The degradation of the nobel peace prize

[sgreger1]

I think the rest of the world is just really, really happy that George Bush and Dick Cheney are gone and will never be anywhere near the Oval Office ever again.

And I think the Nobel Prize thing is just one manifestation of that happiness.

I also really like the snus thing. The 'Nobel Snus Prize'. Great idea. As long as we can find a way to keep Swedish Match from winning it every year. :wink:

You are correct, everyone is just glad Bush is gone. We can all agree on that.

And the "Nobel Snus Prize" will be awarded to people who have done amazing things while snusing. Otherwise SM would win every year.

[sgreger1]

I get tired of all the crazy non sense spewed in America! If you get your information From Mr. Rush Limbaugh, Gleen Beck or any of the other nuts out there than I won't take anything you say into account because they are crazy bastards imo! I am not saying you do but if you infact do well you know where i stand!

I have never cited anything from Rush Limbaugh (who I do not listen to), or Glenn beck, just the various on-line news sources such as NYT, Yahoo, AP and the likes.

If you get your info from "The Daily KOS", Salon.com or any of the many liberal news outlets, than I won't take anything you say into account.

People cried that Bush was turning us into a dictatorship and would impose martial law, put us all into Fema camps etc. Now that his term is up and over with, I don't see liberals saying anything about it now. Of course death panels are not real and I don't know anyone who honestly believed Obama would make us a Muslim nation. Those are the people on the fringe.

[sgreger1]

DUDE, I HAD A DREAM ABOUT THIS.

I dreamt we had a convention at a Great Wolf Lodge (not sure if you've ever been to one), and we were all going from table to table trying each other's home made snuses! Sneese. Snusar. Snusii. Whatever.

Snushi? Maybe with a hint of soy sauce?

[sgreger1]

I told you in another thread sgreger, you're a three dimensional create traveling on a three dimensional area. You can't see the future.

We don't KNOW he's more of the same. In three years, we may KNOW that, and the election may show us what we know.

You know?

Haha, yes an excelent post. I had no idea you were a man of science! I love science with every inch of my soul. Wait, a soul is a religiouse thing.. err, um.. Never mind.


And I do know he's more of the same, I don't need to wait three years to know, he has already done the things I have mentioned, he has already done nothing but more of the same this whole year, what makes you think he will have a sudden change of heart?

We will revisit this subject in 3 years and find out!

[sgreger1]

Jesus christ I am a ****ing post whore.

[VBSnus]

I told you in another thread sgreger, you're a three dimensional create traveling on a three dimensional area. You can't see the future.

We don't KNOW he's more of the same. In three years, we may KNOW that, and the election may show us what we know.

You know?

Haha, yes an excelent post. I had no idea you were a man of science! I love science with every inch of my soul. Wait, a soul is a religiouse thing.. err, um.. Never mind.


And I do know he's more of the same, I don't need to wait three years to know, he has already done the things I have mentioned, he has already done nothing but more of the same this whole year, what makes you think he will have a sudden change of heart?

We will revisit this subject in 3 years and find out!

Well, you mentioned he has done nothing for gay rights, did you see the links I posted which proved against that statement? Or the things he's done for science. For diplomacy. Etc. You can ignore the HuffPo one if you want, I know you won't like them. I don't like them much either.

Jesus christ I am a ****ing post whore.

On this, you have my full agreement.

[sgreger1]

Well, you mentioned he has done nothing for gay rights, did you see the links I posted which proved against that statement? Or the things he's done for science. For diplomacy. Etc. You can ignore the HuffPo one if you want, I know you won't like them. I don't like them much either.

Jesus christ I am a ****ing post whore.

On this, you have my full agreement.

I knew we could agree on something


Gay rights activists don't seem to share the same belief as you. And, spending at least 4 of my days in San Francisco each week with my Wife's family, I can definately make the statement that while gays overwhelmingly support Obama, they feel he has broken his campaign promises to Gays. Then again, if I were President, I would have to say there are more pressing issues to address than Gay rights, since they already have every right under the sun except to Marry.





From the Examiner:


WASHINGTON - President Obama signaled to gay-rights activists yesterday that he's listening to their desire for greater equality in "a more perfect union." But he didn't give them even close to everything they want, bringing to the surface an anger that's been growing against the president.
"We all have to acknowledge this is only one step," Obama said in the Oval Office, where he signed a memorandum extending some benefits, such as visitation or dependent-care rights, to the same-sex partners of gay federal employees.

But the president's critics - and there were many - saw the incremental move to expand gay rights as little more than pandering to a reliably Democratic voting bloc.

"When a president tells you he's going to be different, you believe him," said John Aravosis, a Washington-based gay activist. "It's not that he didn't follow through on his promises, he stabbed us in the back."

Obama has refused to take any concrete steps toward a repeal of a policy that bans gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military, even though as a candidate he pledged to scrap the Clinton-era rules.

Obama said that he wants to see the Defense of Marriage Act repealed and in its place a law that would give the partners of gay and lesbian federal employees health insurance and survivor benefits, among other things.

