UPDATE: One point that I don’t see anyone making is that they said that they were giving him the award primarily for his work to control nuclear proliferation. That work started long before he became president. Why does everyone keep assuming that they were only giving him the award for what he has done as president?
UPDATE 2: Bono on the Nobel award.
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64 Comments
Brilliant! The right wing response to Obama is so hysterical it shows once again why every American should be glad those idiots are finally out of power.
“Hey Obama, let’s bomb more innocent Afghan civilians”
“Okay”
“Obama, let’s continue the war in Iraq!”
“Mmmm Okay”
“Hey Obama, give Wall Street bankers everything they want!”
“Sure!”
“Barack, let’s continue all of Bush’s disgusting policies while telling the Democrats we’re doing the opposite. They’ll believe anything not coming from a Republican!”
“Great! Let’s do it!”
I love it. That’s what I’m talking about!
Incidentally, this is not the first well-known award won by Obama. He actually won two grammy awards. Seriously!
funny stuff! and Marvin (above) is a LIBERAL ASSHOLE!!! LOL!
brilliant~i didn’t get it too, obama’s administration just began, and his position and power are obviously overrated!
The funny part about this is most of you still don’t get the point of the cartoon even with the explanation. It’s explaining the ACTUAL reason he was awarded the Noble Peace Prize for supporting peace and not fighting/waging war.
Oh I must have missed when Obama pulled all the troops out of the Middle East… Wait, thats because he hasn’t
If he just up and pulled the troops out of the Middle-East, there would be a major power gap and the countries would be far worse off than they are now.
It’s not like he’s going to go fighting another war; he’s actually supporting peace. But if the US just left now, that would have far worse consequences than if they stayed to get the job done.
I don’t support the war, but I sure as hell don’t support two countries just falling apart to appease people who don’t know how stuff like that works.
@Michael You’re obviously too smart to be commenting here.
I view Obama’s receipt of the Nobel Peace Prize as a recognition that the power of ideas is equally important if we are going to realize the potential of “activity” or “work” towards peace. Barack Obama is the first American president to embrace the idea that the U.S. is a part of the international community, and not just a force (for good or for bad) within it.
I find the argument that “it is too early” for him to be awarded this honor unconvincing. Mairead Corrigan and Betty Williams were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize simply for promoting and starting the idea of a peace movement in Northern Ireland. Their organization began in August 1976 and they were awarded the Nobel in 1977. They were 32 and 33 years old, respectively. The Troubles were still raging even as they received their prizes. But these women were, in my view rightly, awarded this prize for the very idea that there could be peace and that violence was not the answer to the political struggles of Northern Irish Catholics.
There are some who were already skeptical of this president and see this as just another way of “enshrining” him when “he hasn’t done anything”. First, I don’t think many of us knew about his work on nuclear proliferation before this (I know I didn’t know much myself). And it appears that few people know anything about it even now.
But more important, I’m not convinced that receipt of the Nobel Peace Prize does anything to enshrine anyone. Obama is already enshrined as the first black president in the U.S. And consider the fact that Yassar Arafat and Henry Kissinger also were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Public figures will, in the end, be remembered for the totality of their contribution to the betterment (or worsening) of the human condition.
While I think you make a valid point that it doesn’t have to be only for things he has done during his presidency, he was a relatively unknown figure before then. He may have been working to stop nuclear proliferation during that time, but so are thousands of other people in the world. As far as I’ve heard there wasn’t anything in particular during that time that he did that blew everyone away. So if it is based on that why don’t the other thousands of people get one too?
Whether you agree or not with the man winning the peace prize, what’s done is done at this point, and there’s really nothing else we can do to go back and change it. I don’t think he was the STRONGEST candidate, but he DID win.
Seth – If you would indulge my professorial tendencies, I would like to ask you to clarify among whom was Barack Obama unknown and during what time? And then I would ask, how do you know that?
The Nobel awards are not popularity contests. Which means two things: first, plenty of unknown people have won (popularity is not a qualification), and second, it really doesn’t matter if you think they didn’t give it to the right person. (As any capitalist should say) If you don’t like how they awarded the Nobel prize, then go start your own damn medal and award it any way you want.
