The Obama Backlash: What Does It Have To Do With The Media?
The new winner of the Nobel Peace Prize walked out of his house just after 11 a.m., dressed handsomely in a dark suit and a classic blue tie. He descended a marble staircase into a manicured garden, flowers in full bloom, and stepped up to a podium on a perfect autumn day. After making a joke about the lightheartedness of children, he said he was "surprised and humbled" by the award. Then he asked the world to unite by providing all people with opportunity, dignity and freedom from violence and disease.
All told, Barack Obama spoke for six minutes Friday. He said little concrete, nothing controversial, nothing contentious. And yet, once he walked back into his house, contention dominated the day.
This is how it has always gone with Obama: His latest coronation, this time as Nobel Peace Prize winner, inspired a dozen different reactions that were similar only in their intensity.
It's very odd, that a person can win the Nobel Peace Prize and set off a public opinion war. We saw something similar a few years back when Al Gore won and the right-wing machine kicked into high gear. It was easier to dismiss the uproar back then, because Gore has so clearly devoted decades to environmental activism.
People are looking at this and saying, "Huh?"
But Obama has actually done a few things that give me, yes, hope. One is that he is is reducing nuclear stockpiles and pulling other nations along. The other is that he's taking a distinctly different direction in Israel policy by opposing the expansion of West Bank settlements. So an Obama presidency will eventually have its good points.
I was thinking about how vehement and relentless the attacks against him are (again, keeping in mind my own objections to his policies). And what I've concluded is that much of America is caught up in a giant stadium "wave" of media manipulation. As soon as one wave completes itself, the media creates another one.
And of course, we're supporting different home teams.
God knows how many of us there are, but there's a substantial percentage of the public who are, for lack of a better word, hyper-informed. (I hate to use the word "informed" because it indicates actual understanding, and I mean it more in the sense of over-consumption of information.)
We over-consume via 24-hour news channels, talk radio, print media and blogs, in something akin to the binge-and-purge cycle of bulimics.
The thing is, media manipulation is ultimately about selling soap. The soap might be dish detergent, a candidate or an economic philosophy, but someone's trying to sell something. And the more media we consume, the more we're willing to buy.
Media manipulation is so pervasive, so insidious that even people like me who identify it for a living are occasionally distracted from the real point.
All these emotional highs and lows are the results of hypervigilance, brought on by media overconsumption. (Look at your typical Beck fan. I rest my case.) Yes, there really are bad things happening - but probably not as many as you think.
Unfortunately for bloggers, it's our lot in life to play political Paul Revere. In order to protect and warn the village, we must constantly scan the horizon. But you? You don't have to.
The more life experience you have, the more diversity of people and places, the less susceptible you are to media hypnosis. So do step away from the computer occasionally.
... the award is really for the American voters who dared to not elect another George Bush thinkalike.
and deserve NO award. We have put forth war mongers and theives as our leaders. Obama has followed in the footsteps of the last 5 or 6 presidents and the American voter is to blame. We deserve no peace prize we are globe killers.
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.
The republican followers angry and attacks for 8 years while Bush , Cheney and the republicans totally destroy our democracy , constitution , bill of rights , freedom and economy..
Where were the republican followers when the Bush administration was transferring our manufacturing plants , jobs , wealth and power to this Global Empire Monopoly which Obama has fail to shake even today..
Where was their statements and attack about:
Bush comments like the constitution is nothing but a G.D. piece of paper and he could do any thing he please.
Bush comments about he could run this country well if it was a dictatorship ,, if he was the dictator...
Bush comments that U.S. enemies were finding new and better ways of destroying us and SO ARE WE>..
Well Bush completed all of his about tasks and more while the terrorist sat and watch with joy..
Obama had better replace his advisors like Emanuel and others which are leading him down the wrong path...
I am starting to wonder if the republicans really know what our constitution , bill of rights say or what it really means..
None
The reaction of Conservatives (and some Progressives) to Obama winning the Noble Prize for Peace is pathetic and hilarious. These dumbasses act as if Obama plotted and manipulated the Noble people for this award.
I hope in the spring Obama wins an academy award.
We want to be entertained!
This how you see President Obama?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gb8AakNz2go&fe...
