So call me a hater, but what in the hell was the Nobel Committee thinking in awarding President Barack Obama the Nobel Peace Prize? Announcing the award, the Nobel committee cited President Obama "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples" and said that he had "created a new climate in international politics." Not only is the award premature, but how does the committee justify giving the award to someone who is advocating the escalation of a war in which civilians are being killed on a near daily basis? I'm all about recognizing potential, but giving the award to someone because they pay lip service to change is just downright stupid. Please name FIVE things that President Obama has done that warrants his receipt of this award.
Also, I'm no Bill Clinton fan, but damn, even he deserved the Nobel Peace Prize before Obama. I bet Bill and Hillary are silently super pissed right about now. At least Clinton helped negotiate peace agreements in the Middle East and Northern Ireland! Granted, the Middle East peace was fleeting, but that's more than what Obama has done to date in that area. Listen, I campaigned for the man, donated money to his campaign, and I voted for him, but let's stop treating the man like Jesus! I'm also just really tired of people who act like if we are supposed to support him without question, just because he is "progressive," black, or whatever other shared identity I am presumed to have with him. Get a grip people! How can we ever hold the President and our government accountable if we behave like sheep?
Finally, I'm really annoyed by people on both the Right and the Left, who equate criticism of the President or the United States with being unpatriotic. I don't typically like to go around quoting slave owners, but I think Thomas Jefferson said it best, "Dissent is the highest form of patriotism." So if dissent or critical thinking are equivalent to "hating," then just call me "quirky black hater..."
Saturday, October 10, 2009
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8 comments:
I'm going to comment on my own post. Let me just say that my own mother vehemently disagrees with me on this matter, but she is like 99% of the people I know (and I mean that with the utmost respect and love).
What I have realized through this whole hoopla, is that I actually have no strong idea what people are given the nobel peace prize for. Maybe I should look into that... I wonder how the Clinton's are feeling about everyone using them as an example of folks who were "passed up" by this. Has anyone heard anything?
Oh. Are other people using the Clintons as an example? I thought I was being original. Oh well...
i'm late, obviously...but i just found your blog from dr. dobbie's facebook page... :-)
but like shayla, i think people are quick to analyze the criteria for winning a nobel peace prize just because he won...had the afghan women's rights activist one, we wouldn't be so quick to judge her worthiness...and people were just as quick to say he deserved it as those who say he didn't.
i also don't think he won because of his accomplishments as president...i would go even further to say his impact on the world and his message of hope throughout his campaign would deem him worthy of the prize, let alone a nomination, even if he hadn't been elected president...clearly, it's not one's acts as president that gets people nobel peace prizes, otherwise, he wouldn't be the 4th one...3rd one to get it while sitting...and 1st to receive it in his first term...
his campaign changed the face of politics, he's the face of a movement. the entire world was looking to obama to win...when else has that happened? i mean, even he said he didn't deem himself worthy, but i think it's awesome. and i'm not a blind sheep supporter who only supports him because we share a black identity or progressive ideals.
my $0.02... :-)
Point taken Tarani. I didn't mean to imply that anyone who supports Obama is some unquestioning sheep. However, I do think that a lot of his supporters in fact are unquestioning. Plus I don't think a lot of people realize how conservative some of his beliefs are (and perhaps at odds with their own beliefs). Also, I feel like there are a lot of people (particularly white people) who support him because it makes them feel good about themselves, without paying much attention to the substance of his politics. I have never really had particularly strong opinions about the Nobel Peace Prize, so fine if the Nobel Committee wants to give it to him. I still think it was premature, but people in positions of power do things every day, with which I don't agree.
i like this blog. funny. engaging. i think there is a lot of truth there
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