India-US News and Discussion

Stan_Savljevic · Post by **Stan_Savljevic** » 09 Oct 2009 23:14

Better the Norwegians made fool of themselves than made a fool of us by foisting some Dalit group for the award. We could nt have even gone whining given the recent UNGA vote. If you look at the coincidences between another Norwegian prize in the name of Rafto and the no-ball, it is scary. Next year's iteration perhaps. But till then, thank goodness for the reprieve now....

Amber G. · Post by **Amber G.** » 09 Oct 2009 23:22

Obama accepts Nobel as 'call to action'

...: In a statement delivered hours after being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, President Obama says he doesn't deserve to be in the company of past winners and views his win as a call to action for the United States..

Video:.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp ... 7#33242037

Sanku · Post by **Sanku** » 09 Oct 2009 23:25

Amber G. wrote:Obama accepts Nobel as 'call to action'

In other words, get ready MMS.....

pgbhat · Post by **pgbhat** » 09 Oct 2009 23:31

Stan_Savljevic wrote:Better the Norwegians made fool of themselves than made a fool of us by foisting some Dalit group for the award. We could nt have even gone whining given the recent UNGA vote. If you look at the coincidences between another Norwegian prize in the name of Rafto and the no-ball, it is scary. Next year's iteration perhaps. But till then, thank goodness for the reprieve now....

Completely agree....could have been worse.... actually imagine MMS getting the award.

plenty of BRFites would have had their BPs sky rocketing.

sanjaykumar · Post by **sanjaykumar** » 09 Oct 2009 23:35

Better the Norwegians made fool of themselves than made a fool of us by foisting some Dalit group for the award.

Cynical but worthy of the BRF October medal of honour.

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 09 Oct 2009 23:53

Prem wrote:Its time for Dalai Lama to return his Nobel.

Agreed. Especially when Obama can not even meet him. He meets Saudi King, Ahamednijad, Hugo Chavez & even Republicans but will not meet Dalai Lama. Jon Stewart ripped Obama for it nicely.

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 09 Oct 2009 23:54

Sanku wrote:
Amber G. wrote:Obama accepts Nobel as 'call to action'
In other words, get ready MMS.....

MMS might get a Nobel Peace prize too in the next few years. Sabar ka phal hamesh meeta hota hain.

>>plenty of BRFites would have had their BPs sky rocketing.
That will the be ultimate to test the capability of BRF to survive. Imagine the number of bans that might happen.

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 09 Oct 2009 23:57

SwamyG wrote:
Prem wrote:Its time for Dalai Lama to return his Nobel.
Agreed. Especially when Obama can not even meet him. He meets Saudi King, Ahamednijad, Hugo Chavez & even Republicans but will not meet Dalai Lama. Jon Stewart ripped Obama for it nicely.

Hypocrisy Thy name is Nobel.

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 09 Oct 2009 23:59

^^^
I don't think it is hypocrisy. Call me Obama's supporter, I do think his head and policies are in the right direction (most of the times). This (lack) of meeting is not because of any ideology - it is a simple case of the mightier China nut-squeezing the weaker America.

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 10 Oct 2009 00:52

SwamiG ,
Then there is no case for moral courage or authority , he cant be considred a cut above as its politics only and this is why its a mockery of Dalai Lama's Nobel.

Amber G. · Post by **Amber G.** » 10 Oct 2009 02:09

This is the statement from the Nobel Committee:

The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 is to be awarded to President Barack Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples. The Committee has attached special importance to Obama's vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons.
Obama has as President created a new climate in international politics. Multilateral diplomacy has regained a central position, with emphasis on the role that the United Nations and other international institutions can play. Dialogue and negotiations are preferred as instruments for resolving even the most difficult international conflicts. The vision of a world free from nuclear arms has powerfully stimulated disarmament and arms control negotiations. Thanks to Obama's initiative, the USA is now playing a more constructive role in meeting the great climatic challenges the world is confronting. Democracy and human rights are to be strengthened.
Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world's attention and given its people hope for a better future. His diplomacy is founded in the concept that those who are to lead the world must do so on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the world's population.
For 108 years, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has sought to stimulate precisely that international policy and those attitudes for which Obama is now the world's leading spokesman. The Committee endorses Obama's appeal that "Now is the time for all of us to take our share of responsibility for a global response to global challenges."
Oslo, October 9, 2009