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
are blinded democrats that are not honest enough to realize this is wrong. No one thinks Obama plotted, I do think the love affair is weird.
...Reagan, Nixon, etc. Your selective rage is also pathetic.
We also have ronald regean streets in every town. I don't have selective rage. All idiots and idiot things make me rage.
I've got to go do a beer run before the game.
if your point is weak, say little stupid remarks that make youseem above it all. Pretty pathetic.
Did he wring his hands and say,"Mmmmwaahahaha!"
I'm not exactly sure why this was awarded but I don't see what's "wrong" with it. There's nothing wrong with other parts of the world sending a message of hope that Obama can accomplish great things. What's the big deal?
What about the people working for peace?
now they have an American president on their side.
iraq or gitmo, or some other torture chamber.
It often is. Review the history of the award.
Hasa Diga Eebowai
n/m
What is wrong? there is absolutely nothing wrong. The committee awarded it to him to further an agenda: his stated agenda as he rose to prominence.
The only thing wrong is people like you jumping off the lip who just don't get it. It's not just an award for accomplishment; its also for effort AND to further causes. (but then you're american, so its not like i should actually expect you to know much about worldly affairs or things, even if you go on to talk about them, or perhaps even Especially if. Forgive me)
And BTW don't even start ('blinded democrats that aren't honest') because I said down here that if it were me i probably wouldn't have given it to him. But their reasons for giving it to him are perfectly in line with the way the prize is awarded. And neither did i vote for him.
Don't be lumping all Americans together "but then you're american, so its not like i should actually expect you to know much about worldly affairs." What a load of shit. Really? Are you like all of your countrymen/women?
And stoopid also? Or are you so much better?
Well i was born in southern cali. But yea, Alot better.
Definitely better than you thank god.
are are those ignorant of the history of the Nobel Peace prize who do not realize that it is often awarded to leaders who have only begun to work toward peaceful solutions to intractable international and national problems. This is done to encourage those leaders to stay on the path they have chosen. It doesn't always end well. Should Arafat, Rabin and Peres have their prizes revoked? How about Desmond Tutu? Apartheid was not ended until a decade after he received his prize. It's not always about the achievement; sometimes it's about the goal.
Hasa Diga Eebowai
Monica Crowley screeching on the McLaughlin Group that this has backfired on Obama. As if his winning was some kind of Obama hatched plot for some kind of gain. Her detachment from reality due to her anger was creepy.
for her to pop a vein and collapse on set. The deep-seated hatred of *this* President from the rightwing is really stunning. It makes the hatred they felt towards Clinton seem like child's play.
That BS about the train from vegas to disneyland? Wasn't that debunked months ago? And even if its true would that be an infrastructure project he was calling for not a minute later?
link no workee
Mortuus-Lt for Dead.
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
traffic as passes between Vegas and SoCal, there should be a train. I guess that is unless you like driving bumper-to-bumper and coming to a complete stop periodically on a major interstate route. I would love to be able to hop a train to L.A. from Vegas, roll my car up onto a car carrier and drink my way there (no, I wouldn't drive drunk).
Disney tried the same thing here in Orlando - no high speed from say, Tampa to Orlando, or Miami to Orlando, no, just from the Orlando airport to Disney World - if Disney had their way.
They lost here too - but the irony is that it was the Republicans who were pushing it for another of their big old corporate donors - as usual.
He hatched it in between making up a false indentity that fooled the entire American security forces, sneaking in and out of countries as a child, traveling back in time to put announcements in newspapers, secretly plotting with Osama to turn America into a Communist country and organizing poor people in Chicago.
The man can multi-task pretty good for being such an ineffectual wimpy loser who cheated his way through Harvard as an affirmative action student.
But Right-wingers
I hope he wins an Oscar, an Emmy,a Fiercy and Star of The Week in my son's school.
well, bob schieffer basically said the award is now worthless...
and every times i hear stories about disagreement with any obama policy, there is always one thing, a huge thing, missing from the story:
the disagreement is based on LIES.
lies and misinformation...
and so there are stories like this:
Q+A-Is it the Nobel "Peace" or "Political" prize?
Reuters - Patricia Zengerle - 57 minutes ago
WASHINGTON, Oct 9 (Reuters) - The awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday to President Barack Obama, the third prominent US Democrat to win recently, only seemed to reinforce an impression the prize can be as much about ...
