President Obama's only real diplomatic accomplishment so far has been to change the direction and tone of American foreign policy from unilateral bullying to multilateral listening and cooperating. That's important, to be sure, but not nearly enough. The Prize is really more of Booby Prize for Obama's predecessor. Had the world not suffered eight years of George W. Bush, Obama would not be receiving the Prize. He's prizeworthy and praiseworthy only by comparison.
I'd rather Obama had won it after Congress agreed to substantial cuts in greenhouse gases comparable to what Europe is proposing, after he brought Palestinians and Israelis together to accept a two-state solution, after he got the United States out of Afghanistan and reduced the nuclear arm's threat between Pakistan and India, or after he was well on the way to eliminating the world's stockpile of nuclear weapons. Any one of these would have been worthy of global praise. Perhaps the Nobel committee can give him half the prize now and withhold the other half until he accomplishes one or more of these crucial missions.
Giving the Peace Prize to the President before any of these goals has been attained only underscores the paradox of Obama at this early stage of his presidency. He has demonstrated mastery in both delivering powerful rhetoric and providing the nation and the world with fresh and important ways of understanding current challenges. But he has not yet delivered. To the contrary, he often seems to hold back from the fight -- temporizing, delaying, or compromising so much that the rhetoric and insight he offers seem strangely disconnected from what he actually does. Yet there's time. He may yet prove to be one of the best presidents this nation has ever had -- worthy not only of the Peace Prize but of every global accolade he could possibly summon. Just not yet.
Cross-posted from Robert Reich's Blog
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Afghanistan cannot be secured via the military escalation proposed by General McChrystal and endorsed by neoconservatives in recent days.
Robert Naiman: McChrystal's 40,000 Troop Hoax
Even if Obama were to approve General McChrystal's request, the 40,000 troops wouldn't arrive in time to significantly affect the 12-month window McChrystal says will be decisive.
Bernard-Henri Lévy: No Doubt Obama Deserves the Nobel!
Isn't the very idea of giving the Nobel Peace Prize to a sitting head of state who makes war ultimately strange? Not if you think that the war in Afghanistan is a just war whose sole aim is peace.
Mark Weisbrot: Occupying Afghanistan Is Making Things Worse
More than a million Iraqis, according to the best estimates, are dead as a result of the Iraq War. Do we need to do the same in Afghanistan in order to "save" that country?
only because "that change" he deserve the Prize. in other side, for you Mr.Robert , who are the best person to win the peace prize in 2008, do you remember someone who have change the international relations, and have a direct effect in the future of our planet that his bigger and better than Obama in 2008??? I do not see other person. so in 2008 Obama is the right choice to Nobel Peace Prized.
There's a case to be made for both.
I wonder what the GOP response to this would have been? It seems like they would have much less to complain about. Any theories?
Yes indeed, he very definitely should have declined it.
The prize is the Committee's to give as they see fit. Period. I am always inspired by the choice--would I ever have learned of the work of Wangari Maathai if she had not won?. I am inspired by the President's selection as well and think it is very wrong of any of us to see this as anything buy a source of great pride (which has been sadly missing for so many of us) in our country. You say that President Obama got the award for not being Bush, but that's too simple and denigrates the importance on not being Bush.
However, you make a good point. Why not give it to someone who could really use the media exposure to further their cause, as in your example of Wangari Maathai?
"You say that President Obama got the award for not being Bush, but that's too simple and denigrates the importance on not being Bush."
If it is indeed so important, why not accept it as at least one of the reasons behind the award?
Excellent article Mr. Reich. The dynamic you articulate above is exactly what's missing. The courage to act. One gets the idea that Mr. Obama's idea of leadership is to make eloquent and inspirational speeches and hope that it inspires the Congress and others to take all the action. In the end, it frustrates both those with whom his rhetoric resonates and those with whom it doesn't. Such gifts of oratory, squandered. I agree there is time for him to change this, but people rarely change. They are who they are. Obviously a good guy with the right instincts. He appears to lack the follow through needed to implement policy changes. And rhetoric alone never changes anything. Giordy
He needs our support while he figures out the WH is not the place for consensus building when DC has become such a hateful stupid anti-American place (yes, I mean Congress, when Republicans will work to undermine America simply so a Democratic President "fails" in leading the country and the world in these dangerous possibly-end times).
"Wow" is right.
They see little alternative but to either enlist the prez to take down the fascist empire hiding behind the govt. and the military and the spook agencies of the us of a, or the rest of the semi-sane world will just have to ignore, if not oppose, future actions coming out of this country.
This gesture is a Trojan Horse of sorts. Behind the smiles and words is desperation. The us of a is no longer strong enough or righteous enough to make the big decisions for everyone else. But it is pivotal enough to bring down the house of cards it has built during nearly a century of demagoguery.
This tangled web has swept up most other world nations to one extent or another. The rest of the world will either wean itself from american influence and corruption or just go cold turkey. Either way, the shunning will soon begin. This award is the last line of credit this country may receive from the other side of the pond.
BTW, bet Mr. Reich bought gold with his entire 401K, as the Obama spending he's pushing trashes the dollar on the currency market.
Who did you think would be the next President last year???
Well said, he continues to endure it everyday. Other presidents were disliked for their policies, but Obama is hated by a group of americans for being who he is.
Last night (Oct. 12) on Norwegian TV, the former UN representative from Norway Jan Egelund said that no one has done more for peace this year than Barack Obama. He has eased tensions in the Mid-East, relaxed tensions with Russia, committed the U.S. to climate change, and brought the U.S. back into the UN.
Those are actions--but detractors, who don’t understand the history of the Prize, say he has only talked of peace. But even if he had not done anything his words have been important. Obama has, through his words, relaxed world tensions, and given hope to the world. Through his actions he has rejoined the UN by paying the dues.
The Dalai Lama got the Prize for advocating the freedom of Tibet through peaceful means. As holy as he is, Tibet is still not free. Desmond Tutu advocated the peaceful end of apartheid. He probably played a part, but he was not the major player. Heck, in Jesus's 3 years he just talked--except when he threw the Pharisees out of the temple. But for Obama deeds AND words are obviously not enough!
The Nobel Prize is not about Obama's goals, Dr. Reich. It's about his already significant accomplishments.
"Significant"? Yes, to those who understand his formidable place, already in American history. And to those who understand what his commitment to global diplomacy (including arms reduction and, most of all, scrapping the so-called "Missile Defense shield", a system that only woulld ratchet up the arms race and militarize space).
He's accomplished so much in such a short time. It pains me to read all the shortsighted naysayers, including so many on the left.
http://www.supportforpresidentobama.com/
Taking so long on such a basic thing does not bode well for the really big issues. Four years is not all that long. He seems to think he's still in the Senate, and has all the time in the world to deliberate decisions. His craving for consensus and slow reaction time will cripple his causes and run out the clock on any "peace in his time".
Isn't that enough?
I pray Obama lives up to the award.
more troops in Afghanistan is not the way.