Obama's Nobel prize came with little merit
>>Print ViewPublication Date: 10/21/2009
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President Barack Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize, and we are having a difficult time figuring out why.
The prize committee cited its decision on this: “For his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.” Really? We missed this. Obama seemed surprised by this announcement and said winning the prize was a “call to action.” The nominations for the prize took place in February, which was only a couple months after Obama’s inspirational and change-promising “Yes We Can” campaign. In fact, he is the first U.S. president to be awarded the prize in his first term.
Obama has been criticized for his limited experience in foreign policy. Also, instead of pulling troops out of the Middle East as promised, he continues to send more over. It is possible that one day his actions will indeed be worthy of a Nobel Peace Prize, but the prize is based on actual accomplishments, not possible accomplishments.
Winning the prize is an incredibly prestigious and important event. Last year’s prize winner, Martti Ahtisaari, has worked for 45 years to resolve international conflicts, and boasts a laundry list of achievements. If the committee continues to award the prize based on yet-unfulfilled campaign promises, then its importance will diminish. It will seem like anyone off the street is eligible. In addition, awarding the prize to Obama will most likely hurt him more than help him. He has a lot to live up to. It’s as if they gave him an A on a paper he has not written. The paper had better be phenomenal to merit the grade.
We find it hard to believe that Obama was the only candidate worthy of the prize. The founders of Invisible Children, although young, have done more to bring about peace than Obama. Invisible Children is an organization that raises funds for and awareness about the child soldiers being forced to serve in Ugandan rebel armies. The organization has already made tremendous strides in just a few years.
It would have been wise for the committee to wait a few years to award the prize to Obama instead of compromising its integrity. We sincerely hope Obama takes action to live up to the great honor bestowed upon him.