Barack Obama...is it too soon?

[tonyw3]

Barack Obama has been in office for less than one year. Although the change has been quite refreshing, is it too soon for him to receive the Nobel Peace Prize?

[HAL9000]

In fairness to Obama, he appears to be just as surprised by the award as everyone else and has already acknowledged that he doesn't deserve it.

[CT Wac]

We now 'like', and countries will engage with, America. The youth culture of Black americans can identify with politics, (i'm sick to death of 'Black history week' being only about slavery, not necessarily the only part of a peoples history!). Plus he outted the real 'evil doers' from the white house.

The pope, mother Teresa, that lady from 'Kids club', no one else could have done so much in such a short space of time.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

That was my thought - too soon.

I though the same way when JK Rowling got an OBE or something after only 3 books.

[????]

I was a bit gobsmacked as I think he was - still, don't forget a murderering bomber of civilians like Kissinger got it

[candj]

Ditto what ???? said about Kissinger! Animal.

Obama is apparently donating the money to charity.

[SimonM]

Yes, ???? beat me to it. The Nobel Peace prize lost all credibility for me when Kissinger was awarded it. Obama's award is a little early though

[Crona]

It is funny that all of you said "it is too early" implying that he should get it at some point (and only the timing is wrong). It is mind-boggling that he was nominated in the first place since the nominations had to be submitted by the 1st of February 2009 (only days after he was in the white house).

Here is a very interesting article about that Times

[Ladymuck]

...extracted from the above article provided by Crona:

"The question constantly asked by Sacha Baron Cohen?s subversive Ali G character keeps coming back to me: ?Is it ?cos I is black?? And the answer in this case is probably yes..."

When the prize was announced, my immediate thought was that this was probably a token gesture based on Obama's ethnicity...I in fact said so to my husband (who happens to be black)...but couldn't summon sufficient courage to post this somewhat negative and unattractive view on the Forum. The above article has now changed this and I feel strangely relieved knowing that I am not the only who entertained such a thought. Did anyone else?

If this is the case, then Obama should return the purported "prize".

[Moos]

How would he know it's because he's black?

The Nobel committee state that the prize was given "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples", which certainly have been hallmarks of his Presidency so far - but agree with previous posters, in that these have yet to have had much material impact.

But I read at the weekend that the Nobel committee are now giving prizes as an indication of 'potential' and supporting current efforts, as much as achievement.

Still, did you see the shortlist? Morgan Tsvangirai, Sima Samar, civil rights campaigners in China and other countries... Some looked like some very impressive people, who had been doing their thing for many years.

[SteveT]

It wasn't so long ago that a Nobel prize winner would have worked for a lifetime to achieve such acclaim.

Shoving this prestigious award in his hands must be one of the most embarrassing parts of his short political life.

I don't suppose he could refuse it, but he obviously felt uncomfortable about it.

Like Ladymuck said it seems we gave it to him for being the first black president of the US.

When many others have proven track records of doing great things for mankind, this makes a mockery of the Nobel peace prize process.

[HAL9000]

I wonder whether Obama would have still received the Peace Prize if the Nobel Committee had known that he would order 30,000 more troops into Afghanistan?

[mockney piers]

Seeing as he was awarded it when escalation was at that point his stated intention I suspect nthin would have changed.

I think it was mote to do with bringing the USA back in to the family of nations and multilateral approaches.

Utterly necessary if we are all to make progress on today's issues, and the fact that he was awarded it on such small scraps is a reflecting of just how aghast the planet was at the autarchical policies of the last 'orrible lot.