Nobel Honors America, Not Only Obama

Awarding the Nobel peace prize to President Obama after only nine months in office is less a tribute to him than a tribute to the United States.

That is because the President's indisputable accomplishment in his short time in office is to restore America's standing in the rest of the world. He came to office at a time when respect for this country - and hence our ability to lead - was at an all-time low.

He went to work to restore our standing immediately. And he has succeeded - not only among the masses abroad but among foreign leaders. Last week's breakthrough in Geneva that the President achieved with our allies could only have occurred because our allies (and even less friendly powers like Russia ) are willing to follow this President's lead.

Essentially this award is a statement from the international community that it welcomes the United States assuming, once again, the role of world leader that it discarded eight years ago.

It is rare for nations to honor another nation for seeking to lead them, but that it what this award means.

It is a tribute to the President but even more to our country.

Not surprisingly countries that reject American leadership are grumbling. They understand that President Obama's sway over them is greatly increased. Previously, he had a powerful mandate from the Ameican people. He now has a powerful mandate from the international community.

He can achieve tremendous breakthroughs in the Middle East and throughout the world. All he needs is the will.

Any American who is not proud today is...a Republican.

Comments

[mapmaker515]

Finally...­. a HP blogger who isn't concerned weather Obama was "deserving" of the award. Thank you.

[wanttruth]

Good column!

[jhamm1]

"Awarding the Nobel peace prize to President Obama after only nine months in office is less a tribute to him than a tribute to the United States."

Oh, bull. Half of this country kept the preceding lunatic-in-chief in office for a good 8 years, and even in the face of a more pragmatic leader, this country is still heavily overpopulated by a conglomerate of xenophobic warmongers who would love nothing more than to start the next war.

[notthistime]

well said

[viewfromuphere]

certainly glad to see somebody figured this out.

[KiwisCanFly]

MJ
U write with a lot of commonsense.

[SadButWiser]

I am not American, and I totally agree with you. I am a frequent visitor to the Middle East where America is the least popular at best or most hated. I have seen first hand the positive changes since he took over. In my book the less young Muslim men sign up for a terrorist organization, the more America succeeds in make it better for all. The previous President was Al-Qaeda best recruitment agent. Now he is gone.

[wonketteRAWKS]

When do I get my share of the check?

[Adeyemo]

MJ Rosenberg.­..you are definitely the best. I am one of your biggest fans. MJ Rosenberg is one of the best journalists ever. You seem to echo my thoughts. Thank you for your wonderful insight. You need to teach these so called journalists about world affairs.

Thank you for your article.

[PlaceboStudman]

If this award is meant to honor America, then it is only honoring the mythological mystique that America holds, and not the real America that people live and breath in.

I am not, nor will I ever be a Republican, but neither am I proud of our country and the way we have behaved in recent months

Proud of the teabaggers?

Proud of Death Panels and "killing grannies?

Proud of a country who doesn't know, or at least doesn't care about the difference between medicine and money, between insurance and Health Care? (there's a joke about sh*t and shinola that comes to mind)

Proud of insurance reform that has no intention of saving lives, only making sure people die rich?

Sorry, those are NOT things I am, or ever want to be proud of

[viewfromuphere]

and if they were the people America had elected that would be a problem.

But they didn't. They elected Barack Obama. It's just those types have to scream and stamp their feet and make a lot of noise just like they are doing now.

However I think world knows the only reason they are because they lost.