President Barack Obama just received the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize. He is the 4th President of the United States to win the award, following Teddy Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson and Jimmy Carter. According to headlines I’ve seen so far this was a shock to the international community. I do not know how the selection process works or whether there was a list of published finalists, but I’m personally very surprised Obama won the award based solely on his lack of actual accomplishment.
He was cited for “extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.” Obama has been the President for nine months. Nine months! Very little has happened to slow the nuclear ambitions of Iran, very little has improved in the Israel/Palestinian situation, North Korea is basically unchecked and the U.S. has been relatively useless in the Honduras coup situation. So, basically from my standpoint, it seems Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize because he’s NOT George W. Bush.
I pulled up last years Nobel Peace Prize winner, Marrti Ahtisaari, and he was cited, “for his important efforts, on several continents and over more than three decades, to resolve international conflicts.” Sadly, I know nothing about Mr. Ahtisaari, but the fact that his work was over more than 30 years seems to make him the type of individual who should be winning these awards. Individuals like Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela and Mother Teresa, all past winners of this award. Does Obama currently belong in that group?
Looking at the other Presidents that have won the award, Roosevelt won the prize in 1906, the 5th year of his Presidency, “for mediating the Russo-Japanese War, reach[ing] a Gentleman’s Agreement on immigration with Japan, and send[ing] the Great White Fleet on a goodwill tour of the world.” Wilson won the prize in 1919, the 6th year of his Presidency for founding the League of Nations following World War I. Finally, Carter won the award in 2002 for, “for his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts, to advance democracy and human rights, and to promote economic and social development.”
I hope Obama is able to accomplish goals that would make his actions worthy of receiving this award. But at this point in time, nine months into his Presidency with very little domestic or international accomplishments to speak of, this award seems premature and inappropriate.
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