The committee is probably thinking Obama will now need to live up to the prize--if is isn't a real peacemaking dude from here out, people will certainly whine.
Yes, just see how well it worked for Yasser Arafat...
One can always hope.
Barack Obama gets Nobel's Peace Prize
211–218 of 218 posts
Re: Barack Obama gets Nobel's Peace Prize
#212I wonder if Obama was as surprised as I was.
Probably, but he responded quite well. See Jim Fallows critique of his comments: http://jamesfallows.theatlantic.com/archives/2009/10/obamas_...
Re: Barack Obama gets Nobel's Peace Prize
#213Earlier quoted context omitted.
He also gets it while USA are in two wars (wars which have very little to do with peace and most likely related to oil and revenge). Anyhow, I like Obama as well, but giving him a peace award is just too early.
Please provide factual information the wars most likely relate to oil and revenge. To me the wars are more of a response to America's high state of emotion after 9/11, judging by the amount of people (even in political positions) who at the time agreed to them.
The war in Afghanistan was a reaction on 9/11, an act to get a small group of people called Al-Qaeda - - attacking a whole country because of a group of people is a revenge act. The war on Iraq was based on false premises (weapons of mass destruction), was not with the support from U.N. Iraq ranks as the third in the world in oil supplies - - Iraq's oil is one of the first things that invasive army protected and one of the only things that will be protected in the future as the invasive army moves out.
One can say the US wanted to protect the "people" and it's classy, but there are other places that need a lot more help (like Congo, where over 5.4 million people have died in/because of war since 1998).
Re: Barack Obama gets Nobel's Peace Prize
#214Earlier quoted context omitted.
Please provide factual information the wars most likely relate to oil and revenge. To me the wars are more of a response to America's high state of emotion after 9/11, judging by the amount of people (even in political positions) who at the time agreed to them.
The war in Afghanistan was a reaction on 9/11, an act to get a small group of people called Al-Qaeda - - attacking a whole country because of a group of people is a revenge act. The war on Iraq was based on false premises (weapons of mass destruction), was not with the support from U.N. Iraq ranks as the third in the world in oil supplies - - Iraq's oil is one of the first things that invasive army protected and one…
"The war in Afghanistan was a reaction on 9/11, an act to get a small group of people called Al-Qaeda - " who were sheltered by the Taliban, then the ruling government in Afghanistan.
Re: Barack Obama gets Nobel's Peace Prize
#215Earlier quoted context omitted.
I don't disagree with any of the above. What gets my goat a bit is that you see attacks on Guantanamo for breaking the Geneva Convention (or even, as here, that it is as shocking as the Nazi mass murders!) -- and when it is pointed out that is a non-serious argument, there is never an answer. I never could stomach propaganda written by people that know better. I like to think "the good guys" should be better than tha…
> What gets my goat a bit is that you see attacks on Guantanamo for breaking the Geneva Convention (or even, as here, that it is as shocking as the Nazi mass murders!) -- and when it is pointed out that is a non-serious argument, there is never an answer. Answering straw men was never a requirement. You made that link, it never was in what I wrote.
As I predicted, not an answer.
>>Answering straw men was never a requirement.
You involved Godwin, I didn't.
Also, as I've written twice and you haven't commented:
All democracies I know of that had terror problems (Germany, Italy, USA, Israel, Great Britain) at least walked a thin line on human rights for the terrorists.
It seems governments would be voted out in democracies if they didn't answer attacks on voters without using all measures.
There is a pattern here. My guess is that the reason is that terror problems are similar to civil wars, which are generally acknowledged to be dirtier than coal power plants.
No, you don't have to like it. I don't either, but I don't compare modern democracies to Nazis.
The only real solution I can see is to work towards more democracy in the world -- and hope the democratic peace theory isn't a fluke...
(Sorry for answering late. It was Friday evening and I try to fake having a life.)
Re: Barack Obama gets Nobel's Peace Prize
#216Earlier quoted context omitted.
link to the quote? I am sure a Hong Kong style autonomy would benefit them but is hard to see the Communist party handing out semi-democracy like candy to whoever asks.
Yeah, I'll have to hunt around to find the citation. I heard it in a speech he gave in NYC about 10-11 years ago following the release of Kundun. searches around a bit http://www.dalailama.com/news.220.htm Here is a recent-ish post by His Holiness.
thanks
Re: Barack Obama gets Nobel's Peace Prize
#217Earlier quoted context omitted.
Armed insurrection is never warranted? So the Polish resistance during WWII wasn't "right", was George Washington wrong for rebelling against Britain? "The tree of liberty must be watered from time to time with the blood of tyrants and patriots." - Thomas Jefferson
I personally feel that killing is almost never warranted. Gandhi did not kill anyone and Desmond Tutu never advocated for violence. The problem with violence is that everyone feels that their cause justifies it.
You didn't answer my questions. Specifically, was the violent resistance justified in WWII?
It is easy for someone to be a pacifist when they don't worry about violence on a daily basis because the most powerful military in the world protects them.
"If the choice is between cowardice and violence, I advice violence" - Gandhi
Re: Barack Obama gets Nobel's Peace Prize
#218Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yeah, I'll have to hunt around to find the citation. I heard it in a speech he gave in NYC about 10-11 years ago following the release of Kundun. searches around a bit http://www.dalailama.com/news.220.htm Here is a recent-ish post by His Holiness.
thanks
Yup!