Erstellt am: 9. 10. 2009 - 12:10 Uhr
Barack Obama and the Nobel Peace Prize
I was in the studio with Hal Rock this morning when the news came in that Barack Obama had won the Nobel Peace Prize. As much as I hate to admit it, my first reaction (and judging by the dropped jaws I suspect I was not alone) was a resolute WTF?!?!
dpa Marijan Murat
While we were waiting for more news and the reasoning behind the committees decision, the evil cynic in me started trying to figure out what he had done to earn it.
Afghanistan was the first thing that popped into my head, but I was pretty certain increasing troop numbers and escalating a war probably wasn't one of the things the committee thought was pretty cool.
Iraq?
Last I heard we were still there...
Gitmo?
That chapter hasn't been completely closed yet either.
Maybe they just really liked the Hope poster.
After grasping for straws, the Nobel Prize website provided me with the answer. They gave him the prize "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples".
Now, despite the fact that the Obama Presidency is starting to feel a bit like Clinton II, I guess they might just have a point. As much as I might dislike his choice of Department of Justice employees and his handling of the health care issue, I have to admit that the U.S. no longer comes across like an angry drunk on the international stage.
He really has turned around the way the U.S. is dealing with international relations, and his success has managed to inspire other politicians across the planet.
But is that really enough to justify the Prize?
It wasn't enough to win it for Bill Clinton when he was nominated in 1998.
So I'm torn.
As much as I would like to kick my inner cynic to the curb, I'm having a hard time believing this is really a Very Good Thing. I mean, the man takes a really good picture, but I don't think he's brought us sooo much closer to world peace, rainbows and unicorns.
Yet.
What do you think?