I just enjoyed watching Monica Crowley's head explode on The McGlaughlin Group over the Peace Prize.
Monica Crowley was the last straw. I'm tired of the media rewarding lies and stupidity and calling it "fair".
Don't miss the show at all - in fact, I don't watch any of the Sunday bobble heads, and do not miss them.
I expect the RW to be less than gracious and congratulatory, the many comments from some on the left . . . That kinda surprised me.
Michael Moore reversed course - that took guts.
"I know that there are people who do not love their fellow
man, and I hate people like that! " ~ Tom Lehrer (1928 - )
are causing most of the problems to begin with. I mean Willie Nelson is left but at least he's out there working and doing something to help real people.
most of the trouble-- as in 80% RW, 4% LW, and the gamut of ignorant fat morans who watch Faux, think they're 'moderate' and follow on the RW in between everything else for the rest.
No . . how could this be?
Murdoch starts the spin and the MSM picks up on it. I don't think the MSM is intentionally insidious on this, I think it is all about creating a buzz then capitalizing on it by attracting viewers. I think the MSM is mostly lazy, so they pick up and run with the Murdoch buzz de jour because investigative reporting costs money therefore reducing corporate profits. As with newspapers, it was one of the first casualties.
Another problem with the MSM is that they know the majority of people like a good scandal, while the intricacies of the health care bill and financial reform especially are hard slogging and require educating the viewers. Since these stories are not very sexy and since they treat the American Public like we all have ADD, better to go with the "dirt on the homosexual aide" or whatever.
My greatest fear is that investigative reporting will dissapear comepletly.
Russia on Nobel Peace Prize: Obama thawing 'second cold war'
http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/1009/p06s13-woe...
Politics is for the present, but an equation is for eternity. Albert Einstein
Grampy McBomb-Bomb would have us fighting them now.
"Russia on Nobel Peace Prize: Obama thawing 'second cold war'" means nothing until it is thawed.
The fact that Obama has trashed the stupid and non-functioning "missle defense shield" means nothing?
You know, there is a process to many things; like taking steps 1, 2 and 3 to get to step 4.
Scrapping a stupid non-functioning shield isn't peace. It is stupid and non-functioning thing. See?
It is a multi-part process and when he is successful he should with the NPP. Until then, give on to George Bush for NOT invading Guam.
Scrapping the "missle defense" was more about scrapping Bush's Cowboy (non)Diplomacy. It was about stopping the ignorant swagger that the USA used to alienate the rest of the world under Bush's misrule.
I'm not 100% enamored of Obama's accomplishments to date.
But I am forced to defend the man when I encounter such blatant rancor directed toward the man.
it was about using flexible submarine based ICBM instead of expensive, vunerable, fixed silo missles that were apolitical disaster.
We still have the ignorant swagger.
Do one. I dunno about you, but I am happy as a lark that he reversed course on that stupid shield and Russia is becoming less beligerant.
Jesus, maybe you don't travel or talk to anyone abroad, but Obama's "cooler heads prevailing" nature means a hell of a lot. People couldn't fucking believe it when Bush was re-elected. People over here were seriously scared shitless about McCain and Palin presidency. For Fuck's Sake, even the shitting Daily Mail was against Bush 04 and they backed Hitler. It was like fucking VE Day when Obama got elected over here. It sure is nice not to pretend to be Canadian anymore-- hell, he can have my paycheck for that one.
So yeah, good on the Nobel committee for giving it to him and not being as myopic as you are.
I work in the media, but I have to back away from the news at times. My kids are good for me not seeing the world as festering hellhole.
Some people think the world consists of the U.S. in all respects.
is your reasoning. Better than "what he has done for peace" or will do for peace crowd. Lame but better.
The Russians praising Obama?
Don't let the Repubs get wind of this.
Still on the fence about the award somewhat; I understand their real reason for giving it to him, but if it were me i probably wouldn't have given it to him. But i am plain and simply sick to death of all the bitching, mainly from people who should be a little smarter.
But Not from the dittoheads. That's been gold. On second thought, if i could go back i prolly would have awarded it to him then. For that alone.
Kind of puts the pressure on him to be a man of peace, yes?
