Obama wins Nobel Peace Prize

[twa]

Pray tell are you really opposed to the Pakistanis taking a stronger stance against the Taliban (ie fighting back)? And what diplomacy can the President use in Afganistan? As far as I can tell diplomacy isn't an option the choices are standing pat, increasing the effort, or surrendering.

Indications are he will turn from actively fighting the Taliban to accepting a role for them in Afghanistan's politics....similar to the switch W made in Iraq;)

[deejaydana]

Clearly the committee chose 'Promise' over 'Performance' in making this decision. And in that sense, it was a repeat of what happened in the last election cycle.

[Teller]

Gore and now Obama. The Nobel Committee has no idea how much damage they're doing to the prestige of their award.

[Spaceman Spiff]

I'd give my left nut to see Midnight Judges gagged and bound and left alone in a room with Dubya for a good 4-5 hours. Hilarity would ensue.

[Prosperity]

I'd give my left nut to see Midnight Judges gagged and bound and left alone in a room with Dubya for a good 4-5 hours. Hilarity would ensue.

I'd give my right nut to see Dubya gagged and bound and left in a room with Midnight Judges.

[The 12th Commandment]

I'd give my right nut to see Dubya gagged and bound and left in a room with Midnight Judges.

The retort was funnier! Good one! :hysterical:

[Burgold]

I wasn't upset with Gore. That movie elevated a very important discussion. More, I wasn't upset with Carter... between habitat for humanity, what he did in Egypt and Israel as President, and his ongoing humanitarian work he was worthy.

I think some of his thinking and logic is downright sketchy these days, but the man's got undeniably a good and big heart.

[Teller]

I wasn't upset with Gore. That movie elevated a very important discussion. More, I wasn't upset with Carter... between habitat for humanity, what he did in Egypt and Israel as President, and his ongoing humanitarian work he was worthy.

I think some of his thinking and logic is downright sketchy these days, but the man's got undeniably a good and big heart.

I have no problem with Carter. He's a loon, but he's worked his whole life for peace. (And Habitat is a GREAT GREAT organization.)

Gore should have gotten it for science......errrr......not. :hysterical:

[Spaceman Spiff]

I'd give my right nut to see Dubya gagged and bound and left in a room with Midnight Judges.

:hysterical::hysterical::hysterical:

[IHOPSkins]

....That's the kind of foaming at the loony right-wing mouth that I expected this thread to have in it......

It is a BRIBE ment to influence US policy as admitted by a comittee member...or didn't your READ that part?

Heres your tasking Larry

Compare and Contrast Obamas many peace accomplishments over his lifetime to the average candidate

Then give us a realistic estimate of what he will accomplish

Shouldn't take but a moment

[IHOPSkins]

And Nelson Mandela. And Martin Luther King Jr. And Mother Teresa. And....

Did you just compare Mother Teresa to Obama?

[Johnny Punani]

The esteemed David Ignatius weighs in:

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2009/10/obamas_nobel_and_americas_popu.html?hpid=opinionsbox1

The esteemed David Ignatius weighs in and couldn't be more wrong with his reasoning. The left continues to foolishly believe in laissez-faire attitudes and subjugation to others will improve security. Mr Ignatius uses polls from various European countries to try to imply that President Obama's popularity in Europe will result in less threats to the US. However, the last time I checked our national security wasn't being threatened by any country in Europe. Obama's high approval numbers are based in the hope that US power can be subjugated and mitigated.

The Clinton Admin believed in this same ideology as part of their national security policy and held high opinion numbers in Europe. Let's take a took at what happened...

1993

Feb. 26, New York City: bomb exploded in basement garage of World Trade Center, killing 6 and injuring at least 1,040 others. In 1995, militant Islamist Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman and 9 others were convicted of conspiracy charges, and in 1998, Ramzi Yousef, believed to have been the mastermind, was convicted of the bombing. Al-Qaeda involvement is suspected.

1995

Nov. 13, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: car bomb exploded at U.S. military headquarters, killing 5 U.S. military servicemen.