ShyamSP · Post by **ShyamSP** » 10 Oct 2009 02:32

Amber G. wrote:This is the statement from the Nobel Committee:
The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 is to be awarded to President Barack Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples. The Committee has attached special importance to Obama's vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons.
Obama has as President created a new climate in international politics. Multilateral diplomacy has regained a central position, with emphasis on the role that the United Nations and other international institutions can play. Dialogue and negotiations are preferred as instruments for resolving even the most difficult international conflicts. The vision of a world free from nuclear arms has powerfully stimulated disarmament and arms control negotiations. Thanks to Obama's initiative, the USA is now playing a more constructive role in meeting the great climatic challenges the world is confronting. Democracy and human rights are to be strengthened.
Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world's attention and given its people hope for a better future. His diplomacy is founded in the concept that those who are to lead the world must do so on the basis of values and attitudes that are shared by the majority of the world's population.
For 108 years, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has sought to stimulate precisely that international policy and those attitudes for which Obama is now the world's leading spokesman. The Committee endorses Obama's appeal that "Now is the time for all of us to take our share of responsibility for a global response to global challenges."
Oslo, October 9, 2009

So, essentially it is given to snub Bush. Nobama became No(bel)bama

KrishnaMu · Post by **KrishnaMu** » 10 Oct 2009 02:34

I know ever since credit crunch everybody is cynical about some thing +ve, i am not big fan. Remember "Monty Python 's What did the Romans ever do for us" frame of mind.

3/18/8 – Obama caught world-wide attention for his moving speech on race relations

7/24/8 - Obama lays the foundation for a new era of international relations and began inspiring renewed hope in American leadership during his campaign speech in Berlin
11/6/8 – Obama’s victory was hailed as a promise of hope for the world.
12/1/8 – Obama began plans to restore U.N. ambassador to cabinet rank.
1/22/9 - Appointed a Special Envoy for Middle East peace
1/22/9 – Ordered the closing of Guantanamo Bay
1/22/9 – Ordered comprehensive review of detention policies
1/22/9 – Prohibited use of torture
1/22/9 - Signed an executive order to close CIA secret prisons
1/23/9 – Lifted “Global Gag Rule” on international health groups
1/26/9 – Began to address climate change by increasing fuel standards for automobiles
1/26/9 – Appointed Special Envoy for Climate Change
1/27/9 - Signs Lily Ledbetter “Fair Pay” Act
2/1/9 – Expanded healthcare for children by signing SCHIP
2/5/9 - Again addressed energy conservation by increasing standards for appliances.
2/24/9 – Directed almost $1 billion for prevention and wellness to improve America’s health
2/25/9 - Initiated international efforts to reduce mercury emissions worldwide
2/27/9 – Committed to responsibly ending the war in Iraq
4/1/9 – Agreed to negotiation of a new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty with Russia.
4/1/9 – Enhanced U.S. – China relations
4/2/9 - Led global response to the economic crisis through the G20, obtaining commitments of $1.1 trillion to safeguard the world’s most vulnerable economies
4/4/9 - Renewed dialog with NATO and other key allies

4/5/9 – Announced new strategy to responsible address international nuclear proliferation

4/13/9 – Began easing tension with Cuba through new policy stance

4/17/9 - Secured $5 billion in aid commitments "to bolster [Pakistan's] economy and help it fight terror and Islamic radicalism"

4/22/9 - Developed the renewable energy projects on the waters of our Outer Continental Shelf that produce electricity from wind, wave, and ocean currents.

5/8/9 – Proposed International Affairs budget that included funds to create a civilian response corps -- teams of civilian experts in rule of law, policing, transitional governance, economics, engineering, and other areas critical to helping rebuild war-torn societies; Provide $40 million for a "stabilization bridge fund," which would provide rapid response funds for the State Department to help with an international crisis situation.

6/4/9 - Gave historic address to the Muslim World in Cairo - "American is not at war with Islam" Foreign affairs experts insist that Obama's engagement with the Muslim world has been remarkable. "He has been able to dramatically change America's image in that region"

8/4/9 - Used DIPLOMACY to free 2 American journalists from a North Korea prison

9/18/9 - De-escalation of nuclear tension through repurposing of missile defense prompting Russia to withdraw its missile plan.

Daily Kos: 30+ Reasons Obama deserves the Nobel Peace Prize

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 10 Oct 2009 02:35

Would Bush even have bothered if he received the snub or that he did not get a Nobel Prize?

