Cornel West Comments On Obama's Nobel Peace Prize: Hard To Be War President With Peace Prize

Dr. Cornel West spoke at the Central Library in Los Angeles Friday, Oct. 9, and weighed in on what winning the Nobel Peace Prize will mean for President Obama.

The Princeton University professor and civil rights activist pointed to Obama's position as commander in chief of the armed services and the tension that the award places on the president. "It's gonna be hard to be a war president...I think it's very difficult for any head of an empire to be under the pressure of peace. 'Cause you're head of the largest military in the world, you got over a thousand military installments on the globe, you got ships in every sea. It's very difficult," West said.

Dr. West talked about how the peace prize might affect Obama's handling of torture. "It's going to be difficult to have a peace prize and not investigate folk who have been torturing other people," West said.

In August, Attorney General Eric Holder announced the appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate torture by CIA employees and contractors during the Bush administration.

Click here to listen to Dr. West's remarks. Below is a transcript of Dr. West's comments. He will be a guest on next week's Tavis Smiley Show.

"It's gonna be hard to be a war president with a peace prize. Gonna be difficult. Very, very difficult. And so I think he knows that and we as fellow citizens have to, um, as brother Tavis would say in his wonderful book Accountability, keep him accountable and loving and self critical, not self-righteous way. I think it's very difficult for any head of an empire to be under the pressure of peace. 'Cause you're head of the largest military in the world, you got over a thousand military installments on the globe, you got ships in every sea. It's very difficult. And I think following brother Martin King, we know that peace is not the absence of conflict, peace is the presence of justice. So They go hand in hand. Thank god for Hebrew scripture, Amos is no joke. Connected.

So now the whole world is watching, saying, what are the ways in which as president, you will be a promoter of justice here at home for poor people, for working people. So jobs can't be an afterthought to your economic policy. But you all get my point. It becomes a challenge now, you see. It's going to be difficult to have a peace prize and not investigate folk who have been torturing people, you see. It's going to be difficult having that moral authority in office and the tension that goes along with that, you see.

So my response is congratulations, celebration, and I wish your precious mother and father were around. I wish your grandparents were around to see it, that just died. And yet the challenge becomes now even more intense, you see!

You think of Nelson Mandela and Martin King, Ralph Bunch. What a standard! Whew! But then I also recall Teddy Roosevelt and Henry Kissinger won the peace prize too. De Klerk won the peace prize too, so we gotta pray for our brothers and sisters in Sweden sometimes. But for the moment, we all ought to celebrate and help our dear president."

Comments

[Chubbster]

Not hard at all Cornell. He already is a war president and shows no indication of stopping, wishful thinking on your part be damned.

[BlackSwan13]

Is Mr. West the Billy Graham of this President, or will he speak out now that he knows the war machine is escalating?

[Flavor]

No he is not.

[BlackSwan13]

If you are saying that he will not speak out I probably have to agree with you. He should of been the most outspoken person to Obama when Larry Summers was trusted by this administration. Mr. West knew personally knew the kind of snake that Larry Summers is and he could have helped thousands of people know what economic direction this administration was taking.

[apolloguide]

Hedonist88:
One way of reading your post is to suggest that Obama's promotion to Peace Prize recipient was some sort of social promotion rather than something earned. The academy is scared of a real Holocaust now involving nukes and somehow a war raving hypocrite and liar can be manipulated through the prize into doing something essential while continuing to drop bombs on civilians.

I quite think that I will be quite happy when Oktoberfest is over and we all sober up again.

[Tulka2]

I know! One hears, "Norway wanted to slam Bush". Whatever. More accurate to say the whole world breathed a sigh of gratitude when it was not "President McCain".

[Hedonist88]

It's simply amazing to me that so may people fail to see the significance of the Nobel being awarded to Obama. Upon further reflection, I can only deduce this is as a result of many of us being brought up in a society that rewards the achievement of set, tangible goals. Passed the exam, full A's ? (or GPA 4.0 for my American friends) - yippee yeahh... get a Porsce (if daddy is loaded) (or a pat on the back if not so loaded like mine was)

Get over it people. The Nobel Peace Prize is NOT a trophy. It's not awarded solely to pacifists -won't lay a finger on a fly - kind of folks. It is given usually to make a point. To highlight an important issue the committee believes merits attention or as in this case, all the foregoing as well as to applaud and encourage the initial peace-mongering efforts that Obama has had the courage to initiate.

Amen.

[pelosirulz]

"Get over it people. The Nobel Peace Prize is NOT a trophy. It's not awarded solely to pacifists -won't lay a finger on a fly - kind of folks." I guess they couldn't find contact information for the Dalai Lama?

[jqcitizen]

pelo-
The Nobel Peace Prize is, as you correctly state, not a trophy. Living recipients of the honor, do not have to give 'High 5's" to one another.
The Dalai Lama and former president Carter are not war mongers, but have tried to promote peace.
When was the FIRST time Obama wanted war?

[Bobmacheski]

President Obama is the best President this country has ever had - I believe he has earned this award.

