President Barack Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday despite accomplishing nothing worthy of winning it.
There are more deserving people in the world of the award that, in previous years, was bestowed upon Mother Theresa, former President Jimmy Carter and Desmond Tutu.
The prize was given to Obama “for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.” Feb. 1 was the deadline for consideration of the Nobel Peace Prize, less than two weeks after his Jan. 20 inauguration. He accomplished nothing in the that brief amount of time to earn him the prize. Obama was given the award on the basis that he is capable of doing great things, despite not having time to accomplish anything.
There are many other people who are far more qualified and worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize. For example, Wei Jingsheng has been fighting more than a decade for human rights and criticizing communism in China. Mordechai Vanunu exposed Iran’s nuclear program, potentially stopping the building of weapons of mass destruction.
President Obama should not have accepted the prize. He was every bit as shocked as everyone else when he won the award. Despite accepting the award with humility, Obama knows he does not deserve it.
If anything, accepting the award puts a lot of pressure on Obama. There are a few global issues he must face, including the war in Afghanistan and Iran’s nuclear activity, where the outcomes are uncertain. There are other issues, such as the genocide in Darfur, that Obama has yet to address. If he fails to live up to the world’s expectations, his winning of the Nobel Peace Prize will seem even worse.
On the college front
Obama was the candidate of choice for most college students during the 2008 presidential election. He spoke directly to young adults, calling upon them to seek education and contribute to their country. Students should be critical of their president on what he can do for them, not what he can do for the rest of the world. Despite gaining so much international praise, there is still much to do within our own borders. The national unemployment rate is at a record high, with Michigan’s own at more than 15 percent. Obama’s health care plan still needs to be thoroughly discussed.
There is much hope that Obama comes close to his goal of creating better relations around the world for America. There is little doubt that he won’t try his best.
Praise should be given for someone’s actions, not their intentions, especially in matters of peace.
E-mail the author: 
Editorial Board
(Powered by 
Vanunu did NOT expose “Iran’s nuclear program”!
Vanunu exposed Israel’s WMD program in 1986 and he is still paying the price!
Learn A LOT @ http://www.wearewideawake.org/
Oct. 10, 2009: Obama’s Mandate from and Vanunu’s letter to: 2009 Nobel Peace Prize Committee
Listen to Vanunu speak for himself in 2005, 2006, 2008 video interviews and learn about his FREEDOM of SPEECH Trial in the ‘democracy’ of Israel @ VANUNU ARCHIVES:
http://www.wearewideawake.org/
Eileen Fleming, Author, Founder of WeAreWideAwake.org
Producer “30 Minutes with Vanunu” and “13 Minutes with Vanunu”
Alfred Nobel’s will dictated that the interest raised on the monies from his estate be distributed to “those who, during the preceding year, shall have conferred the greatest benefit on mankind.” According to his will, The Peace Prize is to be given to “the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.”
According to the Norwegian Nobel Committee:
“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.”
Given that, who in the past year has done nearly as much as President Obama to advance the cause of peace in our world?
(Sources:
http://nobelprize.org/alfred_nobel/will/short_testamente.html
http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/2009/press.html )
Scott,
President Obama had done nothing at the time of his nomination for this prize in February 2009. He still has done nothing, but advocate and talk … nothing has been resolved and no place on earth has become more peaceful since the nomination or prior to.
Its a Liberal popularity contest and nobody cares … he did not deserve jack squat, just like he does not deserve the position he’s sitting in. He’s a politician just like the rest of them and America shows that in his popularity polls.
Going down?
FYI ITS AMAZING THAT THE “PEACE PRIZE” WAS FIRST GIVEN TO ALFRED NOBEL, HENCE ITS NAMESAKE. AND THE REASON THE PRIZE WAS GIVEN TO NOBEL? HE INVENTED DYNAMITE. THE SUBSTANCE RESPONSIBLE FOR HOW MUCH DEATH AND DESTRUCTION? YES I KNOW IT WAS USED FOR MANY NON NEFARIOUS THINGS BUT STILL. A PEACE PRIZE FOR DISCOVERING AN EXPLOSIVE? THATS WHY WE THINK THE PRIZE IS A JOKE AND A POPULARITY CONTEST. OBAMA DESERVING? NO. HOW ABOUT THE THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS AND CITIZEN PROTESTERS THAT STOOD UP TO THE SHAM ELECTIONS IN IRAN THIS YEAR. MANY WERE KILLED AND JAILED FOR SPEAKING OUT AGAINST A HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATOR! THEY DESERVE THE PRIZE. NOT OBAMA WHO HAS RISKED NOTHING BUT OUR FREEDOM AND HAS MADE OUR ECONOMY WORSE BY BAILING OUT HIS CORPRATE BANKER BUDDIES. P.S. GUANTANAMO IS STILL OPEN AND WE ARE STILL IN 2 WARS! HE IS ANOTHER EMPTY SUIT IN D.C. ALL TALK AND NO ACTION.