So many of the 30+ reasons are related to domestic policies.

ShyamSP · Post by **ShyamSP** » 10 Oct 2009 02:40

SwamyG wrote:Would Bush even have bothered if he received the snub or that he did not get a Nobel Prize?

It is not the Bush, the person, they are snubbing just like it is not Obama, the person, they are promoting.

putnanja · Post by **putnanja** » 10 Oct 2009 03:07

U.S. rejection of visas for Muslim journalists nearly derailed Manmohan’s visit to G20

New Delhi: A potential crisis in bilateral relations with Washington was averted at the eleventh hour last month when the United States reversed a decision to deny visas to all Muslim journalists who were part of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s official media delegation to the G20 summit in Pittsburgh.

The visas, which were denied pending “additional administrative processing,” were only granted one day before the Prime Minister’s departure following a demarche – or diplomatic request — from the highest levels of government.

None of the Indian officials involved in the process wished to speak on record about the incident, which they said was a clear case of religious “profiling” by the U.S. embassy in Delhi.
...
...

Amber G. · Post by **Amber G.** » 10 Oct 2009 03:27

Interesting to watch the reaction of world ... I can't wait till Hannity etc reactions shows up...
Mean while cut and post of some reactions from news stories:
RNC Chairman Steele:

One thing is certain – President Obama won’t be receiving any awards from Americans for job
creation, fiscal responsibility, or backing up rhetoric with concrete action.”

Two former US leaders who also won Nobel:
Al Gore:

extremely well-deserved"

Jimmy Carter:

"award is a bold statement of international support for his vision and commitment to peace and harmony in
international relations."

Nicolas Sarkozy:

"return of America into the hearts of the people of the world."

Angela Merkel: T

here is still much left to do, but a window of possibility has been opened.

"

Mostly positive from all (except RNC's steele ) till ,,,,

Of course we also have Pakistan where "senior party leader" is quoted as

. "It's a joke. How embarrassing for those who awarded it to him because he's done nothing for peace.
What change has he brought in Iraq, the Middle East or Afghanistan?

"

And Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid

The Nobel prize for peace? Obama should have won the 'Nobel prize for escalating violence and killing civilians."

Update: RNC's statement caused Woodhouse to say...

....[people like steele] has thrown in its lot with the terrorists — the Taliban and Hamas this morning — in criticizing the President for receiving the Nobel Peace prize. Republicans cheered when America failed to land the Olympics and now they are criticizing the President of the United States for receiving the Nobel Peace prize — an award he did not seek but that is nonetheless an honor in which every American can take great pride — unless of course you are the Republican Party. The 2009 version of the Republican Party has no boundaries, has no shame and has proved that they will put politics above patriotism at every turn. It’s no wonder only 20 percent of Americans admit to being Republicans anymore – it’s an embarrassing label to claim.

BTW it is not RNC in general McCain in today morning CNN was quite generous to Obama...

Anujan · Post by **Anujan** » 10 Oct 2009 03:32

KrishnaMu wrote:I know ever since credit crunch everybody is cynical about some thing +ve, i am not big fan. Remember "Monty Python 's What did the Romans ever do for us" frame of mind.

Obama lays the foundation...Obama began plans...Appointed a Special Envoy...Ordered the closing of Guantanamo Bay (not yet done)...Ordered comprehensive review...Began to address climate change...Initiated international efforts...Agreed to negotiation....Began easing tension....Proposed International Affairs budget

Yesterday, I too strategized, synergized and decided to begin the appointment to signal the initiation of indicating intentions to shift paradigms.

Nobel prize here I come !!!!

Amber G. · Post by **Amber G.** » 10 Oct 2009 03:42

I forgot to quote this part from Taleban spokes person!

We condemn the award of the Nobel Peace Prize for Obama.

Link: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/ ... 93,00.html

RamaY · Post by **RamaY** » 10 Oct 2009 03:59

Amber G. wrote:I forgot to quote this part from Taleban spokes person!
We condemn the award of the Nobel Peace Prize for Obama.

Link: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/ ... 93,00.html

A propaganda trap I would say! Now anyone who thinks Obama is not the right candidate for Nobel peace (sic) prize can be campared with Taleban.

Amber G. · Post by **Amber G.** » 10 Oct 2009 04:14

Deleted ...by author. duplicate.

