Would any of you had felt better if President Obama had declined to accept the Nobel Peace Prize?
Perhaps along the lines of:
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At this moment in history, other people are more worthy of this award than I. As honored as I am by my selection, I must respectfully decline, and allow this great merit of achievement to go precisely to one of those worthier ones.
I assure you, your selection alone is more than enough to inspire all of us to carry forward the effort towards peace. It is my desire, that when our efforts are successful, you may once again consider my humble participation in that endeavor, and if it so then your inclination to bestow this prize on me, I will most graciously accept it.
My job is just beginning, let those whose previous toils have already yielded fruit be celebrated, while the seeds of my own plan take root.
Thank you.
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This, in my opinion, would have been the proper thing to do. It would have elevated his stature domestically as well as globally. Criticism I am certain still would have existed, but it would have been almost entirely for political motivations, as opposed to the current criticism which is a mixture of genuine incredulity along with politics.
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M$15 Answers
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M$President Obama did not solicit the award, and it would have been inappropriate to refuse it. His office requires that he represent the U.S., not only himself. It was an unexpected honor, but an international and prestigious honor. And, as you point out, he would have been criticized no matter what he did.
I think French President was correct when he said that, "Obama's Nobel Peace Prize marks 'America's return to the hearts of the people of the world." Obama did the right thing in turning the award over to charity and expressing his surprise and humility.
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M$
As Ronald Reagan said, "trust, but verify," please check his legislative record for yourselves.
The facts I cited referred to the 110th Congress due to the time frame, but go back into the 109th Congress if you wish, there is even less there.
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billsearch.xpd?PostFormID=billsearch&session=109&q=&sponsor=400629&cosponsor=&chamber=&status=&sort=
Please do not take offense.
I did not intend in anyway to belittle your opinion. I only felt it fair, since you incorporated what could have been interpreted as a fact by the passive reader regarding his Senatorial record, that I should include the detail and the source by which they could verify it, and I suppose by virtue of that refute that little detail, but by no means your opinion.
Please accept my apology if at anytime I made you feel that I was being aggressive against your opinion. I assure you, I was not.
I hope that you do not view me with ill regard. My hero is a blue furred muppet with googly eyes, I assure you that I am not a harsh person.
I don't know why the Nobel Committee chose him either, though as they said in their defense in the past sometimes the award has been given to people who've started an important process, rather than reached the end successfully.
Given that they awarded it, I think Barack Obama handled it about as well as it could be handled, which is to express his surprise and the fact that he didn't feel deserving of it, but to accept as graciously as he could.
To say: "No, I decline because I don't deserve it" would have been almost as arrogant as suggesting that it was well deserved. Arrogant because it would be saying to the Nobel Committee "I know your work better than you do, and what's more I don't care about making you look foolish in front of the whole world".
That would be especially inappropriate given that the biggest criticism the world has of the US is that it thinks it always knows best, and never listens to or respects anyone else's views.
Actually part of why the Nobel Committee sees Barack Obama's impact on international relations as important is the very attitude he showed here, namely: "That's not the way I see things, but I respect your views and accept there may be other valid ways of looking at things than I do."
Your question asked for my opinion, sir - how I felt about the issue. I gave you my opinion as to why the President should not turn down the award, not a dissertation of reasons he merited the award. I stand by my opinion, which is apparently the opinion of the Nobel Committee who "praised his pledges to reduce the world stock of nuclear arms, ease U.S. conflicts with Muslim nations and strengthen its role in combating climate change."(http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091009/ap_on_re_eu/eu_nobel_peace)
Please remember that Mahalo Answers treats everyone with respect, despite differences in point of view. It is not a pugnacious forum. In the future, you might get better results if you rephrased your question to indicate you wanted proof, not opinion.
Well put. Although, I don't feel he should have received the award "yet", I do feel that the situation was out of his hands since he did not ask for the honor. When it comes down to it, his reaction was stellar. It would have been an extreme insult to the global community to have refused the reward.
