Obama not worthy of Peace Prize

Last Friday, the Norwegian Nobel Committee unexpectedly awarded President Barack Obama with the Nobel Peace Prize, making him the third sitting President to recieve such an award.

Reaction toward Obama winning the Nobel Peace Prize has consisted of shock, confusion, anger, praise and basically every other emotion that involves an
up-and-down movement of your eyebrows.

“I will accept this award as a call to action, a call for all nations to confront the challenges of the 21st century,” Obama said as he accepted the award. He said the award was not based on his accomplishments but what he and others could achieve.
But much of the criticism stems from the argument Obama hasn’t yet accomplished his goals, or much of anything else for that matter.

Nevertheless, the Nobel Committee said it honored Obama for his “extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples” and that “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.”

If you want to look at things on the surface, then yes, Obama – through the eyes of many people around the world – is an inspiration. It’s agreeable that his tone is better than Bush’s, and he talks about working together with other nations, negotiatiating and furthering deplomacy. But do rhetorical promises for potential peace deserve a Nobel Peace Prize?

While inspiring hope in people is admirable, it doesn’t account to much when the actions don’t match the words.

It’s impossible to overlook the fact that we are at war. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan continue as Obama sends an additional 13,000 troops to Afghanistan on top of the 21,000 annouced earlier this year. Add in the further interventions in Pakistan, and the situation looks to quickly become the next front of these wars. And lets not forget that Guantanamo still remains unclosed, in contradiction to what Obama promised during his campaign. Additionally, threatening rhetoric toward other countries who don’t act how we want them
also continues.

The Nobel Committee’s intentions and motivations behind this award remains debatable, but many people believe it represents a sign that the world is just glad Bush is out of office.
“The awarding of the Peace Prize to Obama also functions as a repudiation by the Nobel Committee of the Bush Administration’s unilateral approach to foreign policy and what was perceived by the rest of the world as their arrogant manner of conducting international relations,” said Charles Dainoff, professor of political science at the University
of Cincinnati.

NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” even agrees that it’s been beneficial for Obama to not be named George W. Bush. “Jimmy Carter won it for decades of trying to find solutions to international conflicts, Al Gore won it for his years of educating the U.S. about climate change, and us? Well, I won it for not being George Bush,” said Fred Armisen as he portrayed President Obama.

While Obama being given a “Not Being George W. Bush” award does make sense on the surface, it still glosses over the fact that Obama is continuing most of the policies from the Bush administration and has even expanded upon many.

And if this award is indeed a “call to action” as Obama has stated, then there’s plenty to do. Bringing an actual end to the war in Iraq would be a great start. Ending the adventure in Afghanistan would be nice too. Scaling back the worldwide American empire, bringing all U.S. military forces home from the more than 130 countries they’re in and closing the nearly 700 military bases around the globe could also be a great move toward true “peace.”

All of this would truly be certain cause for a Nobel Peace Prize.

It doesn’t make sense that someone can be awarded a Nobel Peace Prize for the future peace that may or may not come about? That’s a little presumptuous, regardless of what you think of Obama.

Awarding empty rhetoric is a meaningless gesture, and just talking about peace and good things to come is not enough to merit an award on being some marvelous peacemaker. Proof needs to be given, and so far, that proof is lacking.

Is Obama worthy or did a better candidate get passed up? Let Jeremy know at daj8@mail.uc.edu.