The Nobel prizes are prestigious for a reason. Yes, I don’t agree with all their choices (Henry Kissinger?). Yes, they take risks with their choices, but that is a good thing.
-sigh-
and this is why actual peace will never exist.
somebody, somewhere always has to argue about something.
no matter how big or small.
And it’s not as if Obama lobbied for the award. Or nominated himself. Or even wanted it. He clearly stated “I do not deserve it.” WTF more do you righties want?
There was a good comment on this post on Reddit. I’m copying it here in its entirety:
Compared to what the other people on the list have done, he shouldn’t have even been in the running. If he doesn’t think he deserved the award, he could have graciously said that it should go to someone more deserving and actually given it back, instead of just saying it.
Oh, and Marvin, you are the reason there is always hostility between democrats and republicans. Notice that I did not call anyone an idiot nor did I insult an entire group of people. Grow up.
I blame those crazy Nobel people. They give out their awards like they are just subjective little gold stars. Like they don’t really know or understand that they really are the final word on who has been the best person in the world for the past year. If they don’t understand how earth shattering and important these prizes are, then they should just stop giving out their awards entirely.
Honestly, who do they think they are? Just because they are privately endowed and any prize money or medals given out are solely at their discretion, doesn’t give them the right to just hand out these things willy nilly.
I’m going to start write a chain email letter with an inference that a kitten is killed every time someone unjustly wins a Nobel prize and then email it to all of my friends. That’s two whole people, and you know what happens if they tell two people and then those two people tell two people. Oh it is on so called “Nobel Laureates”!
TE CAPIAM, CUNICULE SCELESTE!
Actually, I distinctly remember reading in my newspaper that the nobel committee explicitly stated that a major reason for their choice to award this to him was to facilitate peace-making.
Next year I expect to win a grammy. I plan on using that award to land myself a record contract and then produce an album. Because apparently that’s the order this works
The whole “If we pulled out the troops then the country would fall apart” argument is a false dilemma.
Shaftway… I think you’ll get at least two grammys with that attitude!
Annd…the whole ‘If we pulled out the troops’. I do recall Bush saying that we couldn’t pull out the troops because it would cause something horrible. Hmm…just saying.
The leader of the nobel committee pretty much said while people argue that it’s to early to give Obama the price they had discussed the arguments against him recieving it in the committee. While at some point several members of the committee were against giving Obama the price the decision was unanimous in the end. He also said that the price was an encouragement to continue the work he has started and hoped that recieving the price might help him in international work.
Free food for all. Free health care for all. Free cares for all… free fuel for all….. free housing for all……
Yep the libs have the answers. I old but can’t wait to lay around all day while you all work your ass of to pay for MY free things
I think the prize was awarded because he didn’t drop proverbial nuclear missiles on opponents while running for president… he ran a truly peaceful campaign, lmao.! Seriously, though, if you read about it, the NPP is awarded for promotion of peace, not just successful action in gaining peace. It was awarded to Obama as a way to promote the current rather than the recent past US world policies.
a total withdraw would cause a power vacuum inciting even more violence and who would get blamed? the U.S. i was surprised to see him win but it happened no matter how much bitching random or conformed against the choice is going to change it.
FYI to refuse the prize is a very frowned upon action its like saying thanks for the honors award on my diploma but no thanks they decided to award him either to promote his current or past actions
conflict will exist as long as humans exist its basic fact no one wants to get along with every one and i truly MEAN no one you might of not met the person who’s going to utterly piss you off but he/she is out there
Look, I know it was ostensibly for the nuclear proliferation thing, but thats BS. There’s no way he would have one it if he hadn’t been elected. So between this and Al Gore, the Nobel Peace Prize is officially an overly politicized joke.
he got it because he WANTS peace and WANTS to take the troops out of iraq. and he also did some work on nuclear proliferation before he was pres. wow he is really promoting peace! congrats obama, people are retarted!
A few points I’d like to make. Seth’s comment pretty much hits the nail on the head. Everyone who is in their right mind wants to stop nuclear proliferation and get rid of all WMD. So why is he getting the award for this? What has he done in all his time in government besides give speeches to that effect?
