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Obama wins 2009 Nobel Peace Prize

Apex

Apex

Somewhere Around Nothing
Must... stifle.... derisive laughter... at.... Norwegian Nobel Committee | Daniel W. Drezner
Seriously, let's imagine the deliberations that led to this decision:
CHAIR: Guys? Guys!! It's 2 AM and we've got an award to give later today! What are we gonna do? We can't use Jimmy Carter again -- he was our emergency winner the last time we were stumped! If we don't do this right, we'll have less credibility than the Grammys!!
MEMBER A (clearly drunk): Hey, why not Neil Patrick Harris? For bringing peace to.... umm..... Hollywood awards shows?!
MEMBER B: Remember when Time's Man of the Year was... you? Why can't we do something like that? You know, say that the Peace Prize goes to all peace-loving people. CHAIR: No f%$&ing way. What do you want me to do, hold up a mirror to the cameras when I say who won? And you know how many idiots would ask for their take of the prize money?
MEMBER A: Seriously, Neil Patrick Harris is awesome. Any of you checked out Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog?
MEMBER B: Hey, how about that Iranian guy who won the election but got screwed by the mullahs? He seemed pretty peaceful.
CHAIR: Sorry, no dice. We used up our Iranian quota this decade with Shirin Ebadi.
MEMBER B: That Zimbabwean guy?
CHAIR: If you can't remember his name, then he's not getting the award.
MEMBER C: Did you read how the Oscars will have, like, 10 nominees for Best Picture this year? Why not give this to all 20 members of the G-20?
CHAIR: Doesn't the G-20 actually have more than 20 members? Can anyone name them all?
Silence....
MEMBER A: And How I Met Your Mother is definitely underrated as a sitcom. NPH owns that show.
MEMBER C: Hugh Jackman was People's Sexiest Man Alive this year. Why not double up on him, like we did with Al Gore?
MEMBER A: Get serious, man. Wolverine sucked!!
MEMBER B: Hey, here's a crazy thought... why not Barack Obama?
General laughter and merriment.
CHAIR: How exactly are we going to justify the award? Jesus, even Jimmy Carter had done some actual peacemaking when we gave it to him. What are we going to say? "Barack Obama has succeeded brilliantly in not acting like George W. Bush in His First Term?"
MEMBER B: C'mon... the guy just lost the Olympics bid even after flying all the way to Copenhagen.
MEMBER A: Hey, how about Taylor Swift? We could guarantee Kanye wasn't in the audience.
MEMBER B: Look, maybe it will give Obama a boost. With the massive prestige that the Nobel Peace Prize now carries in the United States because of our brilliant recent selections, maybe this will help get health care reform passed. This award would so put conservatives on the defensive!
[General nodding around the table.]
MEMBER A: Fine, no one else likes Neil Patrick Harris at this table, I get that. What about Roman Polanski? That would make a statement.
CHAIR (looks at watch): Fine, whatever, we're way past deadline. (Points at MEMBER B). Write up the explanation. (Points at MEMBER A). Contact Neil Patrick Harris and put him on "standby" in case Obama can't make it for the acceptance speech.
MEMBER B (scribbling furiously): Hmmm....how's this? "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."
CHAIR: Hmmm.... no actual achievements other than Not Being George W. Bush in His First Term, but it sure sounds good! OK, we're adjourned
MEMBER C (looking through nomination letters): I can't believe that professor from Tufts nominated Salma Hayek again. Doesn't he know that this is a serious award?!
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YmirGF

YmirGF

Bodhisattva in Recovery
www.cbc.ca said:
Though Obama's name had been mentioned in speculation before the award, many Nobel watchers had believed it was too early to award it to the president and the selection is drawing mixed reaction from around the world. Obama would have been in the White House for less than two weeks before the Feb. 1 nomination deadline for this year's prize.
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(Source)

It would seem that world leaders still see Obama in a more positive light than his fellow Americans. This award to what may be, rather than for concrete gains made, smacks of a deeply flawed politicization in the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize. This particular prize makes even less sense than when it was bestowed on Al Gore - but at least Gore had done something.
 
Zephyr

Zephyr

Moved on
Apex said:
It was cheapened when Gore won it, now it is completely worthless.
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It is only after Gore and Obama winning that you think this?

Not Kissinger, Begin or Arafat?

Hell, Begin and Kissinger had war crimes before and after winning.
 
Apex

Apex

Somewhere Around Nothing
YmirGF said:
(Source)

It would seem that world leaders still see Obama in a more positive light than his fellow Americans. This award to what may be, rather than for concrete gains made, smacks of a deeply flawed politicization in the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize. This particular prize makes even less sense than when it was bestowed on Al Gore - but at least Gore had done something.
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That just makes it even more ridiculous.
 
Apex

Apex

Somewhere Around Nothing
Zephyr said:
It is only after Gore and Obama winning that you think this?

Not Kissinger, Begin or Arafat?

Hell, Begin and Kissinger had war crimes before and after winning.
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Hey, I am only 23. Little before my time.
 
Mister_T

Mister_T

Forum Relic
Premium Member
The man has not even been on office a year yet...I find this very confusing.

This is all besides whether or not our president has done yet, or will do anything that is Nobel Prize worthy. Surely he has some noble efforts that he is trying to put forth, but they have not even bore fruit yet, nor may they even see the light of day.
 
tumbleweed41

tumbleweed41

Resident Liberal Hippie
I think the correct thing for Obama to do would be to respectfully turn it down. Humbleness in the face of praise would do a lot for the US image everywhere.
 
Falvlun

Falvlun

Earthbending Lemur
Premium Member
What are the chances of Obama declining the award? Would there be any backlash for him to do so? If not, that really looks like the best route to me.
 
YmirGF

YmirGF

Bodhisattva in Recovery
Falvlun said:
What are the chances of Obama declining the award? Would there be any backlash for him to do so? If not, that really looks like the best route to me.
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You know, doing just that would elevate him far more than it would if he accepts the award.
 
Morse

Morse

To Extinguish
Falvlun said:
What are the chances of Obama declining the award? Would there be any backlash for him to do so? If not, that really looks like the best route to me.
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I think he was close to turning it down. In his speech I listened to today he said he was really surprised when he got it :D, and that he was donating the entire 1.4 million dollars to charities.
 
Morse

Morse

To Extinguish
monta said:
Sometimes it feels like everyone has a Nobel Prize but me :sad:
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Thats because the Irish are the most violent people in the world. If anybody from Ireland won a Nobel Prize for peace, we'd all spontaneously combust.

:candle: + :) = :polar:?
 
Morse

Morse

To Extinguish
Dude, they were from Northern Ireland. In order for the conditions of :candle: + :) = :polar: to be met, the recipient must specifically be from The Republic of Ireland.

Duh..
 
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