[pelosirulz]

HUH??? "The best President this country has ever had." Really? That's a pretty bold statement. I'm sure Washington and Lincoln may take issue with this.
Would you enlighten us on what exactly makes him the best President ever only being in office for 9 months with no real or substantial accomplishemnts to date?

[PoliSci2008]

I'll be your Huckleberry!

Obama, unlike Washington & Lincoln, has given his support on issues not popular on the political arena and has followed through, such as dismantling of troop in Iraqi, Guetanomo (sp), advocating GLHB rights etc and it's only been 9 months! Whereas Washington & Lincoln knew the ills of slavery but waffled on reforming it, until for Lincoln was faced w/ southern states' cessation from the Union, and as for Washington, he Willed his slaves freed.

[Ksisay]

Washington and Lincoln were slaveholders. 'Nuff said.

[Water Cooler Weekly]

The Nobel Prize Committee has completely stripped the prize of any prestige or value by constantly passing over those who's achievements actually deserve the award. By giving the award to someone who has good intentions, rather than actions, the prize has no value. Remember, Ronald Reagan actually helped to free millions of people from communism, yet never received the award - http://www.watercoolerweekly.com

[MJinCanada]

BS. The USSR was collapsing anyway. Reagan did little but terrify people that he'd mistake the red button for a jelly bean one night.

[2010WillBe1994]

http://alt.coxnewsweb.com/shared-blogs/austin/longhorns/upload/2008/02/obama_hooks_em/Obama%202008-3.jpg

[apolloguide]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/oct/09/obama-nobel-prize-reaction

"I don't know how he can get this prize," said Najeeb, a 30-year-old shopkeeper attending a friend's wedding party. "Maybe it's been awarded for all the houses they are bombing, or perhaps it's for all his soldiers that are dying in Afghanistan and Iraq."

[GravitonX]

It is ironic for the Commander of the most fiercesome military machine on the planet and to be winner of the Noble Peace Prize ,and especially so, to those who just had their wedding party obliterated by a Predator drone strike.

[apolloguide]

from Chris Floyd: "To give a peace prize to the commander-in-chief of a war machine now churning its way through the populations of three countries (Iraq/Af-Pak), with innumerable black ops, lightning raids and drone shots on the side .... to a man who even as we speak is deciding just how he wants to kill even more civilians in Afghanistan and Pakistan ... a man who has enthusiastically embraced as "an extraordinary achievement" one of the most heinous and barbaric acts of military aggression since Hitler rolled across the border into Poland ... a man who blusters about leaving "all options on the table," including the use of mass-murdering nuclear weapons, to bully other nations into compliance with American wishes ... to give a peace prize to such a man, while all over the world, there are men and women who have devoted their entire lives to non-violence and reconciliation, many of them suffering imprisonment, torture and ruin for their efforts ... well, like I said, it's beyond words."

[GravitonX]

Unfortunately, the author doesn't realize that the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan would never have began under President Obama. He has inherited it with all it's complications of prosecution and extraction. But, to speak as if Obama is second only to Hitler, pretty much vaporizes his credibility.

[apolloguide]

The author is under no illusions and unable to speculate about what Obama might be spiritually as you have attempted to do. http://chris-floyd.com/

So you are postulating that his car has no brakes and asking me and other critical thinkers to swallow the bitter potion that all that talk before the election was just to get elected and now that he is riding full-speed towards nuclear confrontation between the nuclear forces of Israel and Pakistan and India, and China and that all he can do is ride it out to retirement. He could order the troops home tomorrow with a stroke of his pen.

The half billion in campaign contributions he received turned his head to the RIGHT. You can't be a Democrat when you chose to operate as a Republican. He could stop the healthcare debate immediately if he wanted to but there is too much money at stake for him to stop pandering to the RIGHT. He can verbalize an intent to veto any bill that does not include single payer provisions like the VA or Medicare for everyone. But there is no money in that and he still has enough sheep who still believe in him. He is carrying them all to the chopping block while he looks for an emergency exit.

Obama SOLD OUT !!; -no seating for the poor victims of militarism and capitalist­ic/corpora­te business as usual model.

[Waltb31]

You just can't stand that a Black man is President, can you.
All of the examples you speak of were CAUSED by Bush/Cheney in search of Iraqi oil and Halliburton profits.
President Obama was the BEST choice for the Nobel Peace Prize, because he is trying to clean up the neocon mess, and he has restored American respect around the world in 9 months.
BTW, 9 months into Bush's term we were attacked on 9/11/2001.
We are infinitely safer now because of President Obama.

[apolloguide]

C'mon Son!

I understand the great need to console your intellect damaged by having to defend each and every single contortion of the Obama presidency. If it makes it easier for you you can remember that he is half white and blame his extreme duplicity on his white half. I don't thank that race enters into this and it would be better for you and the eternally hopeful to read Noam Chomsky, or Scott Ritter, or Howard Zinn, or Martin Luther King, or others who stand way above their rhetorical skills in placing their actions on the side of peace 100% of the time for decades.

For serious appraisal of such knee jerk responses hook up with hip-hop genius
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LITi7H4T72I

Ed Lover turns it right, tune it in for C'mon SON! 6 which will school us all on this latest Obama turn around!!