Amber G. · Post by **Amber G.** » 10 Oct 2009 04:16

A propaganda trap I would say! Now anyone who thinks Obama is not the right candidate for Nobel peace (sic) prize can be campared with Taleban.

Huh!

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 10 Oct 2009 05:39

Amber G. wrote:I forgot to quote this part from Taleban spokes person!
We condemn the award of the Nobel Peace Prize for Obama.

Link: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/ ... 93,00.html

End of moderate Talebanism as hoped and wished by Obama?

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 10 Oct 2009 05:51

Mort Walker wrote:
Gerard wrote:Obama wins 2009 Nobel Peace Prize
The Atlanticists in action. Now where is SanjayM with his analysis?

I'm more glad that you guys are learning to pick out the obvious, instead of us all snoring through this stuff in the traditional Indian way.

What's next - nomination of Obama for UN Secretary General?

Really, are any of you surprised to see the Europeans fawning all over him and bestowing him with their highest awards?

Oh, how they love their little Manchurian Candidate.

vera_k · Post by **vera_k** » 10 Oct 2009 06:05

Well, I suppose the right wing must not be engaging the Nobel Peace Prize committee. Were the George Bush Jr., Narendra Modi type of politicians even nominated for the peace prize?

ShyamSP · Post by **ShyamSP** » 10 Oct 2009 06:16

Amber G. wrote:
A propaganda trap I would say! Now anyone who thinks Obama is not the right candidate for Nobel peace (sic) prize can be campared with Taleban.
Huh!

Is that Huh! for real? See yourself to understand what the trap means.

Al Gore, the popular US president, Green-DVD seller, Nobel holder: "extremely well-deserved"
Jimmy Carter, US president, the original Nobama, Nobel holder: "award is a bold statement of international support ...."
Michelle Obama, American since 2008: "For the first time I'm proud of this world"

Taleban Spokesullah: "We condemn the award of the Nobel Peace Prize for Obama."
Amberulla G: "Obama doesn't deserve it"
Pakinulla Alqueda: "We condom obama"

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 10 Oct 2009 06:16

vera_k wrote:Well, I suppose the right wing must not be engaging the Nobel Peace Prize committee. Were the George Bush Jr., Narendra Modi type of politicians even nominated for the peace prize?

It's a European prize - of the Europeans, by the Europeans, and for those who have served European interests well.

I guess Obama has finally made it into the exclusive diner's club - as their waiter.

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 10 Oct 2009 06:43

From right and left, questions about peace prize

darshan · Post by **darshan** » 10 Oct 2009 06:44

Mort Walker wrote:
Gerard wrote:Obama wins 2009 Nobel Peace Prize
The Atlanticists in action. Now where is SanjayM with his analysis?

I thought the same exactly thing first time. Am I turning into Sanjay M?
Was this price a consolation one after loosing 2016 Olympic bid?

Stan_Savljevic · Post by **Stan_Savljevic** » 10 Oct 2009 06:58

darshan wrote: Was this price a consolation one after loosing 2016 Olympic bid?

Rio 2016 was a whitewash against Chicago, chi lost out in the first round onlee. So hardly a big-deal reason for a "big" prize. If I can make an educated guess, most likely an encouragement to "go with what you promised in your manifesto even if you have bumbled on a few things after having started 'right'." Helps in coercive diplomacy with many people and puts him in a spot with troop increase in Afg. How would it be if a week after gettin nobel, he has a surge in Afg? Now obama will think of nobel legacy in making big judgment calls. Can there be a better nut-cracker than this for him?

He was nominated on Jan 30 for the award, but the decision for the award was made in late September.

Satya_anveshi · Post by **Satya_anveshi** » 10 Oct 2009 07:20

I *seriously* think Bush should have got it. Whether he deserved it or not is not an issue. That would have done the world a lot more good in that a lot of people who have died would be living happily with friends and families especially in the middle east. Our dinars would still flow from Iraq and we wouldn't be paying the Oil bills with our blood.

IMO, every new POTUS should be awareded Nobel peace prize in the very first year itself especially so for the Republican ones.

On the other hand, I *hope and pray* Musharraf makes it next time or sometime soon so all will be in good company and that will also settle the "threat" of Nobel which gets unleashed on unsuspecting people of the world.

