It has just been announced that the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to President Barak Obama. Let's analyze this from a factual standpoint. What has President Obama tangibly accomplished on the international scene that merits the global standard for peace?
Alfred Nobel the benefactor of the award wrote in his will that the peace prize should go "to the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between the nations and the abolition or reduction of standing armies and the formation and spreading of peace congresses."
Let's take a brief look at the facts (and it has to be brief since he has only been President for 9 months). Troop levels in Afghanistan are actually higher(although slightly) under his administration. He has continued the policy of indeterminate detention without trial for certain terror suspects. Gitmo is still open. His foray into nuclear negotiations has resulted in North Korea and Iran snubbing their noses at the world by launching numerous short and long range missle tests. Isreal stands on the precipice of being forced to rightfully defend itself before it is erased from the map. Other than Chavez, Castro, and Qhaddafi, no other world leader has come out and swooned over the President like one would expect for a world peace initiator. Even the IOC didn't recognize the accomplishments and reward the great global uniter with a shot at the Olympics, booting us out in the first round. We don't even have peace in our own country as we find ourselves more politically, racially, and socially divided as a nation then we have been in decades.
Even though I pointed out that he has only been in office 9 months, it must be noted that nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize must be submitted by February 1st. Therefore the President was nominated for this prestigious award just twelve days into his administration.
Take a look back at the quote from Alfred Nobel's will and decide if this prize has been reduced to a shred of what it was originally intended to be.