1996

June 25, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia: truck bomb exploded outside Khobar Towers military complex, killing 19 American servicemen and injuring hundreds of others. 13 Saudis and a Lebanese, all alleged members of Islamic militant group Hezbollah, were indicted on charges relating to the attack in June 2001.

1998

Aug. 7, Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: truck bombs exploded almost simultaneously near 2 U.S. embassies, killing 224 (213 in Kenya and 11 in Tanzania) and injuring about 4,500. 4 men connected with al-Qaeda 2 of whom had received training at al-Qaeda camps inside Afghanistan, were convicted of the killings in May 2001 and later sentenced to life in prison. A federal grand jury had indicted 22 men in connection with the attacks, including Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden, who remained at large.

2000

Oct. 12, Aden, Yemen: U.S. Navy destroyer USS Cole heavily damaged when a small boat loaded with explosives blew up alongside it. 17 sailors killed. Linked to Osama bin Laden, or members of al-Qaeda terrorist network.

[twa]

[Midnight Judges]

I'd give my left nut to see Midnight Judges gagged and bound and left alone in a room with Dubya for a good 4-5 hours. Hilarity would ensue.

I actually like the guy. He was a horrible President though.

[Midnight Judges]

I'd give my right nut to see Dubya gagged and bound and left in a room with Midnight Judges.

Nah, my weapon of choice would be a bottle of makers mark and a pair of shot glasses. Guarantee we would have a good time.

[Teller]

I actually like the guy. He was a horrible President though.

I agree with you completely.

And now that I've said that, I'm going to go shower. Ick!!

[Big Weirdo]

Does the Nobel Peace Prize mean anything?

Thinking about it. What does "Nobel Peace Prize winner" even mean? It doesn't tell you anything that a persons credentials wouldn't already tell you.

The fact that this award can be given out on expectation versus what's already been done says a lot to me.

IMO, this award should be given based on revolutionary or exceptional work in a field (science, medicine, literature, etc etc) or a life time of peace work.

[Baculus]

Does the Nobel Peace Prize mean anything?

Thinking about it. What does "Nobel Peace Prize winner" even mean? It doesn't tell you anything that a persons credentials wouldn't already tell you.

The fact that this award can be given out on expectation versus what's already been done says a lot to me.

IMO, this award should be given based on revolutionary or exceptional work in a field (science, medicine, literature, etc etc) or a life time of peace work.

There already are Nobel prizes in all of these fields -- the peace prize is but one of them. We are just more familiar with the "peace prize" since that tends to be a bit more high profile.

http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/

[Baculus]

The esteemed David Ignatius weighs in and couldn't be more wrong with his reasoning. The left continues to foolishly believe in laissez-faire attitudes and subjugation to others will improve security. Mr Ignatius uses polls from various European countries to try to imply that President Obama's popularity in Europe will result in less threats to the US. However, the last time I checked our national security wasn't being threatened by any country in Europe. Obama's high approval numbers are based in the hope that US power can be subjugated and mitigated.

The Clinton Admin believed in this same ideology as part of their national security policy and held high opinion numbers in Europe. Let's take a took at what happened...

What else do you expect as the opposite of this "laissez-faire attitude"? Imperial dominance?

In anything, some of the incidents that you listed are a result of our foreign policy meddling. This is what the CIA calls "blow back," with the 1953 overthrow of the democratically elected Iranian Prime Minister Mohammed Mosaddeq being a prime example.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1953_Iranian_coup_d%27%C3%A9tat

Once Operation Ajax (with some British support) was successfully executed, we brought the Shah back into power. What was the result decades later as a counter-reaction to some of his domestic policies? The 1979 Islamic revolution. Can you imagine if Iran had been able to develop along its own self-interested lines (which is what FDR had desired for the post-war, post-colonial world)?

What about Iraq? Once again, more US meddling, with the Ba'athist power assuming power in 1963, which eventually led to the rise of Saddam Hussein.

As the following link details:

"Another very good example of a CIA-organized "regime change" was a coup in 1963 that employed political assassination, mass imprisonment, torture and murder. This was the military coup that first brought Saddam Hussein's beloved Ba'ath Party to power in Iraq. At the time, Richard Helms was Director for Plans at the CIA. That is the top CIA position responsible for covert actions, like organizing coups. Helms served in that capacity until 1966, when he was made Director."

http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/51/217.html

http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/51/217.html

Here we have two of the hot spots in the world, and both have been adversely affected by American (and British) covert intervention.