Perhaps that was part of the intention. They too could see his "centrist" tendancies and wanted to put a little heat on him.
not peace?
No?
I don't know enough about it to say it was always political, although I am sure it has been, especially looking on past war-mongers/winners.
This is over the top, as he hasn't accomplished anything - YET. When win the gold for lining up for a race - what is the point of running?
Obama deserved the award more than any Reslug in History and Reslugs are proving they are just big crybabies and bedwetters again.
Obama is getting his international payday for the sweet talk he did in Germany and Cairo and other places, before the election. He went aroung tickling ears and now he is standing tall and redoubling the peace effort. Twice as many predator drone attacks will make peace twice as fast. When everyone is dead then - PEACE.
Yeah, Obama DESERVES IT. America deserves it. Obama apologist will twist in their panties about bad people thinking this is bullshit.
http://joshfulton.blogspot.com/2009/10/obama-...
You really should have more significant things to bitch about.
what is significant to you? You should have netter arguments if you want to pick a fight.
Sounds like we need some netters in white coats after you.
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
The hard work, and the work you have to put on your "big-boy pants" for is working for change and being mature enough to know that change is very slow.
I know you know that ysbaddaden, this is for your crabby friend
but the rewards are front-ended. I like that. I want my retirement now, the work however is slow.
Whatsa matter, coffee pot break this morning? Dog pee in your wheaties? Or are you like my ex and just love to bitch?
Maybe your ex peed in his wheaties.
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
the name says it all.
No good point? Insult and demeen. Works every time.
In a lot of ways a president actually has very little actual power beyond being a glorified apparatchik. The Congress initiates laws and pays for the operations of the government both foreign and domestic.
But the president has the bully pulpit and the vision that is supposedly going to guide us for the next four years.
The main international power presidents have is the power of the treaty, but generally there are many lower-level meetings underlying a summit, where the dignitaries basically just meet for a photo-op.
The power lies in the selection of those who work behind the scenes.
And it's hard to sign treaties with anyone when there's actually a power vacuum.
And you don't seem to have the total backing of your own party, because they're casting fearful glances at the next election cycle.
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
good one
Thassawhy I prefer Wheatabix.
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
On to the ignore list you go
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
too, if memory serves.
Obama was going to fill their innocent heads with leftist propaganda.
just like you would have been if GWB did it. You are just not honest.
if Bush would have talked about staying in school and such.
But, of course I'm dishonest. I disagree with you; and everybody knows you're right!
again
why are you just drive by-ing the rest of the thread now and not addressing the rampaging your first post received up above?
I address all comments. Even the ones with no point.
why are you lying now?
Hell, I remember being addressed (in "newsreels"), by Eisenhower. I'm so tired of idiots who eternally - and so self-righteously - shoot their mouths off because they are just soooooooooo angry, but they never bother to find out any facts first.
If you don't remember other presidents talking to school children, its either because you have the Republican Selective Short-Term Memory Loss which only allows you to remember the bad things you make up about Democrats, or you are just uninformed - an equally strong possibility. In fact, since you're obviously a winger, both possibilities could be true.
After all, wingers have proven the ability to hold two opposing thoughts at once, as long as they both are based on irrational hatred for President Obama, (i.e., he's incapable of defending us because he's a pinko pacifist wimp, and he's a worse war-monger than Bush. He's a crafty community organizer who has mesmerized the entire world on the sheer force of his personality and he's a naive loser who has never accomplished anything. He's so deceptive and smart that he could sneak across international borders quicker than Jason Bourne - even as a child - manufacturing false identities as he rises to world leadership, and he's a total failure that the whole world laughs at.)
But if you really think Bush or Obama were the first presidents to encourage kids to stay in school and study, then you may be too far gone for help.
And no, nobody made a fuss about presidents speaking to kids before Obama - even Bush. Nobody was accusing Bush of indoctrinating children just because he was hiding behind students in a Florida school on 9/11 - we just questioned his ability to make it through a third grade book on his own.
And during the Kennedy years, due to the Cold War, the Federal government took a particular interest in education, specifically science, that created a whole series of funding programs and some loss of local powers over schools.
Used to be though, presidents met with top performers in Rose Garden kind of functions:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0uErdlyTUo
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
of accusation about "indoctrinating" children.
