On the morning of Friday, Oct. 9, the Nobel Committee announced the recipient of the prestigious and controversial Nobel Peace Prize. President Barack Obama, the Committee announced, was awarded the Peace Prize "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples." Ten months into his term, Obama has been credited with creating "a new climate in international politics" where diplomacy, dialogue and negotiation reign.
The Committee also acknowledged Obama's work in promoting nuclear nonproliferation claiming "very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world's attention and given its people hope for a better future." As one would expect of Nobel Prize recipient, Obama humbly accepted the prize and said that he did not deserve it.
He was right. Although many of his supporters around the world were excited by the news, most questioned the Committee's choice. After all, how could a newly elected president be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize? How could someone who is currently waging wars in both Afghanistan and Iraq be the recipient of a prize that should be awarded "for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses"?
President Obama has made no significant contributions to foreign or domestic policy. Of course, no one should really expect anything from him so soon. The United States government is designed to make decision-making processes both slow and painful and change happens very slowly in the United States. The very change that President Obama promised in all of his campaign speeches has yet to be realized. Obama promised the immediate closure of Guantanamo Bay during his first few days as President. That process has since been delayed. The Committee commended Obama on reaching out to the Middle East and promoting negotiations with countries such as Iran on the topic of nuclear proliferation. Iran has yet to respond to these negotiations. The President's loftiest goal of nuclear nonproliferation has yet to be discussed seriously in the international arena. It is true that Obama has changed the international political climate, but only slightly. Yes,?the United States is much less confrontational and much more diplomatic than it was under the Bush Administration, but we still have a long way to go. When it comes down to it, the United States, even with its charismatic and charming President, is still hated.
Yes, Obama has the best of intentions. That much must be acknowledged. But intentions alone should not be rewarded. By those standards, most of us are qualified for the Peace Prize. The fact of the matter is that the prize was given prematurely. Four years from now Obama may accomplish a great deal of things. He may succeed in holding talks with Iran and permanently closing Guantanamo Bay. Four years from now, he may deserve the Peace Prize.
I should clarify that I support Obama. But even an Obama supporter must acknowledge the stupidity of the Nobel Committee in giving Obama the Peace Prize. Putting aside the questions of deservedness, the Committee has not only essentially placed Obama in a corner politically, but has also devalued the meaning of the Nobel Peace Prize. The Nobel Committee is essentially rewarding Obama for his good intentions and aspirations rather than his actions and accomplishments. The prize should go to someone who has actually made a difference in the world, to someone who has actually done something that promotes peace and equality. Previous recipients of the prize include Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr., Aung Sang Suu Kyi, and the Dalai Lama.
These people have dedicated their lives to establishing peace in their respective countries. President Obama does not belong in this group of people. At least not yet.
The Peace Prize is a major political liability for the new president. Obama is faced with derision from his conservative opponents, who maintain that Obama is more of a celebrity than an actual political figure as well as his liberal supporters, who complain that the withdrawal process in Iraq has yet to occur. The prize places that much more emphasis on his political decisions, especially those on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The Peace Prize has raised the stakes for Obama. We will see if he can meet these expectations.