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 10 Oct 2009 08:17

More reactions:

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 10 Oct 2009 08:23

the afghan strategy tangle has exposed potus and gotus for what it is - in over their head.

piss prize is a signal from european govts who want to cut and run in afghanistan to save costs/H&D (whatever little remains) and focus on paying down debts and reducing social benefits like all good EU welfare states now have to do.

meantime bush and cheney are sitting on the porch, kicking up their boots, driking good kentucky whisky and smirking at this. ha!

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 10 Oct 2009 08:24

Bill O'Reilly comments:

Haha - some good zingers in there.

Not a bad commentary - he pulled his punches at the end, though.

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 10 Oct 2009 08:34

Heh, I liked Rush's description of Obama as the "post-accomplishment President" - apparently, Obama is so awesome that he doesn't even have to achieve anything to win big prizes.
It seems that he's supposed to get a prize just for being Obama.

John Bolton comments:

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 10 Oct 2009 08:44

I take it back - O'Reilly didn't pull all of his punches:

Rudradev · Post by **Rudradev** » 10 Oct 2009 09:08

It's this simple. The Euros want Obama to draw down from Afghanistan. They never wanted their troops to be in harm's way in the first place and now it looks like, with the Taliban getting increasingly aggressive, their boys will actually be called upon to do some fighting. Horrors.

The debate playing out in D.C. these days will have a profound impact on how that issue is approached. McChrystal, who has actually been there and seen what's up, is asking for 40,000 more troops at a minimum to secure the country. Meanwhile Joe Biden and NSA Jim Jones are pushing a Kool-Aid solution of pulling out and leaving the place to the Pakis and their "Moderate Taliban".

Obama has followed a policy of close-mouthed vacillation over the past 10 months. The Biden/Kerry/Jones coterie keep whispering "Vietnam! Johnson!" into his ear and he is extremely nervous about getting into a situation which might rob him of any of that teflon saintliness.

The Euros have added their voices to the Kool-Aid gang by offering this putrid bit of outright flattery, the Nobel Peace Prize to Obama. It's the most obvious, transparent gambit they could venture to make... almost Pavlovian in its directness. Here Barack... we think you're an apostle of peace... you know what you have to do to keep your halo intact!

Obama styles himself an admirer of M.K. Gandhi (who, despite having achieved the most monumental feat of bloodless political transformation in human history, was never honored with the Nobel Peace Prize). But in actual fact, it seems that Obama has a lot more in common with our own dear Jawahar Lal Nehru.

He is a charismatic speaker with pretensions to idealism, and his ideals closely parallel the Fabian Socialist and "Panchsheel" notions of JLN. Circumstance has propelled him to great political success and his apostolic virtues are extolled by exactly the voices he most craves to hear... the BBC, NPR, the New York Times, trans-Atlantic academia, every bastion of the Western Liberal Elite.

What the Nobel carpetbaggers are hoping is that, like Nehru, Obama is also endowed with a massive, narcissistic egotism that will win out over his intelligence (and certainly over his very limited stomach for brutal Kissingerian realpolitik) in swaying him towards the Kool-Aid side of the Afghan debate. Obama knows his halo is his most precious asset... it is what makes people trust him and invest him with their hope. Besieged at home with the economic and healthcare crises, the Nobel Peace Prize is exactly what he needs to burnish that halo to an exuberant sheen that will blind his detractors.

The danger is that, like JL Nehru, the sheen will end up blinding him as well.

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 10 Oct 2009 09:15

US Council on Foreign Relations

Heh, note the mention of nuclear disarmament.

Let's see what happens when the US dollar collapses, with Middle Easterners trading oil in Euros.
I wonder what kind of popularity he'll have then.

Sanjay M · Post by **Sanjay M** » 10 Oct 2009 09:24

People in general aren't fooled by this award - they see it for the partisan stunt that it obviously is:

Satya_anveshi · Post by **Satya_anveshi** » 10 Oct 2009 09:32

Actually there is great parallel in Al Gore winning Nobel and Obama winning the same.

Till about june/july, no one had a clue and nothing was going on. Then there were sudden lectures, DVD, movies, Hollywood playing along Global Warming...Climate Change...Inconvenient Truth. All that ended when everyone was taken by surprise when Al Gore WON the Nobel peace prize.

Same with Obama....the ONLY international/diplomatic lighthouse achievement being the UN's unanimous vote of NPT. On the other hand, now one can imagine how much pressure was there from Obama on India signing up (his Nobel was at stake!!!). Thank you Dr. Santhanam sir for saving India this time. Regardless Obama got the prize.