The White House has used the bully pulpit to encourage excellence in education as long as I can remember - until the right-wing became obsessed with attacking education and dumbing down our schools.
Yes GENERAL!
What happened, you didn't get your pony for Christmas, so you blame Obama?
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
the people had promoted him to President - a Republican president. Nobody would have accused him of trying to "indoctrinate" children for encouraging them to stay in school and stufy hard.
Keep trying to diminish the good others do - it makes you smaller and smaller.
First of all, there is a HUGE difference between those who upon examining Obama's record of achievements decide they don't think he should have one the NPP, and those who are enraged by his being selected merely because they hate Obama and would happily see America hurt and agree with our enemies in order to hurt Obama. Ok?
Secondly, I think the Nobel committee in admitting that the prize was awarded partly in a hope of influencing foreign policy as well as for the hopes of what Obama WILL achieve is a kind of validation for those who say he hasn't done enough to deserve it yet. Those people, including me, probably didn't know that the NPP could be awarded for political consideration or for the hope of future achievement.
there is a big difference between hating and seeing an injustice.
Note my last line. I think people a lot of people who didn't think Obama deserved this, didn't know that the Nobel committee takes political considerations into account, nor that they could consider future hoped-for achievements. Now that I know that I can still say, imo, Obama hasn't done the kind of things yet that I would have thought you'd get a NPP for, but nonetheless now I can see why he got it.
Bottomline: People who're objecting to his win for honest reasons (discounting the haters who'd gladly stab their mothers if they thought it would hurt Obama) didn't know how the committee operates.
I agree that there is a difference in haters and objecters. I didn't mean to imply you thought it was an injustice.
The injustice is to the person(s) that really deserved the award.
Like I said, most rational objectors (like me) are objecting because they didn't understand the way the Nobel committee works. Now that I understand how they operate, I understand why he won and based on their process, agree.
not their choice.
According Nobel's will, which is the document that created the Nobel Prizes, the one we now call the "Peace Prize" has the following criteria:
"and one part to the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations; for the abolition or reduction of standing armies; and, for the holding and promotion of peace congresses."
So, in the past year or so, who really deserved it? I think the Nobel committee made it eminently clear that they chose Obama mainly for the first criteria - he has worked hard to open up the dialogue between nations, reintroduced Dipolmacy as a tool to be utilized in international relations, and demonstrated that America(ns)want to engage and reverse the policies of the last administration.
Has Obama succeeded in creating Nirvana yet? No, will he?
I don't know.
But, I am reminded of the verse from a song that was popular way back during another difficult period for the US: "All we are saying....is give Peace A Chance!"
"Egotism is the anesthetic that dulls the pain of Stupidity" - Frank Leahy
They vote because he has lived by his word (You know the Party of NO and Hatred, Socialism and the cheers for Al Qaeda, Ha mas, and the Taliban). look the vote by most real Americans is still out, and yes being a American I do take Pride that this PRESIDENT has made such a impact on the World yup he is slowly reinstating our Pride and RESPECT, we are acknowledged for our mistakes and taking ACCOUNTABILITY, yeah I wonder but after the Racist Nazi Christian (RNC) and the Goofy Opposition Party (GOP) cheering our loss of the Olympics these Treasonous bastards can say Nothing to impress me expect open their mouths and stick both feet in proving yet again that they are INBRED.
are you stoopid or just ignore facts? Gitmo is closed? Soldiers still in Iraq for Oil? Afpak is heating up or cooling off? What about military commissions? Live by his word? Oh my.
Grampy McBomb-Bomb?
John McPalin would be the worst. We would be fighting Russia from Sarah's front porch.
I have Hope for Change.
We didn't get to where we are overnight. We have been on a right wing path for 25-30 years.
But do you think we are really going another direction now? I think if Obama would have done 1 thing. Gitmo, habeaus, military commissions, rendition, torture, investigate BUSH/Cheny Cabal - I would be danicing and shouting. He didn't. He was rewarded. BOOOOOO
The election was held last November.
We have to deal with the current bomber in chief.
The one sending drones over Pakistan and Afghanistan.
The one sending more troops.
I guess you are resolving it by saying, "Could be worse".
Comforting.
No. Our Peace Guy is a warmonger. McPalin wasn't a liar - he wanted more war.
