Comments on: A Toast to the Other Nobel Peacemakers http://www.ethiorussian.com/2009/10/26/a-toast-to-the-other-nobel-peacemakers/ My footing on the rest of the world Fri, 02 Apr 2010 07:01:35 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.2 hourly 1 By: ethiorussian http://www.ethiorussian.com/2009/10/26/a-toast-to-the-other-nobel-peacemakers/comment-page-1/#comment-40 ethiorussian Wed, 28 Oct 2009 01:38:29 +0000 http://www.ethiorussian.com/?p=244#comment-40 nice comment ms. you do make a few good points, but I still would rather see him win it after his administration ends after an 8-year term. That would have made it worthwhile.. and maybe the other nominees I listed here are kinda weak in the eyes of Obama-lovers, but I just picked ppl that were known to have been nominated... surely there's gotta be at least one strong competitor out of the 205 that got nominated.. i guess we'll wait for 50 years and have this convo again :) nice comment ms. you do make a few good points, but I still would rather see him win it after his administration ends after an 8-year term. That would have made it worthwhile.. and maybe the other nominees I listed here are kinda weak in the eyes of Obama-lovers, but I just picked ppl that were known to have been nominated… surely there’s gotta be at least one strong competitor out of the 205 that got nominated.. i guess we’ll wait for 50 years and have this convo again :)

]]> By: Hani F. Baby http://www.ethiorussian.com/2009/10/26/a-toast-to-the-other-nobel-peacemakers/comment-page-1/#comment-39 Hani F. Baby Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:36:40 +0000 http://www.ethiorussian.com/?p=244#comment-39 I'm unabashedly pro-Obama's nomination... I strongly believe that a) he deserves it [now]!! and b) he will unquestionably be deserving of it in public opinion by the time his mandate it up. Before you cast shade remember: Obama's been in office for LESS THAN A YEAR, how is he supposed to reverse all of Bush's mess in less than 1/8th the time it took Bush to make it? Everybody knows making mistakes is easy, but cleaning up the resulting fallout is the hard part- so I fail to see how this criticism is remotely valid. Afghanistan and Iraq: what Bush et al did is done, now theres a choice to be made wrt these 'failed states' (btw according to the ‘Failed States Index’ of 2009 YOU live in a failed state…), a choice which basically boils down to ensuring that the job is done PROPERLY or FAST. As corny as it may sound to you members of the instant-gratification generation, there are certain protocols that must be followed, and certain institutions to be fostered and initiated… & etc etc, in these countries before they can become … quasi-independent ,semi-failed American puppet states like… say… Ethiopia. Before you can criticize Obama’s win you have to have an understanding of what PEACE IS and how it has been actualized by past peace prize winners. Peace has many definitions, which according to wiki (yes wiki!) include: “the absence of hostility… the existence of healthy or newly-healed interpersonal or international relationships, safety in matters of social or economic welfare, the acknowledgment of equality and fairness in political relationships…” Whether you want to accept it or not, Obama has been instrumental in advancing understanding and creating a state of mutual political stability during a difficult time amongst various American demographics; and yes so far rhetoric has been a large part of his methodology, but rhetoric has historically been a powerful tool in the forging of peaceful relations (…the whole ‘pen is mightier than the sword” cliche). Its a huge mistake to underestimate the power of words, esp. wrt their power to incite action w/in others- not everyone is called to physically labor in the pursuit of ‘peace’, and their selection of present and past winners such as MLK, Nelson Mandela, Elie Wiesel, the Dalai Lama and this Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad illustrates that the Nobel committee are cognizant of that. I’m unabashedly pro-Obama’s nomination… I strongly believe that a) he deserves it [now]!! and b) he will unquestionably be deserving of it in public opinion by the time his mandate it up. Before you cast shade remember: Obama’s been in office for LESS THAN A YEAR, how is he supposed to reverse all of Bush’s mess in less than 1/8th the time it took Bush to make it? Everybody knows making mistakes is easy, but cleaning up the resulting fallout is the hard part- so I fail to see how this criticism is remotely valid. Afghanistan and Iraq: what Bush et al did is done, now theres a choice to be made wrt these ‘failed states’ (btw according to the ‘Failed States Index’ of 2009 YOU live in a failed state…), a choice which basically boils down to ensuring that the job is done PROPERLY or FAST. As corny as it may sound to you members of the instant-gratification generation, there are certain protocols that must be followed, and certain institutions to be fostered and initiated… & etc etc, in these countries before they can become … quasi-independent ,semi-failed American puppet states like… say… Ethiopia.

Before you can criticize Obama’s win you have to have an understanding of what PEACE IS and how it has been actualized by past peace prize winners. Peace has many definitions, which according to wiki (yes wiki!) include:

“the absence of hostility… the existence of healthy or newly-healed interpersonal or international relationships, safety in matters of social or economic welfare, the acknowledgment of equality and fairness in political relationships…”

Whether you want to accept it or not, Obama has been instrumental in advancing understanding and creating a state of mutual political stability during a difficult time amongst various American demographics; and yes so far rhetoric has been a large part of his methodology, but rhetoric has historically been a powerful tool in the forging of peaceful relations (…the whole ‘pen is mightier than the sword” cliche). Its a huge mistake to underestimate the power of words, esp. wrt their power to incite action w/in others- not everyone is called to physically labor in the pursuit of ‘peace’, and their selection of present and past winners such as MLK, Nelson Mandela, Elie Wiesel, the Dalai Lama and this Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad illustrates that the Nobel committee are cognizant of that.

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