So, the news is out. Despite being only 9 months into his administration, Obama shockingly received a Nobel Peace Prize. I won't lie, I thought it was a joke. You know those Scandinavians, they are always good for a joke!!! I will admit it, I do not think that Obama actually has done the most for humanity for world peace; that being said, this prize should be seen as an acknowledgement from the world that America matters again.
After eight dreadful years of the Bush go it alone strategy, America is once again seeking to become a leader in the international community. This should be viewed as good thing, by the right and left. American interests can be protected when our leader is respected. Obama's attempts to heal the wounds of the past are not weak liberal giving in. Instead it takes balls to say, "you know what, we were wrong, sorry" Admitting the past is sometimes harder than ignoring it.
Now some on the right are attacking this prize as proof of Obama's world celebrity status. Does it matter that Obama is loved around the world? I think it does actually. What did we gain by Bush being hated world leader? It gained us nothing; instead we lost respect and credibility. Maybe there is a cult-following of our President, so what!!! If they love him, they will listen to him.
To the right, I say, "Give it a rest!" Obama could find cures for cancer, end world hunger, and win 10 wars, but Republicans would still attack him. It is time to grow up. An American President has just been awarded a major international prize. Did he deserve it? Maybe not, but we can still be proud of what it represents. This wasn't an award only to Obama, but to America's role in the world. We should all share in his achievement!
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Bret,
ReplyDeleteMolodets droog. I appreciated this post. Most people that I come in contact with get wrapped up in the whole, "Our black, democratic president is screwing everything up" mentality, and it's often hard to find fresh perspectives of the man that point out his redeeming qualities without putting him on a pedestal.
Keep up the shameless self-promotion on facebook as I enjoy reading these.
--Grant
Bret:
ReplyDeleteI like Obama a lot more than you'd think, and I am pretty proud of him. But I think you were more correct in saying that the Nobel is a joke than you were in saying it's a sign that "America matters again." When Jimmy Carter got the prize did he start to matter again? No. What about when ElBaradei got it? Nope, the IAEA is as useless as ever. I look at the award the same way i look at Time Magazine's Person of the Year. It goes to whoever is making the most noise that year.
You should make posts more often, it's good reading.