President Obama Awarded Nobel Peace Prize

[ZeeClone]

Direct Link [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8298580.stm]

US President Barack Obama has won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize, selected from a field of 205 nominees.

Now, forgive my ignorance and I'm hoping not to get flamed for this. But what for?

I don't know nearly enough of his political or diplomatic history to comment and I know they don't give out Nobel Prizes for collecting enough cereal box tops.

 

[El Poncho]

I think it's because he went to place in northern Africa to try make peace with them or something.

 

[Altorin]

Direct Link [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8298580.stm]

US President Barack Obama has won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize, selected from a field of 205 nominees.

Now, forgive my ignorance and I'm hoping not to get flamed for this. But what for?

I don't know nearly enough of his political or diplomatic history to comment and I know they don't give out Nobel Prizes for collecting enough cereal box tops.

Honestly, I have no idea.. seems like a great guy.. probably the best president in ages... but.. that's a thinker.

 

[grimsprice]

Its just one massive PR job to try and save face when he can save the country from descending into chaos. Honestly, no president could ever affect the country, let alone Obama. Presidents don't have power, they're in office to draw attention away from it. He's got a good pr department though...

 

[LongAndShort]

Haven't they already had the prizes this year? Didn't Al Gore win?

There's something screwy here going on here...

 

[Chester41585]

Already asked, but... For what?

 

[Eleuthera]

Couldn't they have at least waited untill he actually did something? Or maybe after his term is up? This seems a bit premature.

Oh and Gore won in 2007.

 

[TZer0]

In my opinion: this is sad. Obama doesn't need that price! The price is supposed to shed some light on the not-so-known fighters for freedom. How about giving it to someone in Africa or Asia fighting for their right to live free, the right to exercise their religion and for independence!

 

[Plinglebob]

I'm sorry but surely its a bit early to be giving him something like that when all I can see he's done is gone round to various countries and told them to play nice before leaving again. Compared to someone like the Zimbabwe Prime Minister who has been fighting against Mugabe's rule to try and save his people, its a little pathetic. If Obama had continued to do it for his 1st term, I'd say possibly give him one. As it is, this stinks of a PR stunt and back room deals.

 

[Superbeast]

Maybe for getting an agreement to cut the number of nuclear weapons?

In terms of global peace that's quite a big one, especially since G.W.Bush's pushing for the "missile defence system" in Poland was escalating Russia to begin practising nuclear launches...

If it's not for that then I dunno why he's been given it, but then I haven't really been up-to-date with what he's been doing lately (firstly I'm in Britain and secondly at uni with no TV so haven't been watching the nightly BBC news).

 

[Valiance]

"The Nobel Committee said he was awarded it for "his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and co-operation between peoples"."

Rofl.

"The committee highlighted Mr Obama's efforts to strengthen international bodies and promote nuclear disarmament."

Yeah, because everybody else on the 205 candidate list wants more countries to have nuclear warheads, I suppose.

 

[TheRealCJ]

Well, being the first Black president of the United States is no mean feat.

But no, I don't understand why exactly he deserves ANY Nobel prize at this point. Perhaps later, when he helps garner peace in the middle east or somesuch.

 

[DragonsAteMyMarbles]

Presidents don't have power, they're in office to draw attention away from it.

Are you sure you're not thinking of Zaphod Beeblebrox?

 

[SolomFtF]

all what obama did is promises , nothing but freaking promises , and after 2 months of the start of his presidency the fights started again in afghanistan , and promised to solve the middle-east problem and what you know , he didn't , so yeah , RATM said it once before and will say it again "a mass of promises begin to rapture like the pockets of the new world king "

 

[Jamanticus]

Presidents don't have power, they're in office to draw attention away from it.

Are you sure you're not thinking of Zaphod Beeblebrox?

Precisely what I was thinking.

So yes, like many other posters here, I think what Obama has done so far has been to make lots of statements about many issues and he's been very diplomatic about all of it.

I guess that would qualify for a Nobel Prize if done really really well...

 

[grimsprice]

Presidents don't have power, they're in office to draw attention away from it.

Are you sure you're not thinking of Zaphod Beeblebrox?

Well since Douglas wrote almost every single thing in those books to be a sort of satire on life the universe and everything... yeah i was thinking of Zaphod... God i love those books. A great man is gone from this world, woe is me.

 

[James Cassidy]

*facepalm*

Have Americans gotten stupid or something? I mean really. OBAMA HAS DONE NOTHING TO SAVE THIS COUNTRY and I can't believe you all believe the lies his PR department makes up.

Heck, why not give the Nobel Peace Prize to President W. Bush for having Saddam Hussein, a murderer, out of power and tried for his crimes? That sounds like something it should be awarded for, but no people think he is a war criminal despite that. I guess then we should also give a Nobel to Harry S Truman for dropping the bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and to our boys in WWII who stopped Germany and saved the Jews huh? No, more war crimes you say?

Meanwhile our "great president" now can't even bail out a "Cash for Clunkers" program, many companies are firing their workers and some even going out business, and everyone is so strapped for money and we want to give him a Nobel Peace prize for just looking pretty.

I can't even get a job, and we want to give this guy a Nobel...

I am sorry people, but planning to do something is NOT the same as doing it.

If you think that should be the case then I should get the Nobel Peace prize for PLANNING to find a cure for cancer...whether I succeed or not.

This is all a joke...a one big unbelievable joke now and the whole world is laughing at us. Even more so then we did with President Bush. At least Bush had the balls to punch those who tried to laugh at us and say "Who's laughing now?"

And to those who still think Obama is the greatest president we ever had...you are lying to yourselves. Funny how all my friends who did vote for Obama all regret now for voting for him. Ironic.

To quote "Blazing Saddles"

"What the hell is that shit?"

 

[Agema]

Er... holy crap. He's only been in power about 15 minutes.

He has done plenty already though:
Made solid moves to reduce nuclear stockpiles, tried to extricate the USA from Iraq and Afghanistan, offered diplomacy as a first-route solution, shut Guantanamo, and made a lot of speeches encouraging co-operation between races.

You have to bear in mind that the people who vote on the Nobels are not above a bit of political posturing. I think it's not so much that Obama has done particular wonders for world peace yet, but the Nobel committee expressing their utter hatred for GWB, the neoconservatives, and they way they went around and did stuff.