Obama Awarded 2009 Nobel Peace Prize

[Type 97 Chi-ha]

Originally Posted by Canadian Turtle

Wow... I wouldn't have guessed everyone would be so negative about this. I guess you wouldn't have any idea what he means unless you live outside the US.

I am not saying he has done anything special in office, I am sure that people are frustrated with him, but I would argue that you can't blame him completely, you have no idea what kind of crap system he is dealing with. In fact his lack of action might actually show America the flaw in the system, as the president actually doesn't have much of any power.

ANYWAYS back to my point. The fact that he was voted in DRAMATICALLY changed the world view of the US. Just the act of becoming the first black president did more than any of us can ever appreciate. That is all I will say about that.

Well, if the US is getting any benefits out of this new world opinion, I sure see no sign of it. It's beside the point anyway. All we care about is whether he can do the job-and it is looking more and more like he can't, not even with his party having a solid veto-proof majority in Congress. Just because he may be loved outside the US (which may not be for very much longer at the rate things are going) doesn't prove he's a good President. Ask the Russians how they liked Boris Yeltsin.

[GK Punk]

Jesus Tap dancing christ. He we go again.

[Cipher]

Probably chiming in too late, but yeah, this is kind of a load of sh*t. I voted for Obama, I generally support him, but what exactly did he do to get this? He got elected. In all likelyhood he was a shoe-in the moment he took office, as long as the world didn't erupt into nuclear war during his term.

And yet, the world goes on. There have been plenty of undeserving recipients of this award.

[Archon_Turtle]

Hey, atleast he actually said in his press conference that he didn't believe he was deserving. I mean...even he thinks its a load.

[Sewer Bull]

Note that, aside from a fancy medal and additional paragraph in his Wikipedia article, the laureate receives US$1.4 million. Now I guess there is a bunch of peace activists worldwide who struggle for cash much harder than President Obama.

Unless they decided to fund his healthcare reform with that money.

Originally Posted by Type 97 Chi-ha

Ask the Russians how they liked Boris Yeltsin.

You have an unhealthy obsession with that Boris Yeltsin of yours.

[GK Punk]

He already said he's giving the money to charity

[Peanut]

Originally Posted by Cipher Classic

I voted for Obama, I generally support him...

I don't know how sh*t works down there, but...is it common to vote for someone you "generally" support? That seems...not right to me.

[Leo656]

As long as the "charity" he gave the money to isn't ACORN... I'd call shenanigans on that one...

[Cipher]

Originally Posted by Peanut

I don't know how sh*t works down there, but...is it common to vote for someone you "generally" support? That seems...not right to me.

You're right. Since I don't agree with Obama on every single issue, I should have voted for the McCain/Palin ticket, with whom I shared even less views. Or I should have voted for an obscure third party which had no chance of winning in a two-party system, effectively strengthening the afore mentioned Republican ticket. How could I have been so naive? I must have fogotten that the ballot is supposed to be an anonymous moral pulpit without considering any practical ramifications.

[Leo656]

Political debates rule. This stuff is why nobody at work talks to me.

But yeah, since everybody's a liar, a thief and a con artist, voting for someone you "generally" support based on what they *say* they stand for is really all one can do. Some of the more educated observers try and judge a person by a record of past deeds (or misdeeds), but even that isn't always an accurate way to pick sides b/c once a person gets elected to something, they usually have to pay a ton of money (and/or favors) back to the people who actually got them elected in the first place, and then they're nothing but a dog to the special interests and corporations.

So yeah, all anyone can do is pick your poison and hope they don't screw things up TOO badly once in office.

As for Obama turning down the Prize, I don't think he would've or should have to, it's just a sad joke he was even nominated in the first place. Especially since he's one of the most polarizing American figures to come along in years, at least in America itself.

[Hannah]

Everyone read this and shut the f*ck up, you whiny assholes.

http://www.politicususa.com/en/node/7223

[poiuytre]

Originally Posted by Cipher Classic

Or I should have voted for an obscure third party which had no chance of winning in a two-party system

This is kind of a whole different subject altogether, but isn't that line of thought the entire reason why other parties don't have a chance?

[Cipher]

Originally Posted by poiuytre

This is kind of a whole different subject altogether, but isn't that line of thought the entire reason why other parties don't have a chance?

Oh, definitely. It's a real Catch 22. I'd love to be able to vote for a party that accurately represents my beliefs in good conscience. But the fact is that unless everyone adopts that manner of thinking (not going to happen), it's better to just vote for the most suitable major party.

And I'm not sure that a multi-party system is the way to go, for that matter. If everyone voted for a million different parties, you could end up with the group in power having taken, say, only 15% of the total vote just because the options were so varied. So while 15% of the nation would have their beliefs completely represented, the other 85% would be SOL. And it's not like the two-party (or three or four-party in some countries) system exists just because centuries ago someone said "There shall be only be so many parties." It's a natural evolution. Say there were hundreds of viable parties. Inevitably people on the same side of the political spectrum are going to catch on and say, "Hey, you know, so-and-so party is fairly agreeable. Let's have all the lieberals compromise and throw their support by it so we at least have a chance."

There's really no practical way to implement a perfect democratic system. Oh well. It doesn't keep me up at night.

Personally, I find it really interesting that he was nominated and chosen. I think it would have been an insult to refuse it, and I think it was good of him to say he didn't deserve it. That being said, The nobel committee is in charge of that award and they can give it to whomever they see fit. Why is this even political at all? It's not like the general public anywhere had any say in what that committee did. Why make a huge deal out of it? Isn't it nice that one of our fellow countrymen was honored? I 100% guarantee that if McCain or Palin or any other American won it I'd still feel proud.

But it's not supposed to recognize a country. It's not an Olympic Medal. It's a specific award given to a specific individual for their specific actions towards maintaining peace. When people have to ask of the winner, "Well, what exactly did they do?", it seems a little fishy.

But the major mistake people make is in thinking that the award means anything at all. It's always been one of the bunkier Nobel prizes. Take a look at some of the past winners.

[Type 97 Chi-ha]

Originally Posted by GK

Jesus Tap dancing christ. He we go again.

You're right, excuse me. I was trying to explain some things to someone who strikes me as rather slow on the uptake.

[GK Punk]

It's cool, I just don't want a repeat of the last time. As long as it doesn't happen again, there's no harm done.

And that goes for everyone.

[XERO]

Whoa, that's crazy. I didn't even know he was nominated.

[Type 97 Chi-ha]

Originally Posted by GK

It's cool, I just don't want a repeat of the last time. As long as it doesn't happen again, there's no harm done.

And that goes for everyone.

Yes, I got the idea. BTW, Canadian Turtle and other people might want to make a note of this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiram_Rhodes_Revels

That's right, there was an African-American US Senator in 1870, scant years after the end of slavery. And that's why we find the hype over Obama so ridiculous.