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| Blogs > rm_mazandbren > The Complaisant Husband |
A NOBEL PRIZE????
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A NOBEL PRIZE???? there was a news report a few weeks ago that stated that a group of scientists wanted a new expansion of the Nobel Prizes to reflect the diversification of science, especially medicine. without going into merits or otherwise of the suggestion, one must note that the spokesman for the Nobel Prize Committee said that there had to be careful consideration of the question so as not to weaken the allure of the Prize or bring it into disrespect. ironic, then, that the Committee has done precisely that by announcing Barrack Obama as the 2009 recipient of the Peace Prize. the Committee itself notes that they are doing it less for what he has done than what he might do; which could be a little embarrassing if her proceeds to sit on his arse or dithers away the initiative, the latter of which looks increasingly likely on Afghanistan at least. there is absolutely no reason for the award of this prize and it is just the latest in a long line of awards and positions, including the Presidency itself, that have come to Obama without actually having to do anything to earn them. all it really does is expose the award for the popularity contest it has become. it is also insulting to consider that the committee believes that nobody has done enough to deserve the award Morgan Tsvangarai in particular deserves the award; i initially favoured Sima Samar of Afghanistan. But Tsvangarai has done everything in his power to keep the situation in Zimbabwe from degenerating into civil war and the award of the Peace Prize at this juncture would immeasurably increase his moral authority in dealing with Mugabe and his cronies. Samar is a campaigner for womens rights and opposes the warlords in Afghanistan's parliament; both positions have meant she lives under constant threat of violent death- and as we have seen her opponents believe in some brutal extremes of violence. that neither of these heroic people are deemed worthy of the Peace Prize by the Nobel Committee is a disgrace. that the only alternative winner the committee could think of was Obama simply says that it has been duped into accepting publicity over substance. Obama had done nothing to prove that he was capable of governing and in office has proven increasingly inept in his handling of the many situations that he faces or has manufactured. in fact the only thing he has done well before, during and after his election is give pretty speeches. if i hear another lefty say his greatest contribution to the world is his message of hope i am going to scream. hope is good- but sooner or later if he is to prove himself the great leader everybody thinks he is he has to do something to make those hopes a reality- and in that he is failing badly. cited specifically for his efforts in attempting to bring peace to Israel and Palestine- for his efforts in ending the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq- for his speech calling for nuclear disarmament- he has been woefully inept at all of them. His speech in Cairo sucking up to Muslim dictators did not merely stab Israel in the back but led to a sidelining of moderate Muslims; with Israel now distrusting his intentions the Palestinians no longer believe he has the strength to bring a right-wing government to the negotiating table. and before anybody cites this government as an impediment to peace one might remember it has a policy of open negotiations with the Muslims and that the previous left wing government not only started the invasions in Lebanon and Gaza but imploded under a cloud of corruption. Iraq, thanks to Bush's Surge and the change in tactics to engage with the moderates was already drawing down when Obama took office; his hesitation in dealing with the requirements of the situation in Afghanistan has dismayed his allies in the region; his appointment of McChrystal as commander has led to a policy that the French tried in Viet Nam that led directly to the deaths in captivity of 20 000 of its own troops after the humiliating defeat at Dien Ben Phu- how would 20 000 American soldiers at the hands of the Taliban and Al-qaeda play out on CNN or Al-Jazeera? which basically leaves nuclear disarmament- the grand total of actions in support of which have been ONE speech. he has ignored the situations in North Korea and Iran, emboldening both regimes in the pursuit of their own weapons programmes and effectively inviting Israel to try and bomb Iranian sites. the idea that these facilities are beyond the reach of American weapons ignores the bunker buster bomb and the deep penetrator bomb- talking up the possibility of attacks on both nations with these weapons might just burst the bubble of their self- perceived invincibility and bring them to the table. it is the ultimate in pandering that the Nobel Committee, despite everything to the contrary, has given Obama this prize! it demeans not only those who missed out, by proclaiming their great and many efforts unworthy, but also the efforts of previous winners who actually did something more than just give a good speech.  In truth is there no beauty? I am not in love; but i am open to persuasion. |
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