It's changed from the bloody war that Bush started into a rebuilding mission. Canada is involved, so we think Obama has done the right thing by trying harder to stabilize that country. Even Norway (Peace Prize givers) has occupation forces in Afghanistan.
http://www.norway-nato.org/news/Faryab-strategi/
http://www.norway-nato.org/Norway-and-NATO/
and you know that. It is our war. If we went home everyone else would too. You know that.
where Obama said Gitmo would be empty and closed prior to October 9, 2009, the day the NPP was awarded.
Could you please point it out to me?
In news consumption bulimia what do you puke
Sound bites?
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
gee, I wonder which group the 'rest of the world' would most hope to live on the same planet with. Im gonna guess the 2nd one, you know, the one Obama is a part of.
A few years ago they did a poll in an Australian newspaper asking what country posed the biggest threat to World Peace. The answer was overwhelmingly the US and this is how the world thought of us during the Bush years.
So you see, if you are from a small country like say Norway, a change from Bush to Obama seems world-shatteringly great.
these sorts of facts arent mentioned by many beltway pundits if at all.
.
"Parachutes are allowed in checked or carry-on baggage, but may not be worn in flight."
---Southwest Airlines
People in New Zealand partied in the streets when Obama won - in fact, people all over the world celebrated when Obama won - something we would know more about if it were not for the dominantion of the right-wing corporate ownership of the media, which has spent every minute since Obama won pretending that the very small minority of haters on the Right is somehow at least 51% of Americans.
To the rest of the world, Obama even getting elected by the same country that allowed Bush to steal the presidency was a HUGE change for Hope, reason for celebration and worthy of acknowledging.
The Right is just pissed because they had barely worked themselves into their latest lather of foamy hatred over the Olympic loss as proof positive of the world hating Obama as much as they do, and then they had to stop partying and start spinning this.
They are sad, angry, sore losers - and dangerous in their blind rage.
Absolutely true, the Wrong-wing has waaay too much influence over gullible minds in this country and our pathetic media is pure garbage for encouraging their sick and twisted ways.
Politics is for the present, but an equation is for eternity. Albert Einstein
n/m
I don't see. That is lame. A prize for NOT BEING BUSH.
The 'Pubs will say you are wrong.
Why?
Answer: simply because they disagree.
Many, for the past couple days (yes, myself included), have grumbled, "What has he done to earn this prize?" How 'bout this:
The simple fact that he was elected was reason enough for him to be the recipient of this year's Nobel Peace Prize.
Because on that day the murderous actions of the Bush/Cheney years were totally and thoroughly rebuked. One man -- a man who opposed the War in Iraq from the beginning -- offered to end the insanity. The world has stood by in utter horror for the past eight years as they watched the descendants of Washington, Lincoln and Jefferson light the fuse of our own self-destruction. We flipped off the nations on this planet by abandoning Kyoto and then proceeded to melt eight more years worth of the polar ice caps. We invaded two nations that didn't attack us, failed to find the real terrorists and, in effect, ignited our own wave of terror. People all over the world wondered if we had gone mad.
And if all that wasn't enough, the outgoing Joker presided over the worst global financial collapse since the Great Depression.
So, yeah, at precisely 11:00pm ET on November 4, 2008, Barack Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize. And the 66 million people who voted for him won it, too. By the time he took the stage at midnight ET in the Grant Park Historic Hippie Battlefield in downtown Chicago, billions of people around the globe were already breathing a huge sigh of relief. It was as if, in that instant, one man did bring the promise of peace to the world -- and most were ready to go wherever he wanted to go to achieve that end. Never before had the election of one man made every other nation feel like they had won, too. When you've got billions of people ready, willing and able to join a cause like this, well, a prize in Oslo is the least that you deserve.
