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Why Obama Should Not Have Received the Peace Prize -- Yet.
President Obama's only real diplomatic accomplishment so far has been to change the direction and tone of American foreign policy from unilateral bullying to multilateral listening and cooperating. That's important, to be sure, but not nearly enough. The Prize is really more of Booby Prize for Obama's predecessor. Had the world not suffered eight years of George W. Bush, Obama would not be receiving the prize. He's prize-worthy and praiseworthy only by comparison.
I'd rather Obama had won it after Congress agreed to substantial cuts in greenhouse gases comparable to what Europe is proposing, after he brought Palestinians and Israelis together to accept a two-state solution, after he got the United States out of Afghanistan and reduced the nuclear arm's threat between Pakistan and India, or after he was well on the way to eliminating the world's stockpile of nuclear weapons. Any one of these would have been worthy of global praise. Perhaps the Nobel committee can give him half the prize now and withhold the other half until he accomplishes one or more of these crucial missions.
Giving the Peace Prize to the president before any of these goals has been attained only underscores the paradox of Obama at this early stage of his presidency. He has demonstrated mastery in both delivering powerful rhetoric and providing the nation and the world with fresh and important ways of understanding current challenges. But he has not yet delivered. To the contrary, he often seems to hold back from the fight -- temporizing, delaying, or compromising so much that the rhetoric and insight he offers seem strangely disconnected from what he actually does. Yet there's time. He may yet prove to be one of the best presidents this nation has ever had -- worthy not only of the Peace Prize but of every global accolade he could possibly summon. Just not yet.
--Robert Reich
COMMENTS (8)
Message to Bob Reich from Barack Obama:
Posted by: leo | October 9, 2009 2:26 PM
You are wrong.
It's true Obama has not achieved all those things you mentioned. But he has changed the tone among nations from belligerence to cooperation, from finding fault to looking for common interests, from looking down at others and treating all with dignity. This is a TREMENDOUS change.
The whole world recognizes it. It's time for us in the U.S. to do so.
I thought I would never say this, but you sound very much like the rabid conservatives screaming against Obama.
When the president of the U.S. receives the world's greatest honor, you should join in congratulations.
Just because you are disappointed in some of Obama's actions does not make it right for you to Republicanize yourself!
Posted by: Paul Siegel | October 9, 2009 3:30 PM
You underestimate Obama's accomplishment.
For eight years, under Bush, America proclaimed itself, and was, a bellicose nation whose only idea was to make war and gain "victory."
The world was terrorized by this. It was afraid of us as a rogue power.
Obama has changed all that. He may make war himself, but no one think he seeks victory,
only such peace as is possible
without endangering our safety.
The world heaves a sigh of relief. That is what the Nobel Prize means.
Posted by: John Van Doren | October 9, 2009 5:09 PM
...he often seems to hold back from the fight -- temporizing, delaying, or compromising so much that the rhetoric and insight he offers seem strangely disconnected from what he actually does.
I agree, but perhaps the need to live up to the peace prize will be enough to goose him into becoming more active and engaged. That may, in fact, have been at least part of the Nobel Committee's intention.
Let's hope he takes the hint.
Posted by: Swift Loris | October 9, 2009 5:36 PM
This is just the first of eight Nobel Peace Prizes. Each one will be more deserved than the last.
Posted by: awmarch | October 9, 2009 6:08 PM
Bob, there are times in a man's life when he ought not feel obligated to have an opinion on every damn issue that comes up. The announcement of the President's Nobel was one such time in your own life. You're not being thoughtful here, you're being overwrought.
Posted by: Marti Perez | October 10, 2009 10:22 AM
Good post.
Posted by: Anonymous | October 10, 2009 6:48 PM
Obama is 2D - like a false front but worse actually, more like a billboard.
Posted by: Peter Waksman | October 12, 2009 6:44 AM