Ten reasons Obama deserves the Nobel Peace Prize

[Christa]

1. Before he became president - , Obama forcefully argued, at great political risk, that the U.S. should talk to its enemies (famously, in a debate with John McCain). He convinced a majority of Americans, and that is now U.S. foreign policy.
2. January 22 - On his second day in office, Obama announced plans to close Guantanamo in a year. He has made great diplomatic efforts to find residences for innocent detainees, even as fear mongers accused him of wanting to release terrorists in America.
3. February 27 - Obama details his plans to pull out of Iraq. He made his speech in front of uniformed marines and explained that combat troops would be out by 2010.
4. March 13 - Obama Justice department drops 'enemy combatants' label on detainees, marking a return to the Geneva Conventions.
5. April 5 - Outlines details of nuclear weapons reductions plan in a speech to the public in Prague. The plan calls for intense international diplomacy and a respect for the right of fledgling countries to enrich uranium for energy purposes, proposing an international nuclear fuel-bank for those aims. All this was in the face of North Korean long-range missile testing.
6. April 13 - Repeals restrictions on Cuban Americans, allowing them to visit home as long as they want and to send money. Also allows telecommunications companies to pursue agreements in Cuba, hoping to promote communcation. This is the boldest move towards peace with Cuba any president has made in over 40 years.
7. June 4 - Obama makes landmark speech in Cairo, in which he quotes three different holy texts and speaks Arabic. Again, at tremendous political risk at home, Obama makes empassioned tribute to the achiements of the Muslim world and admits U.S. role in overthrow of Iranian government, attempting to create environment of honesty, respect, and cooperation.
8. June 27 - The U.S. begins removal of combat troops from major cities in Iraq.
9. July 6 - Obama heads to Russia to speak with Russian president about nuclear arms reduction. He makes a speech at a Russian University, notably saying, "There is the 20th century view that United States and Russia are destined to be antagonists. And that a strong Russia or a strong America can only assert themselves in opposition to one another. And there is a 19th century view, that we are destined to vie for spheres of influence and that great powers must forge competing blocs to balance on another. These assumptions are wrong. In 2009, a great power does not show strength by dominating or demonishing other countries. The days when empires could treat sovereign states as pieces on a chessboard are over."
10. Sept 24 - In a first for a U.S. president, Obama presides over a U.N. Security Council summit, where members unanimously agreed to a sweeping strategy to stop the spread of and ultimately eliminate nuclear weapons.

Full article here:

http://trulyskewed.blogspot.com/2009/10/ten-reasons-obama-deserves-nobel-peace.html

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[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. While I agree, it doesn't really matter. The Nobel Committee decides.

Since it's their prize, they alone get to determine who wins after evaluating all candidates based on Alfred Nobel's criteria. If they say somebody deserves it, then he does. Nobody else should have to explain or justify their decision.

[timeforpeace]

5. True. We only need five reasons: the five people on the Nobel Peace Committee who voted for him.

[IndianaGreen]

2. Let's drop this topic altogether

Friday I rejoiced in the news because I took the time to read in full the statement by the Nobel committee (which I posted here).

There are challenges ahead, including the all important and still unresolved Middle East conflict, and only time will tell to what extent will Obama meet the high expectations that he set for himself (there is a Robert Fisk piece in today's Independent that delineates how much is yet to be done).

[Cha]

3. Thank you for this article, Christa~

This needs to be brought to some people's attention who are actually complaining about PO getting the NNP ..right on this board.

I absolutely love that they gave our president the Nobel Peace Prize as a call to more action!

[tblue]

4. Good list. I'm glad it mentions things he did before becoming president

because that could have counted also. The righties want to harp on what he did in '12 days,' when the criteria were obviously much broader.

If they gave it to him just for not being an a-hole, that would work for me!

[treestar]

6. Here is the awarders' statement

http://nobelpeaceprize.org/en_GB/home/announce-2009/

The Nobel Peace Prize for 2009

The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 is to be awarded to President Barack Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples. The Committee has attached special importance to Obama's vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons.

Obama has as President created a new climate in international politics. Multilateral diplomacy has regained a central position, with emphasis on the role that the United Nations and other international institutions can play. Dialogue and negotiations are preferred as instruments for resolving even the most difficult international conflicts. The vision of a world free from nuclear arms has powerfully stimulated disarmament and arms control negotiations. Thanks to Obama's initiative, the USA is now playing a more constructive role in meeting the great climatic challenges the world is confronting. Democracy and human rights are to be strengthened.

Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world's attention and given its people hope for a better future. His diplomacy is founded in the concept that those who are to lead the world must do so on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the world's population.

For 108 years, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has sought to stimulate precisely that international policy and those attitudes for which Obama is now the world's leading spokesman. The Committee endorses Obama's appeal that "Now is the time for all of us to take our share of responsibility for a global response to global challenges."

Oslo, October 9, 2009