One other thought. The Peace Prize historically has been given to those who have worked to throw off the yoke of racial discrimination and segregation (Martin Luther King, Jr., Desmond Tutu). I think the Nobel committee, in awarding Obama the prize, was also rewarding the fact that something profound had happened in a nation that was founded on racial genocide, built on racist slavery, and held back for a hundred-plus years by vestiges of hateful bigotry (which can still be found on display at teabagger rallies and daily talk radio). The fact that this one man could cause this seismic historical event to occur -- and to do so with such grace and humility, never succumbing to the bait, but still not backing down (yes, he asked to be sworn in as "Barack Hussein Obama"!) -- is more than reason enough he should be in Oslo to meet the King on December 10. Maybe he could take us along with him. 'Cause I also suspect the Nobel committee was tipping its hat to all of us -- we, the American people, had conquered some of our racism and did the truly unexpected. After seeing searing images of our black fellow citizens left to drown in New Orleans -- and poor whites seeing their own treated no better than the black man they had been raised to hate -- we had all seen enough. It was time for change.
Thank you, Barack Obama, for giving us the opportunity to redeem ourselves. Now for the tasks ahead. We need you to do all that you promised to do. We need it. The world needs it.
My prediction for the future? You become the first *two-time* winner of the Nobel Peace Prize! Yeah!
Fred (that's Norwegian for "Peace"),
Michael Moore
MMFlint@aol.com
MichaelMoore.com
whatever you think Mike
I too believe that Obamas Nobel is a reflection of hope brought on by his election after 8 years of murderous,lying,warmongering, torturing,
false flagging, immoral, criminal, thieving, treasonous, traitorous, country destroying, illegal invading , Israel sucking, outsourcing, dumbing down, economy wrecking, war profiteering , election stealing, non rule by the Neo Scum and Bushtards. First ever "end of a nightmare" Nobel given.
need to put down their weapons, declare the U.S. A-Okay, and say we're sorry for what we did and offer flowers and candy to us. Bin Laden could do a Mea Culpa video. "we want to make peace with America. Love the American People. God Willing".
Then Obama could immediately end all the wars and bring home all troops.
sorry Mike we don't deserve anthing but scorn. World peace is as simple as a boat ride HOME, for our imperal troops.
well-stated. Sure, even you, Michael.
that he and liberals didn't lobby hard enough for it, and their failure would be just like the Olympics "failure." They would use it as a way of saying, "See, the rest of the world doesn't agree with 'Dear Leader's' policies either!"
Fuck trying to
pleaseappease the 'Thugs."Parachutes are allowed in checked or carry-on baggage, but may not be worn in flight."
---Southwest Airlines
They're a bunch of morons. Why would anybody want to appease morons?
Politics is for the present, but an equation is for eternity. Albert Einstein
A popular president wins a prestigious award and responds with humility and intelligence.
"what the hell did I do to deserve this?"
he sort of did say exactly that, but much more graciously, of course.
But you could never acknowledge that, could you? Not if it meant saying something even remotely decent about the man.
Gotta cling to that hate and rage, right?
Or was it an up yours! to the Warmongers?
for 2 wars and multiple hostilities. We have over 700 bases in other countries. He IS THE WARMONGER.
This is marvelous.
Reduced from what to what?
Thousands upon thousands of nuclear warheads circling the globe.
That's what the world has become accustomed to. Nothing has changed.
Peace in the middle East - Obama as broker? You're kidding.
Meanwhile, he has swallowed whole Bush's war in Afghanistan. Are we fighting the Taliban - Al Queda - poppies? It changes from day to day. What doesn't change is that Obama is still talking about this as a war "we must win". Win what? Don't ask. Soldiers being used as pawns and cannon fodder.
Iraq - rendition - detention without trial. All ongoing. No change. Just swept under the rug because no one cares.
So - all we do is sit and hope. While the horrors go on unabated.
If you want to give him a prize, give him the daytime Emmy.
together for a weekend of peace talks at Camp David. They could have a few beers.
you would bitch that he destroyed the defense industry.
If Obama achieved world peace, I would say, "Wow. Obama achieved world peace".
At the moment, he is escalating several conflicts, continuing others and saber-rattling here and there. So, I don't believe I will have the opportunity to cheer anytime soon.
Good case study is "Joe the Plumber", whose real first name is not Joe and also doesn't seem to be that good at or even interested in actually doing plumbing.
His name recognition is probably as high in some districts as the Congressional House Representative.
Yet his actual significance to our lives is almost nil.
He was not really a professional plumber (just a plumber's helper for a short time and his initial question to Obama was also b.s (he was not buying a plumbing business).
He took a stab at journalism, country singing, stand-up comedian and a few other things I can't recall. None of them stuck.