So, what do you suggest -- that we do more of this? Yes, it sure did a wonderful job, twice, in Iraq, didn't it? Once in helping to put Saddam into leadership, then deciding to remove him from his dictatorial position decades later.

What we need is a rational, consistent foreign policy that protects American interests while maintaining a spirit of honest international cooperation, devoid of skulduggery, backstabbing and treachery.

If we desire "laissez-faire attitudes" in domestic policy, then why don't we want this for our foreign policy?

[Baculus]

Gore and now Obama. The Nobel Committee has no idea how much damage they're doing to the prestige of their award.

Yeah, like folks such as yourself actually held any value to an international award in the first place.

You don't care for international organizations or relations, so what does it matter? After all, this is one of the reasons why Obama has been attack for his attempts at diplomacy.

[Big Weirdo]

There already are Nobel prizes in all of these fields -- the peace prize is but one of them. We are just more familiar with the "peace prize" since that tends to be a bit more high profile.

http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/

Ahh, okay.

Still though. The "Peace" Prize should be given on a lifetime of doing peace work.

I like Obama but this is just silly. Ghandi didn't even get one in his lifetime and he was nominated 5 times.

[Baculus]

Take off your rose colored lenses dude, everyone knows Bush ****ed up alot, but the stuff he did in Africa was worth a Nobel Peace Prize....that's some serious humanitarian ****.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/josh-ruxin/the-real-bush-legacy-may-_b_91457.html

Unfortunately, Bush's positive contributions in Africa and elsewhere are overridden by his war policies. Bush campaigned in 2000 as a "compassionate conservative," but this won't be a part of his remembered legacy, for good or bad.

Also, in this day and age, former President Bush is ridiculed by both the Left and the Right, who often dismiss him as a "liberal."

To be fair, Bush wasn't "Hitler," and his worthwhile contributions should be remembered for what they are, but it is difficult to do that while two wars, started during his Presidency, are still a part of America's engagement in the Middle East. That, and his other foreign and domestic policies will surely earn him a black-eye by future historians.

[Baculus]

Ahh, okay.

Still though. The "Peace" Prize should be given on a lifetime of doing peace work.

I like Obama but this is just silly. Ghandi didn't even get one in his lifetime and he was nominated 5 times.

Sure, I can agree with that. I had argued yesterday that Obama's award of the Peace prize isn't out of context with recent winners, but I can also agree that perhaps his body of work isn't sufficient to yet have earn it.

How's that for straddling the fence?

[Baculus]

Oh, I don't know maybe because the rest of the world are a petty bunch of petulant babies.

"Petulant babies"? Gee, that reminds me of the right-wing response to anything Obama-related.

Heck, they still won't accept that fact that he is the President.

Maybe it shows how infantile they really are that they would bestow such a prestigous award on someone who hasn't done anything in order to thumb their noses at our last president.

I will give you that he has been groveling to the world community at our nations dismay, but is that really good enough to win this award??

If you hold such a low opinion of the rest of planet Earth and of the Nobel Prize, then why give a damn? Am I the only person that doesn't post in threads in which I don't care for the subject matter?

That is why the entire response from the Right is puzzling. They do not care about international cooperation nor for international agencies. They didn't care for Obama's efforts to reengage the rest of the glob and they don't care for the Nobel Prize nor the "leftists" who are on the committee. And yet, they throw am "infantile tantrum" whenever the world does not conform to their beliefs.

And these are then folks who want to lead the nation and decide foreign policy?

[nonniey]

.....

To be fair, Bush wasn't "Hitler," and his worthwhile contributions should be remembered for what they are, but it is difficult to do that while two wars, started during his Presidency, are still a part of America's engagement in the Middle East. That, and his other foreign and domestic policies will surely earn him a black-eye by future historians.

What two wars started during his presidency? (The war started before his presidency - it only takes one side to start or have a war and Al Qaeda started their war with the United States before Bush was president).