Give Nobels to people who deserve them
Russ Pohl
Issue date: 10/22/09 Section: Opinion
After the end of major combat operations in Iraq on May 1, 2003, President George W. Bush flew an S-3B Viking jet to the USS Abraham Lincoln off the coast of San Diego, Calif. While on the aircraft carrier, the now-former president famously said that "In the Battle of Iraq, the United States and our allies have prevailed" while a huge banner saying "Mission Accomplished" was displayed behind him. The president was criticized over the last six years for not only making an overtly theatrical display to make this announcement, but also for prematurely declaring that we succeeded in Iraq before we had won the peace, which was more evident as violence increased substantially in the few years after the speech.
Today we have another moment where celebration is taking place without having actual accomplishments for which the celebration is deserved.
Last Friday, President Obama received a Nobel Peace Prize, making him the third sitting President to receive the award. The Nobel Committee gave the President the Peace Prize for "his extraordinary effort to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between people."
Key word: "effort." I will say Barack Obama is a good man for having good intentions, but the first nine months of his presidency have been anything but peaceful or cooperative. Under Obama's administration, we've increased our war effort in Afghanistan while despite what Obama said on the campaign trail it looks like we will still be in Iraq for a little longer than expected. He has talked with leaders who are well known enemies of the United States in order to strengthen diplomacy, but they still threaten our country and the ideals it stands for. Obama has spoken of the need for nuclear disarmament, but it looks like Iran and North Korea are never going to give up on their nuclear programs which threaten the United States and the rest of the Western World.
Obama even fails at strengthening cooperation in his own country. For someone who has touted himself as the first "post-partisan" candidate during his campaign, his policies have shown otherwise. Outrage over government spending and health care reform has divided the country even further along ideological lines.
Today we have another moment where celebration is taking place without having actual accomplishments for which the celebration is deserved.
Last Friday, President Obama received a Nobel Peace Prize, making him the third sitting President to receive the award. The Nobel Committee gave the President the Peace Prize for "his extraordinary effort to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between people."
Key word: "effort." I will say Barack Obama is a good man for having good intentions, but the first nine months of his presidency have been anything but peaceful or cooperative. Under Obama's administration, we've increased our war effort in Afghanistan while despite what Obama said on the campaign trail it looks like we will still be in Iraq for a little longer than expected. He has talked with leaders who are well known enemies of the United States in order to strengthen diplomacy, but they still threaten our country and the ideals it stands for. Obama has spoken of the need for nuclear disarmament, but it looks like Iran and North Korea are never going to give up on their nuclear programs which threaten the United States and the rest of the Western World.
Obama even fails at strengthening cooperation in his own country. For someone who has touted himself as the first "post-partisan" candidate during his campaign, his policies have shown otherwise. Outrage over government spending and health care reform has divided the country even further along ideological lines.
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Mike Freeland
posted 10/22/09 @ 3:20 PM EST
To accept the Nobel was an act of arrogance on the part of President Obama. I think it fuels anti-American sentiment abroad and gives additional justification to those who complain of American arrogance. (Continued…)
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