More Thoughts On The Nobel

The shocking announcement made last week by a group of Norwegians that Barack H. Obama had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize continues to be a point of confusion and disbelief. The obvious question is what were these people attempting to accomplish by reducing this internationally prestigious award to a shallow, premature-at-best, unsustainable-by-merit, politically-motivated accolade?

Initial reaction to this presentation has to echo the sentiments of Gov. Tim Pawlenty that a congratulations is in order for whoever receives a Nobel Prize and, expanding on this notion, this is particularly true for any of our countrymen who have been so honored. However, this particular Prize announcement is lessened by what has to be seen as an obvious attempt to influence future international affair decisions by our President. A quick review of the biographies of the 5 individuals handling the actual selection reveals little. All are politicians; one is an open socialist; 4 are women; and one, the chairman, is a male. Adding to the intrigue is the fact that nominations had to be made by February 1, 2009 and except for a period of less than two weeks the winner, Barack H. Obama, was a little known US Senator who had no history of impact on any international matter much less global peace.

If past performance is disregarded then it becomes logical that recent acts, those in the past 8 months, must have been so spectacular that it became obvious to the selection panel that Obama was the only person to be named the awardee. So what did he accomplish in that 8 month time period to protect international peace? The answer is easy - nothing. The desire to exert political pressure is then the goal that must have motivated this Obama selection and if this is the correctly discerned intent then all of America must be insulted rather than pleased.

Insult number one is how improper it is for any quasi-governmental organization of any foreign nation, much less a small nation, to believe that it can sway the international policies of what certainly is still the most powerful nation in the world. The decisions emanating from Washington are for America's best interests and those decisions often impact the rest of the world in a positive fashion. However, American betterment always needs to comes first.

Insult number two is that any foreign group can believe that an American President is so weak and so insecure and so inexperienced and so poorly advised that he would be swayed in his international affairs decisions by such an action as was initiated by the Nobel Peace Prize Committee. Sounds like the theme of the movie comedy, The Mouse That Roared.

Insult number three is that this group of Norwegians really believes that Obama is weak and insecure and inexperienced and poorly advised. But wait, this may be more than an insult but rather a reflection of what other nations really think about our President. Insult number three then becomes a true indictment of the American voting public and as Obama humbly grins and plans his trip to Scandinavia and considers which charities will receive the $1.4 million that accompanies the Award, the majority of the citizens of the United States of America hang their heads in shame and await restlessly for November of 2012.