Apology accepted.
To clarify my reference regarding Obama's Senate record:
"Today, Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) and Representative Adam Schiff (D-CA) announced that a provision authored by Obama and Senator Hagel (R-NE) in the Senate and advanced by Schiff in the House requiring a comprehensive nuclear threat reduction plan passed as part of the omnibus appropriations bill. " (from U.S. Federal news service, December 19, 2007.)
Perhaps this gave the Nobel Committee reason for hope? I don't know - I'm not a member. It's still an honor for the U.S., in my opinion. The proper response for sincere praise is always "Thank you."
If I understand your comment correctly, you are stating that the accomplishments which President Obama is being celebrated for were based on his work for anti-nuclear proliferation work, which he started as a Senator.
As a Senator, Obama only introduced 11 resolutions to the Senate floor. He introduced only 59 bills, of which only two were placed on the Senate calendar.
Of the eleven resolutions, only one could be loosely argued that had anything to do with peace efforts. It was on condemning violence in Zimbabwe. By the way this resolution had 7 cosponsors and never even got to a vote.
His only Senatorial action related partially towards nuclear weapons was Senate bill 1977, which he along with 4 cosponsors presented, involving the US taking a role in combating nuclear terrorism and arsenal reduction. This has languished in committee and has never emerged for air, not even after being president and being able to have some clout with a Democratic congress.
So, as a Senator he never once unilaterally initiated any significant legislation regarding nuclear anti-proliferation. His senatorial record was rather light, but that I understand, as politically you do not want heavy partisan baggage if one intends to run for national office. This I do not criticize.
But equally, this same light legislative record cannot be now used to attempt to rationalize his merits for the Nobel peace prize. Come on @bbrookin.
Bluntly put, Obama never unilaterally sponsored any resolution or bill related to nuclear proliferation, mush less exert any effort to advance such legislation onto the Senate calendar.
See, I do not forget he was a Senator before being President. I remember that full well. That is why I remember what he did and most importantly DID NOT do as a Senator.
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M$
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M$In the acceptance of the award, he said he was humbled. He probably should have been by this award. He also said he doesn't...(quote)~~~""feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures who have been honored by this prize""
I think I might have felt better if he had said he truly shares the award with others. That would have been true.
He simply did no get this award solely on his own merit. I'm truly puzzled by it.
But to bluntly answer your question, rejecting the award would have been horrendous and had untold devastating consequences. President or not, you just don't do that.
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M$
I was also secretly hoping I would win it this year, I was wrong. ;(
P.S
I know you are not selected by votes, it's a joke.
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M$
The blame should be on the Noble commitee. Obama had no part in his nomination after all.
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M$You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
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M$
Obama, as commander of the most powerful army in the world is contemplating escalating war in Afghanistan by sending 40,000 additional soldiers half way around the world to kill more people.
He could have at least had the decency to decline the award on the basis that he commands an army that was killing people in two or three countries on the very day he accepted the prize, and rather than decreasing that or stopping it, he is considering plans to increase it.
It actually may have sent a stronger message than accepting it. Think how sobering it would be to hear him say that he would not rest until the United States really WAS at peace, and when that time came, he would be extremely happy to accept an honor.
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M$You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
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M$
It is usually the least appropriate to decline something when you have asked for it, but not inappropriate if you had not asked for it.
Regardless of this, you are correct that there will always be proponents as well as naysayers. When folks complained about Carter and Gore winning the prize I did not join in that chorus, as I said, the rationale seemed clear for issuing them the award.
Also, as you said, as President of the United States, he is representing the American people, and as such, I believe his acceptance also carries an implication, especially if it was awarded on an open ended basis, i.e. future accomplishment. Should Americans then not be concerned that they will have a President that will be striving to fulfill or justify his awarding.
Just things to think about I suppose.
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M$
Now, this years American Idol winner...
Personal
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M$
Thanks very much!