Also, the Nobel Prize committee is a political organization. The Norwegian gov appoints people to the committee and as such it becomes a political organization. Nevermind that Norway’s leftist gov appointed all the people on the committee, the fact is any organization appointed by the government will always do things based upon what their gov directs them to. The Nobel Peace Prize has fallen a long way as the old saying goes “the road to h3ll is paved with good intentions”.
IRON KNEE, did you really quote Michael Moore as a valid source for your argument? His credibility is DEAD.
Has ANYONE on the LEFT EVER noticed that BONO is brighter than Nobel committee. EVEN HE NOTICES THAT BUSH’s insistence on doing something about caring for the poor in Africa and those that have AIDS in Africa. And that was LONG BEFORE anyone ever heard of B. H. OBAMA.
I guess a loudmouth talker that does nothing (even SNL noticed that ) get more attention than those that DO SOMETHING.
Republicans are idiots. They are pig headed screw ups with a pole constantly up there big asses. Danielle you tell Marvin to grow up? I say you need to grow down a little and have some fun. Life isn’t all about you and your shitty attitude. Obama is doing the best he can with the fuck up you fucktards left us with. Bush and every single republican is to blame here. Have you ever tried getting out of a 20ft hole? pretty damn difficult and thats what bush left him with, a huge gaping hole, and who the fuck cares about the mother fucking nobel peace prize, does it really matter who gets it? I think the Nobel people are geniuses. By giving obama the peace prize they assured a bigger chance at PEACE. What the fuck is a guy in a basement who created a “let there be peace” website gonna do to make peace? Think about what the fucking president will be capable of. He has a hell of a lot better chance at making peace then the other losers. Stop sippin’ your obama-haterade and get a life. You just don’t like him cuz hes black.
Mhughey what the fuck is wrong with you? the time for liking bush is long gone my friend. So do us a favor and don’t write bullshit comments like that, It does no one good
I believe that Barack Obama was not expecting to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. I agree with trizkit995 (post #27) to refuse an honor like that would be a slap in the face to Nobel Foundation. Refusing the Nobel Prize is for sure frowned upon.
According to the Nobel Peace Prize website, Barack Obama was not awarded the NPP for nuclear proliferation, but instead – “For his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples” –
http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/2009/
Iron Knee was absolutely right when in Post #18 he said –
“The first is that no one is more surprised than he is. The second is that what the world thinks of him is not something we really have a concept of in this country. I say let him do his job. And if he hasn’t done it by the time 2012 rolls around, all you have to do is not vote for him.”
I’d also like to compare Bush’s first 8 months in office to Obama’s first 100 days in office.
President Bush
President Bush also passed the Infamous “No Child Left Behind” – Which required more testing with no additional money to pay for the increased testing and the cost that came with it.
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20070521/darling-hammond
In the first 8 months in Office George Bush was on vacation 42 % of the time according to the Washington Post
“News coverage has pointedly stressed that W.’s month-long stay at his ranch in Crawford is the longest presidential vacation in 32 years. Washington Post supercomputers calculated that if you add up all his weekends at Camp David, layovers at Kennebunkport and assorted to-ing and fro-ing, W. will have spent 42 percent of his presidency ‘at vacation spots or en route.’” Charles Krauthammer, “A Vacation Bush Deserves,” The Washington Post, August 10, 2001.
While in Contrast Obama has
1 Economic Stimulus Plan – Obama got Congress to pass a $787 billion economic stimulus plan.
2 Expanded SCHIP – Obama signed a law that expanded the State Children’s Health Insurance Plan to cover an additional 4 million children.
Evidence – http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/feb/05/obama-signs-bill-to-expand-schip/
3 Lilly Ledbetter Act – Obama signed the Lilly Ledbetter Act which requires equal pay for women.
Evidence – http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2009/01/29
/obama_signs_lilly_ledbetter_ac.html
4 Ethics Guidelines- Obama implemented new ethics guidelines that are designed to curtail the influence of lobbyists.
Evidence – http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/ExecutiveOrder-EthicsCommitments/
5 Iraq and Afghanistan – Obama announced the phased withdrawal of combat troops from Iraq, while sending an additional 4,000 troops to Afghanistan.
