Obama wins 2009 Nobel Peace Prize

engineer wrote:

Hamas has come out as critical of the award, so we must all now support it. You are either with the Nobel committee or with the terrorists.

Edit: Taliban critical as well.

That's potentially silly of the Taliban, were Obama a pettier man....as I undstand it he is busy separating the Taliban off from "the enemy" and moving towards accepting them as a part of Afghani culture, which no war will change.

if I understand Walter correctly I very much support Walter in that the Nobel Committee does whatever it does.

Two key White House aides were both convinced they were being punked when they heard the news, reported ABC News' George Stephanopoulos.

"It's not April 1, is it?" one said.

Upon being called by ABC News at 5:45 ET this morning, a White House aide said, "This better be good."

When told by ABC News that the president had won the Nobel Peace Prize, the aide replied: "Oh, that is good."

The prize ... is not only for past achievement. ... The committee also takes the possible positive effects of its choices into account

Here's his acceptance speech:

Quote:

Well, this is not how I expected to wake up this morning.

After I received the news, Malia walked in and said, "Daddy, you won the Nobel Peace Prize, and it is Bo's birthday."

And then Sasha added, "Plus, we have a three-day weekend coming up."

So it's -- it's good to have kids to keep things in perspective.

Furthermore, in the three most subjective areas where the Nobel committees award prizes -- peace, economics, and literature -- the committees have shown little reluctance in awarding the prizes based not on how things are but on how the committee members think they ought to be.

The actual voting is never known (but rumors run around, specially in lit).

Totally premature. Yes.

Someone worried about the possibility of affecting the credibility of the Nobel Peace Prize.
Does anyone remember that Henry Kissinger -of all people- won the Nobel Peace Prize?
(And worse, Dario Fo won in literature sometime in the 90s, I digress)

Does anyone remember that Henry Kissinger -of all people- won the Nobel Peace Prize?

I can't wait to hear the backlash that this decision will create.

Can Obama decline the award? That may be the most prudent option for him right now.

This fits right into the 'messiah' meme that has haunted Obama for a while now.

I can't wait to hear the backlash that this decision will create.

Can Obama decline the award? That may be the most prudent option for him right now.

This fits right into the 'messiah' meme that has haunted Obama for a while now.

As an international man in the street I didn't see it as the US receiving a special privilege, I read the news and applauded that this award was bestowed, on behalf of all nations, to a man who is living proof of what changes and attitudinal shifts can be brought about in my lifetime. I don't agree that the recipient needs to have done something tangible to be eligible for the award; to be inspired and to hope for a better future and to have a belief that change is possible is a powerful tool in bringing about peace. World peace seems such an unreachable goal, but so was an African American becoming President of the United States (regardless of what party he belongs to) and as such it gives me hope that maybe we are able to live in a more peaceful world. The man and the award can be debated and analysed to the nth degree but at the end of the day it's attitude and not deeds that will bring about peace and to that end, for me, he is a worthy recipient.

Peace. Yes we can, can.

This price is awarded for "possible positive effects" alone. Is there a precedent for this? I couldn't think of any.

This price is awarded for "possible positive effects" alone. Is there a precedent for this? I couldn't think of any.

Why are you so unpatriotic that you don't like when an US-President gets awarded with the highest peace prize?

I doubt patriotism has anything to do with it.