What should we take away from this? How much Bush fucked over the US image around the world.
That’s a very low standard. What exactly are his efforts towards diplomacy that hasn’t been done in the past? Also, it’s one thing to SAY you’re moving towards a certain diplomatic course, it’s quite another to actually DO it. For instance, didn’t he make a lot of promises during the campaigns that he has since backed off? “Efforts towards diplomacy” is SO vague as to make it mean “I like this hopey changey thing that he symbolizes among his fans throughout the world. Let’s give him the Nobel Prize”.
Who, prior to this, won the award under those conditions?
I’m sure plenty of people have won and then continued to do good work. But has anyone won before this who was similarly situated in terms of “past achievements” vs. “future potential?” – where the focus was so strongly on the future achievements as opposed to the past achievements?
Since it’s “frequently” given this way, this should be an easy question to answer.
Of course this is absolutely right. This is no fault whatsoever of Obama’s, and I suspect he’d have preferred they didn’t do this. I’m sure he’d have loved to have this happen two or three years from now, in fact, but I imagine now he’s wincing a bit.
If a battleship is aiming to run aground and take out a city in the process; and someone runs up just in time to turn the wheel, yell for the engine room to do everything in it’s power to stop!, or Turn Left!, and avoid the danger, it almost doesn’t matter how little actual effort he put in, or how many other people were involved in solving the problem.
The point is, he identified the problem, he resolved to meet it head on, he led the solution and made the calls which avoided the danger.
Obama turned the ship in the nick of time; IMHO he deserves a reward.
I also think that the world at large is looking for ways to send strong messages to the Republicans. This is another one.
Bah. What a despicably pathetic standard for the premier peace prize in the world. It’s a gold star beside Obama’s name on the blackboard, huh? How worthless.
What has Aung San Suu Kyi of Myanmar accomplished, save for the courage to hope? Has the military junta been disbanded? Is there democracy and human rights in Myanmar?
This is a love letter to America, with a dozen roses and a box of chocolates. Do we deserve love? Of course not, but then, who ever does? And if we will only give each other what we deserve, what will we ever have?
From the link posted by BrainGlutton:
A correspondent for 538.com offers some reasons for the win, although he says the reasoning is “a bit tenuous.” As support, he includes Obama’s efforts on nuclear non-proliferation, his stance on climate change (like the EPA’s move to regulate carbon dioxide as a pollutant), strategic changes in diplomacy including a meeting with an Iranian negotiator, and Obama’s re-elevation of UN Ambassador to a Cabinet level post.
I don’t take their statements at face value.
Don’t start with that. There are a lot of people so much more deserving with ACTUAL accomplishments. Obama is a no-achievement phenom.
From John McCain:
Props.
Do you think if you keep saying that over and over again, it will become true?
Once again, John McCain is the only one left in the GOP showing any semblence of class.
**Anduril **needs a hug. Volunteers?
I nominate Barack Obama.
Nah, he hasn’t accomplished enough to deserve a hug.
What the hell is ‘world peace’? Is leaving the Taliban in power about world peace? How about the Kim Jung in North Korea? If the world wanted world peace they’d get off their collective ass and smack down the dictators of the world that cause such misery over those they subjugate. They should all be in Afghanistan and Iraq ensuring that those countries can’t revert back to dictatorships and can succeed in the modern world. No, what the world wants is the status quo, not world peace.
OK, so they’re not telling the truth about why the award was given – it WAS given for prospective future achievements.
I’ll re-ask my earlier question: Has anyone else won before this who was similarly situated in terms of “past achievements” vs. “future potential?” – where the focus was so strongly on the future achievements as opposed to the past achievements?