[GravitonX]

On the rare occasion that I've heard Tavis Smiley critique President Obama, it has been intensely thoughtful and tempered with caution. I don't listen to Tavis Smiley enough to know his personal story nor do I care. Though, I am interested in precisely how Barack Obama's Presidency will benefit AfricanAmericans. I've seen enough Black politicians, some mayor of the biggest cities in America, whose election was heralded as the beginning of great change, promise, opportunity for Blacks (outside a small group of bourgeois), only to see it fall disappointingly flat.

[Waltb31]

So much self hate. President Obama is representing ALL Americans, not just Black Americans. Comparing him to a big city mayor is apples and oranges.
It seems as if Blacks want to hold President Obama to a higher standard...
Curious that the ones like Smiley, West et al. are so critical perhaps because their self inflated opinion as the "Spokesperson for all things and all opinions Black" has been usurped by a strong man like the President.
There was a similar phenomenon when The President was first running for office. Those in so called Black leadership were very slow to recognize the depth of his candidacy, and subsequent success. These Blacks like Smiley, Jackson, Johnson, et al were so used to being anointed by the majority powerbrokers as "The spokesperson for Black Folk", that it really upset their "privileged" applecart when a real leader like The President arrived. Hence the sideline sniping from Smiley, and the recorded comments of Jackson during the faux noise interview.
I guess we can add the distinguished Mr West to that category.
President Obama will be just fine with or without you.
Pathetic.

[apolloguide]

It certainly is a long way down from Einstein to reach Cornell West in the history of the demise of Princeton University.

[GravitonX]

This, of course, is your narrow opinion. Both are distinct first-rate intellects in ways that the other wasn't. In other words, you are comparing apples and oranges.

[MJinCanada]

Einstein was a theoretical physicist and West is a professor of African American studies and religion. Rather hard to compare, don't you think?

Einstein, by the way, was a socialist and strong supporter of civil rights. He was a member of NAACP.

[GravitonX]

Dr. West's comments higlight President Obama's own surprise at news of being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize - which came shortly before his morning meeting with the top military brass about whether to "increase" (rather than reduce or eliminate) our current role in Afghanistan. The irony would cause anyone to wonder whether the Fins are trying to craftily play a Jedi mind-trick on Obama, using the Prize as a tool of suggestion or political pressure or whether they're just another handful of naive groupies who don't understand the dark business that belies being a superpower and virtual empire.

[Flavor]

It's been stated that Mr. West is someone who always tells it like it is as an african american women, who operated at one time like that, telling it like it is. It got me nowhere & finally someone came to me and said nobody cares about everything you think because everything flavor think ain't a fact, my mentor made me think you don't have to militant to get your point across & in fact I don't hear people when they operate that way, I can't it's hard to listen to someone who always think their right & others are wrong. I am going to repeat this again I am so glad that the good lord made all kinds of thinking people and I am so glad everybody don't think like myself there are smarter people than myself & they can teach flavor something in fact right here on the blogg I have learned some really important things. Mr. West is entitled to his opinion and entitled to make them I think he makes good suggestions sometime but some of his statements I don't agree with and that is my choice. As an african american women, no one person speaks for all african americans, we are different all of us and we think different on matters, and that's why I love this country and why others want to rest here, to be in a country that you aren't persecuted for not going along with all, that's fair and balance. Congratulations

[Flavor]

The end statement, should have finished with President Obama.

[rain33]

thank you for this comment because i am glad that you have spoken from a black point of view. please don't take it the wrong way because i get fed up with black scholars who are supposed to know everything yet sometimes they don't check their facts too.

[GravitonX]

It's understandable that an African immigrant would not know the history of the progress that has even allow them to be permitted (and I do mean permitted) onto these shores. It comes as a result of anything but a gentile conversations of between people, particularly between Black militants and Whites, avoiding offending the sensibilities of each other. I appreiate your statement but it betrays a certain naivete and unawareness about the world.

[Flavor]

I understand, in my 40 years of being on this earth I understand more than you would know. I understand where we as african american people have come from & how we got here, I don't ever want to forget that but I also look at where we are, and we have come a long way baby we ain't where we want to be and we sho ain't where we were. Now, allow me to say this, I organized an organization from my home called Men Of Valor Backyard Feast, why did an african american women start this, can't answer that for you but I can say this, I was sick and tired of seeing our young men from ages 11 to 22 just hanging with nowhere to go & nobody seem to care. So, I prayed and organized & got men together who had buisneses and who were just good men, to come. They were told that they were needed in the community and we have young men who need mentoring, and this small group of men has grown from ten to 75, who come every year to the Men Of Valor Backyard Feast, to learn, to help the young, to be encouraged, to be role models to other young men. So, to you I do understand where I come from I just want the twelve year old black boy to also know.

[Watain]

Nothing like a gratuity gift.

[Tulka2]

Brother West is the best kind of friend to his Brother Obama. West is someone who will always tell Obama the truth as he sees it. No one wants to see President Obama be a great man more than Professor West does.

I am an old white lady and put Cornel West on a short list of skillful people living in my time. I learn something every time i hear him speak.