Evidence – http://www.reuters.com/article/asiaCrisis/idUSN01397189?rpc=64
6 Budget and Healthcare- Obama got his budget passed,
which paves the way for health-care reform later this year.
Evidence – http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/02/AR2009040203473.html
Obama has done more good in his first 100 days than George Bush did in 8 months or 256 days.
U all dont get it do u? What barack wants are pigs flying around like a circus and dropping little turds of peace everywhere. THe nobel committee LOVES pigs. So naturally the two teamed up. Im not much of a conspiracy nut, but heres what happened: Obama said to mr.Nobel, “hey mr.nobel!! Whats happening g?” and then mr. nobel was all like, “shit N-word, i think ur real hip”. ANd then they got together with Bono and devised a scheme. THen barack went around to all the farmers and told them they were going to feed their pigs a super chemical that gives them wings, and they will fly around dropping peace on people. Yea
I hate liberals. Ginsberg ur a queer and ur going to burn in hell. and ur dumb.
u guys should stop arguing and get along, to work together to make a better world.
I thought the point of the cartoon is that Obama wouldn’t want to win the award because he doesn’t deserve it, and he does not want to be remembered as the person who won the award simply because he is the first black president.
Of course, people bring up good points about his work with nuclear weapons.
Just because the right wingers are wrong with their reaction does not mean Obama deserves the award.
Kasey, If only Bush had thought that sending troops in the first place was going to cause something horrible!
I prefer that he won the Nobel peace prize instead of the Busch warmonger prize.
All of us who are concerned for peace and triumph of reason and justice must be keenly aware how small an influence reason and honest good will exert upon events in the political field. ~Albert Einstein
omg…laughing my fucking ass off at Aly’s ignorance!!! (:
I’ve watched this city burn twice
in my lifetime
and the most notable thing
was the arrival of the
politicians in the
aftermath
proclaiming the wrongs of
the system
and demanding new
policies toward and for the
poor.
nothing was corrected last
time.
nothing will be corrected this
time.
the poor will remain poor.
the unemployed will remain
so.
the homeless will remain
homeless
and the politicians,
fat upon the land, will live
very well.
– the riot
by charles bukowski
5/5/92
bush. obama. republican. democrat. two sides. one coin.
they left out the “H” in accomplished in the second panel. dumbasses
i dont know whats funnier the cartoon or the comments
marvin im sick of people like you. There can never be peace among democrats or republicans bc of people like you and that rush limbaugh guy who says that we can never get along and namely “the republicans cant bow down to the liberal agenda”. i dont consider it bowing, i consider it negotiation and trying to find a median. I think both parties should stop trying to win a popularity contest and start doing whats best for america. what ever happened to making america better for america’s sake? its sickening.
I didn’t see why he won until reading this http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/18/opinion/18bono.html sheds some light on the subject
@obamamamamamamm- Nice try at using fallacies. But there is tangible evidence that pulling all troops all at once from both Iraq and Afghanistan would righteously fuck them up. So no, it is not a false dilemma. Plus, no one was saying there were only 2 choices, only that a massive pull out is not a choice. What you said would be a “fallacy fallacy.” The actual fallacies I’ve noticed on this board though have been:
Poisoning the Well
Personal Attack
Red Herring
Ad Hominem Tu Quoque
to name a few. Look em up at fallacyfiles.org so you all can argue smarter.
@tclark
I like what you had to say, even though you’re a republican and I’m a democrat. I wish more people negotiated rather than argued…
That is a very clever cartoon, indeed.
I have to confess that the Nobel Peace award was at first puzzling, but a sampling of previous awards shows that there is a “pattern of randomness”. The Nobel committee tends to judge potential as being equal to results. Their selection, at least in this case, seems to reflect a sense of relief that was felt by much of the world in that a relative outsider captivated the imagination of the American electorate to mobilize and choose a man from outside the gang of “usual suspects”, and elect him to the highest office in the world. To some smug Americans, this may not seem to be too much, but I can tell you, as a Canadian, that policies of inclusiveness are much more compelling than “you are with us, or against us”.