This man seems to be quite dysfunctional and is confused about his own identity and role in society. He is not even always coherent when explaining his politics.
Yet the media made him known to most Americans, foisted him on the public as a significant player.
I know way more about "Joe the Plumber" than I know about my Congressman.
It's amazing that we have been taken this far off track from actual reality.
I would hope that the extreme unreality in corporate media reporting has peaked and and is causing a reaction that supports outlets that will take us back in the other direction.
The best thing that could happen to this country is if this type of corporate media reporting withers, dies and becomes just a faded memory.
Joe the Plumber was distracting fluff.
The media's handling of The Iraq War and the economic meltdown/heist caused damage to this country of historical proportions.
Evet and crabby are trying to prove it't not just the wingnuts who are so unreasoning in their hatred for everything Obama.
You guys work for the rnc?
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
the obvious. I don't have advertisers to kiss up to and my opinions are not formulated by Television or celebrity opinions and jib jab.
Take it or leave it.
Yeah, I don't know what I'm talking about when I have a degree in Political Science and History, graduated Cum Laude on the Dean's List and a member of both Phi Theta Kappa and Golden Key Honor Societies after I was honorably discharged from the Air Force where I held a Top Secret Clearance.
While meanwhile you're playing opposite day with the MSM.
(I could've graduated Magna Cum Laude, but I was just trying to get through, and no one explained how close I was to any awards).
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
you cum loud on the Dean. So we should just listen to you. You are the expert. We are impressed. Air Force Top Secret, you are truly a better American that us scum. I apologize for questioning you.
I would think you could present a good ARGUMENT, instead of pointless snide remarks, that do nothing to advance you cause... if you have one.
Sun, 10/11/2009 - 08:57 — ysbaddaden
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
congratulations on being the first person I've put on my ignore list after being at this site for over a year.
I've tolerated a lot of idiotic trolls over my months here, and I certainly don't mind differences of opinion. Ysb is one of the brightest guys here, and you can disagree with his opinions without insulting his education or his service.
Fuck off.
"Parachutes are allowed in checked or carry-on baggage, but may not be worn in flight."
---Southwest Airlines
Where is my Prize? Oh yea I got it.
No I was insulting his pompousness thinking his education makes his thoughts more valid. Educated by whom? Service? Service to what? Please.
Sun, 10/11/2009 - 10:36 — fastfeat
__________________________________________________________
He's like our version of a reichwing pundit.
Always confusing egalitarianism with argumentum ad ignoratiam.
While simultaneously equating the former with redistribution of wealth, whether they're for it or against it,
Which I find somewhat amusing.
But I have to go now; I have a cold and am running on minimum power.
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
With that first sentence Crabby confirms what we already know: he doesn't give a f*ck about serious discussion.
You really have the audacity to accuse others of "poinless snide remarks."
Confusing egalitarianism with argumentum ad ignorantiam,
I was really getting out of it.
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
But I was responding to some blow hard toot his horn. There was no serious conversation. I am ready if someone can without reducing to name calling, and opinion stated as fact.
Who did I accuse of pointless snide remarks? Correct the people that made pointless snide remarks, because their defence of the NPPC was weak or could be summed up as a not bush award.
Can you say someone that send predator drone to blow the shit out of people gives hope for peace. Serious?
I would think you could present a good ARGUMENT, instead of pointless snide remarks, that do nothing to advance you cause... if you have one.
Nice edumacation. How much that cost us tax payers?
what's obvious is your hate. take it or leave it.
I said this above, they had no idea what it was like to live abroad under the Bush junta. I took the day after the election off and when I got back on Thursday, I got high-fives and an ibox full of congrats. Come on, surely everyone got that email of the world's reactions after the results came in?
I registered republican in the 80's. I have NEVER voted for a republican for any federal office. I do NOT hate Obama. I do HATE idiots that can't agree with the truth and attacks the messengers.
The message has to have the appropriate forum.
Do you go to birthday parties and wax ad infinitum that everyone there is one day going to die?
Diabolus est Deus Inversus
I don't get your point at all.
Escalation = Nobel Peace Prize
Mild reproach for settlements building, just like Bush = Wildly different policy
Bombing Pakistan = real change
Obama enabling liberals = Biggest threat to the real left
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