What Do You Want: A World Prize, or a Thrown Shoe?

"Certainly from our standpoint, this [recognition] gives us a sense of momentum — when the United States has accolades tossed its way, rather than shoes."

Quote is from the State Department. Hillary Clinton's State Department. You remember Hillary? She was supposed to be Obama's arch enemy for all time. His nemesis. She sure plays it well, don't you think?

This is the Nobel Peace Prize, remember. PEACE Prize. That's P-E-A-C-E.

So, let's see who threw shoes: The Taliban sent a press release (!) saying, "We condemn the award of the Nobel Peace Prize for Obama."

Yes, the Taliban sends press releases.

Who else?

The Iranian Foreign Minister called the Nobel decision "hasty." Hasty. Hmm.

Let's take a minute, and see a bit of what has he accomplished.

1. Last month he took the issues of nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament to the United Nations, becoming the first US president to preside over a session of the Security Council.
2. Negotiating with Russia in July, he has reduced the number of nuclear warheads over 100%. Yes, down by more that half. Look it up.
3. "Obama's decision to cancel the deeply flawed antimissile systems in Eastern Europe is sound policy... He replaces a system that did not work against a threat that did not exist with weapons that can defend against the real Iranian missile capability. Better still, he NATO-izes the system to strengthen the alliance, not divide it... This is not appeasement; it is the new defense realism, the triumph of pragmatism over ideology." -by Joseph Cirincione of Foreign Policy Magazine
4. Obama's engagement with the Muslim world has been immediate and firm. He said, "American is not at war with Islam." He has single-handedly changed an 8 year trend in the wrong direction, thus changing America's image in not just the Islamic regions but the entire world. That's Kindergarten diplomacy. If you don't hate me, I'll play nice with you. Words, yes. With actions to back it up.
5. Quoted from Obama speech: "In April, we convened the first of what have now been six meetings of the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate here in the United States. In Trinidad, I proposed an Energy and Climate Partnership for the Americas. We've worked through the World Bank to promote renewable energy projects and technologies in the developing world. And we have put climate at the top of our diplomatic agenda when it comes to our relationships with countries from China to Brazil; India to Mexico; Africa to Europe." And he backed up words with action: he signed two executive orders reversing some very damaging Bush policies, thus saying, essentially America is back to a global leadership role on climate change.
   
6. He is closing Guantanemo Bay Detention Center. Can anything else be such a boon to repairing the reputation of the US in the point of view of the world? He said to the world, we don't torture. If you don't understand the importance of that, I can't explain it to you.
   
7. He has been "tightening screws" in Iran, while simultaneously opening communication with them. Interesting juxtaposition. And it was pretty cool when he brought up the underground nuclear facility in public at the G-20 summit. And guess what? With the leaders of Britain and France by our side, China and Russia agreed with us: that "Iran must live up to it's obligations under international rules on nuclear activities." Iran has been served.
   
8. He has restarted the Middle East peace talks. PEACE talks. Remember the past president? He waited until the end of his 2nd term and then it was a half-hearted attempt. Wow, what a surprise it didn't work. But then he cleared brush for a year, a full 365 days of his tenure. A man with that much brush to clear has to make some priorities, duddn't he?

Going back to the shoe-throwers: The Republican Party. The Party of No. NO, we don't want to slow or reverse any man-made damage we have done to the earth. NO, we don't want peace in the Middle East (or anywhere, actually). NO, we don't want to reduce nuclear warheads. NO, we don't want to be a better citizen of the world, and we certainly don't want to share our sand pile or our cookies. NO, we don't want the Olympics. Fer chrissakes! Who's against the Olympics?? The whole point is that's it's non-political. (Or attempts to be, if anything can be considered non-political.)

So, for the people who think he hasn't done anything, see the list (and I'm sure there are more things, but this list was made from scratch. I didn't pull it from anywhere. I watched the news over the last 8+ months and I sought out the stories I remembered, which admittedly could very well be only the hair on the giant.).

For those who just don't see it, I think it's a mighty neat trick to see a World Prize only in the context of the win/lose column of US politics. He hasn't brought about health care reform, so he's an international failure and doesn't deserve this award? That's telling in its shortsightedness.

"...Even though [the] Obama [Administration] is in the early stages, the committee felt his presidency warranted recognition," says Charles Kupchan, an expert in US foreign policy.

For those who just want to yell NO, I want to add a few words to your NO: NO one is listening to you. Thank god.