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Obama's award will immunize him from criticism like Tutu: Truthout
The Norwegian Nobel Committee has awarded the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize to President Obama.Some initial commentary has called the award unprecedented and wondered why the committee would give President Obama the award when he "hasn't done anything yet." But anyone who thinks this award is unprecedented hasn't been paying attention. The Nobel Committee gave South African Bishop Desmond Tutu the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 for his leadership efforts to abolish apartheid in South Africa. Apartheid wasn't fully abolished in South Africa until 1994. The committee could have waited until after apartheid was abolished to say, "Well done!" But the point of the award was to help bring down apartheid by strengthening Bishop Tutu's efforts. In particular, everyone knew that it was going to be much harder for the apartheid regime to crack down on Tutu after the Nobel Committee wrapped him in its protective cloak of world praise. So you're REALLY a racist if you criticize Obama now. World praise sure didn't stop the Soviet government from totally screwing over Andrei Sakharov Kept the Rooskies from killing him ... That's what the Nobel Committee is trying to do for Obama now. It's giving an award to encourage the change in world relations that Obama has promised, and to try to help shield Obama against his domestic adversaries. The committee is well aware that history is contingent and that Obama might fail. It knows very well that the same country that elected Obama also gave the world George W. Bush and Ronald Reagan. That's pretty much what I figured, a naked power play. I appreciate the honesty, though. The initial steps that Obama has taken are already under fierce attack. Under Bush, this was called 'dissent'. Attack from the press? No. Attacks from television news? Nope. Attacks from conservatives, yew betcha, and if Bob, here, thinks the Nobel Peace prize will blunt criticism from conservatives, he ain't paying attention. The Obama administration has now recognized that the Afghan Taliban are not a threat to the United States and that the United States can live with the Afghan Taliban playing a role in the government of Afghanistan. But right-wing forces in the military, Congress, think tanks and the media are denouncing these moves toward sanity as surrender. They want a full-out Vietnam against the Taliban. Not sure what this has to do with the NPP. It means if you leave the battlefield to an armed and hostile enemy more than willing to do harm to your allies, it is, by definition, surrender, and one hundred Nobel Peace prizes each and every year the for next 100 years will not change that dynamic.
The Obama administration has begun its promised diplomatic engagement with Iran. Of course, as every honest person knew, real engagement meant de-emphasizing the unachievable demand that Iran end its enrichment of uranium and instead focusing on achievable demands like opening Iranian enrichment facilities more fully to UN inspections and greater international oversight over the enriched uranium that Iran has already produced. Here also, the "endless war" right-wing is trying to undermine Obama. Our way of thinking is the only way of thinking that honest people follow. Remember, dissent is racism. In giving this award, the Nobel Committee is telling these right-wing forces to back off. And it's sending a message of encouragement to those Americans who put Obama in office: "Showing signs of significant improvement. Keep up the good work." Again, pretty much what I thought it was. The Peace Prize isn't about peace, it's just a "we really (really) like you" from the international transnationalist elite.
Posted by: gromky 2009-10-10 |
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