It is refreshing to hear an American leader admit that we are in a big mess together, and that we must be together to get out of the deep hole.
Many people around the world are now saying “God bless America”; just do not let us down.
Wow, conservatives are all a bunch of fat, angry, balding white men. I am so glad this comic has enlightened me on the demographics of that political affiliation.
i do believe there was an afghanistan lady who has been kicking her ass for womens rights for YEARS, who was in the running, when, all of a sudden, two weeks into his presidency, mr. obama gets a nomination for…an idea. really. >.<
Most of the comments about this article are pretty much exemplary of how and why Republican Americans deserve the skull fucking of a life time.
I want to first say I am not racist….I know that will be the primary argument for people that do not agree with my opinion. He got the Nobel Prize because he is black and a president. There are many people that have done more than Obama has. He hasn’t really done anything exceptional other than becoming the first black president. It’s a common thing to treat African Americans in power positions differently. I would be willing to bet a good amount of cash that if he had been white and nothing other than his skin color changed in his life, he would not have received the prize. What about equal rights??? I know slavery was horrible, but I also know I had nothing to do with it and should not have to treat anyone differently based on the color of their skin (positively or negatively). This is a case of kissing the black man’s ass and that is all it is!
we should all realize that no matter who receives a Nobel Peace prize the decision doesn’t affect my day to day living. Obama deserves the award..if you are not happy about the decision, become part of the governing board that does. Maybe this will put the onus on Obama to bring peace to the world. More power to him.
is it ironic to win a nobel peace prize for fighting against the very thing that has prevented ww3?
STEPHEN, thanks for the link to the NY Times article by Bono (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/18/opinion/18bono.html?_r=1).
I just got back from a trip to Africa, and I have to say that it was a stark contrast from my last trip out of the US. In the past, it was at the least embarrassing and at worst dangerous to admit you were from the USA. This time, everywhere I went people asked where I was from, and when I answered they smiled broadly and gave a big thumbs up to Obama. It was almost miraculous. As Bono points out, this election catapulted the US to the top of the Nation Brands Index as the most admired country in the world, the largest jump any country has ever made.
Will this have an impact on world peace? Damn straight it will.
Oh, I get it. Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for being a chickenshit.
Seriously?
He’s kissing ass all over the place, “apologizing” for America and making it seem like he’s some all-forgiving messiah.
Yet, what has he actually done to make progress? Nothing.
He needs to stop trying to be civilized with the utter barbarians in the Middle East, and start fixing things like a real Commander in Chief. Diplomacy has done nothing but prolong conflict.
As long as you keep thinking that the people in the Middle East are “utter barbarians”, you are part of the problem, not the solution.
You say “Diplomacy has done nothing but prolong conflict.” Are you proposing more wars like the one in Iraq will solve the problem?
Part of the problem?
I’m sorry, the problem is that we are so entangled with the affairs of another country that does not and will not bother to change any of their radicalist, anti-American doctrines that we feel the need to continue to pursue “peace-making”.
And no, I’m not saying more wars will solve the problem. I’m saying that attempting to make peace with these people is a waste of time and will only prolong the conflict they have with us. The best method is to withdraw all contact with them. We were stupid to think that carrying on business with those people was a good idea. And now we’re trying to become allies with them? Good luck. Their children are taught to hate Americans. Their entire religious system is set to inculcate hatred and intolerance into their society.
u funny
President Obama got the prize for moving the country from a philosophy of preemptive war to one of presumptive peace. That is a big deal and deserves a prize. Simple as that.
Hey America,
Let’s rip off all our citizens and kill innocent foreigners/ Way to go!
whats really ironic and looking at the long road we hav been on. Care to talk peace on Libya anyone?
One Trackback/Pingback
[…] Updated 10/12/09 with some insightful commentary from others (because I’m tired of repeating myself): “One point that I don’t see anyone making is that they said that they were giving him the award primarily for his work to control nuclear proliferation. That work started long before he became president. Why does everyone keep assuming that they were only giving him the award for what he has done as president?” ~ Iron Knee […]