUser Forums Top



The Nobel Prize for Peace recognises Omama's intentions not achievements.

End of quote


Which makes it all the more strange since nobody knows his intentions.

For all we know he could want World War III and is just not telling us. I am not saying that he does, but neither do we know whether his intentions to do good are stronger than anybody else's.

On the basis of good intentions the price could be given to Joe the Plumber.




Further more, though the nominations closed within 11 days of his Presidency being inaugurated, the fact remains that the decision to award him the Prize has taken into consideration the nuclear shield issue and the hand of friendship to Islamic nations.

End of quote


George W. Bush offered the hand of friendship to Islamic nations too, and a few took it (the Kurds, the Afghans).

(He failed to offer a similar hand to the Christians, i.e. the Assyrians in Iraq.)

However, Obama timed it badly. At a time when the same Islamic nations he offered the hand of friendship were slaughtering in Africans he could have done more good by using his apparent influence not tell the murderers that they are good people at heart but by telling them to stop murdering Africans.




On Afghanistan I am afraid it will be a blloeeding wound as the only solution to the problem is to integrate the tribal parts of Afghanistan and Pakistan and the creation of an independent Paktunistan. The Taliban can remain inside thjis landlaocked mountainous country and slaughter their own till kingdom come and the world should not care a whit as along as they remain within their teritory.

End of quote


That is assuming that the Pashtuns have much sympathy for the Taliban, which they do not:

http://www.commentarymagazine.com/viewarticle.cfm/hezbollah-isn-t-a-model-for-afghanistan-15256

The Taliban are waging the same kind of war against ethnic Pashtuns and their traditional culture in both Pakistan and Afghanistan. "The Taliban systematically destroyed Afghan and specifically Pashtun culture by banning music, the arts and any kind of artistic expression," Dr. S. Amjad Hussain wrote earlier this year after returning to the U.S. from his hometown in Pakistan's Northwest Frontier Province. "For me there is the escape of flying home to America. That can't be said about millions of people who are being terrorized by these self-appointed, self-anointed, uneducated, and uncouth custodians of my faith."

And listen to Farhat Taj, a Pashtun woman from the same area: "I am writing because I am so very fed up with 'experts' in both Pakistan and the West constantly distorting the realities of our people and area. . . . The people living in northwestern Pakistan under Taliban rule are being held hostage. The Taliban terrorists have unleashed a reign of terror on the people, who are not willing to give up their Pashtun culture. They are overpowered by the armed militants. Their lives, livelihood and culture are attacked by the Taliban in league with al Qaeda."

I myself thought just a few weeks ago that we could simply forget about Afghanistan. I was wrong. Obama is right. That war must be fought and it must be won. If the US run in another war, nothing will stand between the terrorists and their (mostly Muslim) victims.

Obama ran in Iraq and terrorism increased again. He must not run in Afghanistan.

Reply #14 from JoeUser Forums Top

Perhaps this is the real reason Obama won the Peace Prize.

An impressive list.

Reply #15 from JoeUser Forums Top

An impressive list
End of quote

...and with a little more than 3 years to go.

Reply #16 from JoeUser Forums Top

tHE WAR in ASfghanistan, much as I would like Obama and his Generals to win, I am afraid is already lost. I am sayint this becauser the Karzai Administration has lost whatever little suppor to legitimacy it possessed and the insurgernyc is growng stronm by the day. A loose tribal confederastion under a weak central governemnt is all that one can hope. If thje Paktun regions of Pakistan are detatched and added to the P{aktun areas of Afghanistan then the Af-Pak Policy Of Obam will make sense.

Reply #17 from JoeUser Forums Top

Obama wants to be hero of the world. He doesn't have the fortitude it takes for war. I believe he is truly disappointed that not everyone in the world adores him, especially after he has thrown the US under the bus with his consistent, and unprecedented (for any nation) apologies abroad. His primary goal is to feed his own ego, and perception everywhere. Anything else is secondary.