http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33237202/ns/politics-white_house/


Umm........whut?

I understand that him being elected symbolized perhaps a new direction, but I think there is a big difference between what he symbolized, and what has actually happened in the course of his presidency (which at the point he was nominated, has lasted a whopping 10 months or so). I also understand he has made the "effort" like the Nobel qualifications request, but I don't think that has necessarily done anything (especially with places like Iran). The notion I get from these boards which has people all around the world (and especially after talking to people in the UK) seems to be that ANYONE after Bush would've been probably as liked as much as Obama was/is.

Those are my thoughts. I don't necessarily disagree with the choice, I guess I just would've liked his presidency to actually, you know, play out before Nobel talks sat in. Who knows, we could die tomorrow in NUCLEAR HOLOCAUST!!!

Your thoughts?

My thought is that usually to get a Nobel Prize (obviously I generalise here and there ARE exceptions) you have to be OOOoooooOOoold. They're usually given years after the act. It's very odd to bestow one on somebody who has only just achieved something - that said I've yet to read your link: that may change my outlook.

Either way, it's a bit odd - and I like the guy!

EDIT

Skimmed the article - I can definitely see their point on Nuclear disarmament. We'll have to see how it pans out in reality. I wonder what he'll do with the Prize Money (tm). I hope he buys a Russian Warhead on the black market and disarms it, then gives it to me to put on my mantelpiece .

uh wtf.

From what I read.."we're going to give you this award because we think you're really cool and are gonna do a lot of stuff eventually."

Hey now, I'm all for the President winning this prestigious award. I mean, he ended the War in Iraq....wait, he didn't? That's ok, at least he ended the War in Afghanistan right? Ok....guess he didn't do that either. But at least he made a step towards human rights by coming straight out against torture and closed Gitmo right? Wait, he hasn't done that yet either? WTF has he done?

EWB. Elected While Black.

CNN: Obama wins Nobel Prize. MSNBC: Obama wins Nobel Prize. Fox News: Cannon built to shoot pumpkins. I swear to God.

I don't know if Obama deserved it over anyone else, I've been scratching my brain to think of someone else. However, Obama's election can be directly linked to the election of a pro-American regime in Egypt, a strengthening of ties between the populace in the EU and their governments and the EU and the US, an increased involvement in government in Africa, and decreased tensions between Palestine and Israel.

But let's face it, the Peace Price has been somewhat of a fluff award in the last few years. Al Gore? The IAEA following Iraq? Gorbachev? In the lack of successful peace efforts or conflict resolution, you have to stretch to some degree.

They could have given it to Norman Borloug, again, posthumously this time.

two words: European committee
that means they like him

I like the guy, but it's too early to be awarding Nobel Prizes. At least Al Gore had to make a movie and give lots of speeches before he got his. Obama has a lot of good ideas, but nothing that has really come to fruition yet.

I think his main accomplishment for winning the prize is simply not being Bush.

^^ I swear to God, the rest of the world thinks we've tossed the Emperor down the shaft ^^

Epic irony: He agrees to send the addl. 40,000 troops to Afghanistan.

Nobels are famously not awarded posthumously. Many greats have missed out on one by simply dying around the 65/70 mark and not living to be octogenarians.

I thought it was just in the suggestion box from McChrystal?

From Fox now: President Obama wins the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize for what the Nobel committee calls 'his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples,' shocking observers.

Hey guys, my dream is to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples. I truly do want that.

Give me my Nobel now?

It's in the mail

nobel not starting another war prize

Uh... that's stupid.

ok so black guy talks about change but hasn't done **** and i bet by the end of his 4 years will still have not done **** proving himself to be just as useless as the last few white guys who had the job gets recognition for not doing ****

ok someone push the apocalypse button please

The Nobel Peace Prize is a joke, and has been for a while. As far as I'm concerned, this is par for the course, as far as the prize goes, AND as far as Obama goes.

He's helped greatly to reduce tensions with Russia, which is a very good thing (And I'm not a supporter of Obama in the least). The last thing we need is more infighting between "Western" nations while China and India grow stronger. Still, I don't think he deserves a prize for doing his damn job.

I don't necessarily agree with him being awarded with this, but apocalypse button? For someone receiving an award that really doesn't mean anything anyways? Seriously?

Yes, that's what he was seriously suggesting. Jim7 wants all of us to die agonizing deaths and for the world to end.

He is Satan.

I know he wasn't serious. I'm just surprised at the outrage people have over (as fishstickz put it) a fluff award. Does it really matter what a group of Swiss people might think about someone?

It's a £900,000 prize. I sort of care

Sure it doesn't come with many "perks", or doesn't really "do" anything, but the name alone is something that almost EVERYONE knows about, and for a lot of people the Nobel has been pretty symbolic in it's meaning.

Greg Mankiw (professor of Econ at Harvard) posted a rather satirical post today regarding the whole thing. I thought it was funny:

____

The surprise choice of first-year grad student Quintus Pfuffnick for the Nobel Prize in Economics drew praise from much of the world Friday even as many pointed out the youthful economist has not yet published anything in scholarly journals.

The new PhD candidate was hailed for his willingness to tackle difficult problems, his commitment to improving the economic system, and his goal of bringing efficiency and equality into harmony.

Professor Paul Krugman of Princeton, who won the prize in 2008, said Pfuffnick's award shows great things are expected from him in the coming years.

"In a way, it's an award coming near the beginning of the first year in grad school of a relatively young economist that anticipates an even greater contribution towards making our economy a better place for all," he said. "It is an award that speaks to the promise of Mr Pfuffnick's message of hope."

He said the prize is a "wonderful recognition of Pfuffnick's essay in his grad school application."

That's bull****. He hasn't ****ing done anything except **** our country up even more that it already was.

"to the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses."

He increased fraternization between the US and other countries by not being George Bush.

Newsflash: 6,706,993,151 people are also not George Bush

But there's only one president of the US

You can't be serious. Not without being retarded.

Bush was THE worst president in US history, or at LEAST one of them. As bad as the economy and certain situations still are to this day, they are certainly a lot better than they were a few months ago.

Obama doesn't deserve this prize, but he's definitely done more to help than make things worse. He hasn't done nearly as much as he could be doing or the such, and a lot of huge problems remain, but you are seriously a dumb person if you think he has ****ed your country up MORE than it already was during the beginnings of the Economic collapse / Bush's end of presidency.


EDIT: Also, http://archive.timesonline.co.uk/tol/viewArticle.arc?articleId=ARCHIVE-The_Times-1973-10-18-06-006&pageId=ARCHIVE-The_Times-1973-10-18-06

Excuse me sir, but are we both talking about The United States of America? You appear to have your facts confused with those of Candyland.

Argementum ad hominem, way to go. Good job!

Hitler killed less people than Stalin and he never got a Nobel Peace Prize. Godwin'd.

You're still an idiot for thinking your country is currently worse than it was when Bush was in office or immediately after he left.

No, Bush was a bad president, but Obama is just as bad, if not worse. Domestically, he is an absolute disaster. All he has done is give half the country the ILLUSION that it's better off than when Bush was in power, and completely piss off the other half.

Obviously he isn't the best in certain areas, but what president has had a perfect term?

He has ****ed up. He has some new ideas that will take getting used to, or a trial and error.

Worse than Bush? Never.

Well that didn't take long; if you don't think Obama deserved to win the Prize, you're UNAMERICAN!! I'm sure RACIST is sure to follow...

Don't you just love that race card?