Obama should decline the Nobel Peace Prize

[texastoast]

If the Committee gave it to him as a shrub snub, they should not have.

This prize should never, ever be political.

Obama has not yet been in office long enough to have his intentions come to fruition. This prize should not be given for intentions.

The RW knows this and will use it for fodder to further distract from the real work to be done.

There is time later for this prize to have some legitimacy in its award to this President, which I think he will EARN if he keeps his heart and arm-twisting in the right place.

[berni_mccoy]

1. They did not give it to him as a "shrub snub". JESUS PEOPLE WTF HAS GONE WRONG WITH THIS PLACE?

[grantcart]

7. "No fighting here this is the War Room"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iXHbXVC5uk&feature=related

[timeforpeace]

39. It's merely the opinion of five Norwegians. No need for anyone to get so uptight, either way.

[DevonRex]

17. A black man can't win it on his own, doncha know. So they make up reasons why

he DID win it.

[tonysam]

60. Right. MLK and Nelson Mandela

needed help.

Sheesh.

[Thickasabrick]

63. Him being black has nothing to do with it. You WANT this to be

about race. That's fucked up dude.

[redqueen]

20. I feel like I'm taking crazy pills!

[BlooInBloo]

31. DUers simply cannot stand a good thing.

[stuball111]

42. Got that right...

The whole world breathed a sigh of relief when Bush was gone. Just Barack Obamas presence and attitude was good enough reason for the award, and for that, he deserves it, and fuck anybody who thinks he don't!

[tekisui]

49. I am amazed that there are so many who think this is a bad thing.

[Inspired]

40. +1

[The Gunslinger]

66. The main stream media is the problem........

even though I believe his deservedness is in question.

[A HERETIC I AM]

2. Bollocks.

[Beaverhausen]

3. why not read the statement from the committee about why they gave it to him

then STFU

[progressivebydesign]

11. x2! n/t

[ohheckyeah]

4. I disagree.

I think the fact that he has changed the political atmosphere is quite an accomplishment. The whole world hated the U.S. when Bush was president and they no longer do from what I've read. That's a big deal in my opinion.

[texastoast]

57. I'm very proud of him for giving the world hope

And showing the world that all Americans are not bat crazy. I'm also very glad that we have an Iraqi exit strategy. Finally. I don't agree with escalating our presence in Afghanistan, and I don't see how that can be viewed as having anything to do with "peace."

And thank you for a respectful, mature, meaningful response. It reminds me of the way DU'ers used to behave. Lately, I've been feeling that the site should change its name to Democratic Political Middle School.

[BuyingThyme]

5. I think it's always political.

I could be wrong.

[lolly]

43. Peace is political

So of course it's political.

And I believe the committee even said one of its goals is to encourage those who are making progress towards peace.

A while back, while the "Troubles" in Northern Ireland were still going on with no end in sight, 2 women who were trying to forge alliances between Catholics and Protestants won the award. They hadn't ended the troubles, but they had made some promising inroads, and the committee wanted to encourage that.

Besides, it is whatever the committee said it is. Take it or leave it.

[kenny blankenship]

6. either return to place of purchase in its original unopened packaging OR

have the honesty to wear it to soldiers' funerals.

[redqueen]

25. Good Lord. (nt)

[Sukie]

27. Most soldiers will tell you that they want to finish

their job. Obama did not get them into Iraq or Afghanistan, but he is left to handle both situations. He is doing so methodically, which is the intelligent thing to do.

[progressivebydesign]

8. Give me a break. Did you even READ their reasoning? Did I wander into the FR this morning? n/t

[Champion Jack]

9. Just STFU

[texastoast]

65. Eloquent and responsive

Not.

[redqueen]

10. Read this:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6737839

[H2O Man]

12. oh

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[ecstatic]

16. +1.

[Name removed]

41. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Brooklyns_Finest]

14. Thanks for your opinion

You have added a lot to the conversation.......<sarcasm>

[redqueen]

30. lol

[Warren Stupidity]

15. thankfully you are not advising him

he has wiser consul.

[sandnsea]

18. Didn't you post this earlier?

How many times were you planning on posting this?

[HysteryDiagnosis]

26. Was it posted before?? I hope not. n/t

[Rude Dog]

19. Except that wasn't why.

So you fail.

[Bluerthanblue]

21. fail-

on all points.

[The River]

22. FAIL

[Hamlette]

23. when you put up the money for the award, YOU can decide what it should be given for

until then, STFU.

[lamp_shade]

24. Oboy... another one.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

28. No, he shouldn't. That would be really stupid and insulting.

It would be a disgusting and offensive slap in the face to the Nobel Committee, who gave it to him (he didn't ask for it) for the entirely legitimate reason that he has taken significant steps to improve the relationship between the US, to encourage nuclear nonproliferation, to use diplomacy rather than force whenever possible, to improve relations with the Muslim world, and repair the damage done by the Bush administration.