Facing fierce anger, Obama approved small changes in benefits available to same-sex couples. For instance, employees' domestic partners can be added to a government insurance program that pays for long-term conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease. They also can take sick leave to care for a sick partner or non-biological child.

But health-care benefits - the ultimate goal for many gay activists - remained forbidden by Congress. *

[Owens187]

Rediculous....Absolutely Rediculous. Sooooo undeserved.


An Obamanation.

What an Obummer.

[justintempler]

:roll:

[shikitohno]

Well, I'll jump into the fray here. First, as to why Obama hasn't done everything he promised. Like all politicians, he promised things he has no control over. He can propose many things to Congress, like ending the wars immediately, giving gay couples the right to marry, and giving everyone healthcare. Unfortunately, once he does that, the most he can legally do is try his best to convince everyone in Congress that he's right in order for it to pass. With party lines blurring ever more each year, on paper he has a majority in Congress, but in reality he's basically deadlocked. You have Republicans now who are pro-choice, and Democrats who don't think gays should be able to marry (just making up an example there, so don't hurt me if you can find one) who make it increasingly more of a one party system. Each side tries to cherry pick the aspects voters like about the other without alienating the constituency, and the final result is a mass from two parties who can't agree on anything. Every president makes promises like this that he can't live up to.

Second, he did pick up a fairly shite situation. Let's be honest, the wars raging overseas and the economy in the crapper are not things that come to mind when one thinks of how they'd like to start they're presidency. Bush started some things which Obama left in place, and once again it's not within his powers to undo them as his campaign promised. Either he needs to convince Congress to pass a law declaring the Patriot Act null and void, or he needs someone to challenge it and convince the Supreme Court to call it unconstitutional.

Most important, I think, is he was too hyped up. The unearned Noble Prize will just make it worse. He was dragged across the US and played up as the magical wonder pill that would instantly cure all of America's ills. If you watched an infomercial that said, "As soon as you get this, all your problems will go away!" would you believe it? So why did the nation buy it? I think they were voting for him just because they were tired of the Republicans.

And let's be realistic about third parties. They're not going anywhere. I pay my dues to one, but parties like yours and mine simply can't compete with the funding behind the two principal parties. Until the libertarians of the socialist start attracting billionaire sponsors, we're not going to have a shot because the Democrats and Republicans get total media saturation. When your average American needs to be warned that his coffee is going to be hot, you've got a lot of work to do to inform them about a politician if you can't get the guy a 30 second blurb in between the Arby's and Nike commercials. In some regards, Americans have done very well to earn their reputation for stupidity abroad.

Finally, I was reading a local paper today, and for what it's worth, they quoted Obama as saying that he was honoured, but didn't feel he deserved it. Have to give the man credit.

[sgreger1]

I can't even see how there is a debate here.

He was nominated for it 10 days into his presidency. In those 10 days, he had not accomplished anything, like all presidents on their 10th day.

How can anyone defend this is beyond me. 10 days people, 10 days. You are fooling yourselves. And if they gave it to him because he was the first black president than that's just racist :wink:




@ Shikitohno

You just summed it up in words better than I could muster up. That is 100% exactly how I see it.

And, as I am a good sport, even Obama said he didn't think he deserved it and will just take it as a call to action, so he played it off right. good job Mr Obama. Good job Shikitohno.

[zmanzero]

He has had nearly a year and en epic failure even grander than Bush is becoming very clear.

just... wow. you can't **** the country up worse than bush. impossible, unless you invade mexico or something. or maybe nuke china.

[VBSnus]

He was nominated for it 10 days into his presidency. In those 10 days, he had not accomplished anything, like all presidents on their 10th day.

How can anyone defend this is beyond me. 10 days people, 10 days. You are fooling yourselves. And if they gave it to him because he was the first black president than that's just racist Wink

Nominated != chosen. They may have nominated him 10 days in, but the final decision wasn't made 10 days in.

Though that has become quite the talking point since it spreads confusion and makes the decision look more ridiculous than it already is.

Of course, by the same token, this whole "He hasn't actually solved all the world's problems yet!" argument is kinda bunk. For instance, Mother Teresa got the award for "work undertaken in the struggle to overcome poverty and distress, which also constitutes a threat to peace" But there's still poverty despite her efforts. The Dalai Lama got it for "the struggle of the liberation of Tibet and the efforts for a peaceful resolution instead of using violence", yet Tibet is still not free. Do they also not deserve the prize?

Perhaps Barack Obama deserves it for simply not pushing through all this legislation he wants like a dictator or Bush would/did.

[sgreger1]

He has had nearly a year and en epic failure even grander than Bush is becoming very clear.

just... wow. you can't **** the country up worse than bush. impossible, unless you invade mexico or something. or maybe nuke china.

Well I agree, bush majorly ****ed up the countries. He did it by

Runaway spending
2 wars
Patriot Act (Warrantless Wiretaps)
Bailouts
Corruption
Lobbyists

Obama seems to be doing/supporting/not stopping all of those things so I don't see the country getting any better. That's my only point.

The only thing me and Obama can see eye-to-eye on is the federal funding for stem cell research. Other than that, just more Bush.

[zmanzero]

@sgreger1 - let's see what happens coming up, eh? :wink: