I have just recieved a startling piece of news. Barack Obama of Illinois has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize - that holy grail of liberal statecraft - for his incomparable services to the cause of humanity. Absurdly, I find myself in direct agreement with Pakistan's Jammat-e-Islami on this matter: It is an embarrasing joke. With one fell swoop, the Nobel Peace Prize Committee has succesfully eroded more than a century of painfully-built global legitimacy. It is a comment on the politico-cultural bias unique to Scandinavians whose lives condition them for an exxagerated appreciation of good-intentions, international conferences and the language of world-peace. Perhaps, it's an atonement for the invention of dynamite.
The political implications on Capitol Hill however, are infintely more fascinating. The well-intentioned award of the Nobel to Obama has put him in a rather tough position. It has elevated the romance of Obama and his world-historical stature to a 'comedy confection'. Now more than ever, Obama will face renewed pressure to 'do something', to act and to be seen to act on the policy quagmires of the day.
Rahm Emmanuel would do better to think strategically and advise his boss to politely reject the prize. Sadly for Obama, the damage has been done. He has been unable to manage the utopian expectations arising from his charismatic run for President. Charisma has been replaced by satire. The Scandinavians may just have written Barack Obama's political obituary.
Update: Ashok Malik writes on the topic in Tehelka
5 comments:
i fully agree with u here.....the same views i had after i got over the initial surprise
Let's face it. Obama is certainly not a pacifist and the Nobel commiitee is well aware of it. He has two wars in his lap and is commander in chief of the largest and most active military in the world. I think for this man to be awarded the peace prize is rather a recognition of realpolitik than some sort of naive homegrown liberal fantasy. Nobody is expecting him to solve all the worlds' problems, the republicans and democrats alike will make sure his quest of "change" will be sufficiently swallowed by the greed and ambition of powerful financial actors; from healthcare to climate change. We do not expect the impossible. This should not prevent anyone from supporting his vision though: a commitment to an ideal, regardless of the difficulties in obtaining it. It is this ideal that the Nobel Committee wishes to support. Certainly he is a "barely" president with no real resolution on specific issues to point to (apart from his dismantling of the missile defence system; a thorn in the Russian side). Yet the ideal and philosophy, of open dialogue and mutual cooperation that he preaches has inspired millions, catapulted him into the most powerful office in the world and given him powerful bargaining chips in the form of goodwill throughout the world. In so doing, he has certainly helped to cool the political world climate since he took office. These achievements should not be taken lightly. Perhaps this award will add some sorely needed momentum to his cause. Let's not forget that it is a commonly shared respect for human dignity that has shaped the Scandinavian "condition" and made us so "naively" believe in the possibility of a better society which has enabled us to reach the highest living standard per capita in the world (if u say oil, please take a look at our equally well off neighboring countries). At the end of the day, vision will always precede reality and the latter will always drag its feet. Both are equally important.
From your Norwegian Daddy
Hmm... Quite interesting. Yeah, I mean, yeah. So yes. As I was saying, hmmm... Yes I like your point of view. Cool, xD.
Stay Pink.
Its such as you read my mind! You seem [url=http://pandorabraceletsaleu.co.uk]pandora bracelets sale[/url] to know a lot about this, such as you wrote the guide in it or something. [url=http://pandorabraceletsaleu.co.uk]pandora charm bracelets[/url] , I believe that you could do with a few p.c. to drive the message home a little bit, but instead of that, this is wonderful blog. A fantastic read. I'll definitely be back.
Post a Comment