And I don't give a rat's ass what the right wing thinks.

[NYC_SKP]

29. This OP demonstrates Ignorance of the NPP, at best.

At worst it's a companion piece to Limbaugh, the Taliban, and other detractors.

:mad:

[Aramchek]

32. Maybe they should have given it to your Governor for trying to secede

[kestrel91316]

33. FAIL - ETA that he deserves it. Read the Nobel Committee's statement.

[silverweb]

34. Bullshit.

[SidneyCarton]

35. THIS PRIZE IS POLITICAL ALL THE TIME, IT IS AWARDED BY A COMMITTEE OF POLITICIANS

For the love of Cthulthu! It's not sainthood!

It's not the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven!

It's not deification!

It's the Nobel Peace Prize, a prize created by a conscience-stricken munitions manufacturer. It has been awarded to saints and bastards (Mother Teresa, MLK, on the one hand and Yasser Arafat and Henry Kissinger on the other)

Good freakin grief.

[Hissyspit]

36. Um, it's always been political.

And it's never been about what has come to fruition, but what the committee hopes to encourage to come to fruition.

[sallyoh]

37. go get some education; u sound like a total moron. eom.

[spanone]

38. he accepted it and will give the 1.4 million to charity...good work Mr. President

[Hekate]

44. Don't you get it? (1) The RW will ALWAYS use ANY pretext to bitch about Dems (2) The Nobel Committee

... likewise always has a subtext to every prize they award.

In this case the likely subtext for giving it early in Obama's administration is to spur him on, not by any means to cause him to rest on his laurels. My god, the NP prize must feel like the weight of a mother's guilt-trip on him to go forth and achieve greatness.

As to the RW, screw 'em. They will not be happy no matter what Obama does. Like bipartisanship, it simply ain't gonna happen.

Hekate

[Ikonoklast]

45. Wrong. Next?

[backwoodsbob]

46. he should accept it and donate the prize money to a shelter

in Chicago.

That would REALLY give them a meltdown :)

[Chemisse]

47. I'm really pleased he said he didn't feel he had done yet anything to deserve

That will take the edge off the critical comments.

[redqueen]

48. You'd think... but apparently not. Maybe what he said next got them all outraged again.

To be honest, I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures who've been honored by this prize -- men and women who've inspired me and inspired the entire world through their courageous pursuit of peace.

But I also know that throughout history the Nobel Peace Prize has not just been used to honor specific achievement; it's also been used as a means to give momentum to a set of causes.

That is why I've said that I will accept this award as a call to action, a call for all nations and all peoples to confront the common challenges of the 21st century. These challenges won't all be met during my presidency, or even my lifetime. But I know these challenges can be met so long as it's recognized that they will not be met by one person or one nation alone.

[Chemisse]

50. How can people object to that?

He's saying he doesn't think he has earned it, but it is inspiring him to live up to it.

Of course Republicans will object to anything. But Democrats?

[Old and In the Way]

51. No Sale

Negative points for not understanding that politics are part of war and peace. The Academy will differ with your supposition as to what the purpose of the prize is for. In 20 years, the Nobel Peace Prize can give Barack a lifetime achievement award, should his record warrant it.

[HughMoran]

52. The Republicans are getting a rash of shit already for being anti-American - again

So, you

FAIL

[Bill McBlueState]

53. I don't think he was a particularly good choice

But declining it would be saying, "You know, American right wing, you have a point." Why concede anything to those losers?

[Iggo]

54. AAAAAAAAAGGGHHH

Sorry. Bad day.

[Zix]

55. Hi, Karl.

[LWolf]

56. I don't think so.

I don't think he was an appropriate recipient.

But Obama is a politician. Why would he refuse a political prize?

I don't see what he would gain by refusing.

[ellie]

58. Your bitter tears taste like candy to me.

[texastoast]

62. ...

No tears. Just an opinion. But that was rather poetic.

:eyes:

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

59. You should drop your internet access.

If you're not going to do with it, you should stop wasting everybody's time.

[JonLP24]

61. ...

:rofl:

Edit. I respectfully disagree. He gave his prize money to charity, isn't that good enough? :shrug:

[Thickasabrick]

64. Ya know, I don't care if he deserved it or not. He got it and by the

sounds of his speech saying he accepts it "as a call..." to me should end the whole debate right there because he's basically saying that he hasn't accomplished what he needs to accomplish and he is using this award as validation that he's on the right path.

Good for him - now let's get everybody some damn health care and jobs.