Mostly for my friends in USA

[Guest]

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[Dagfinn]

Neville Chamberlain gave away freedom for millions of people on the European continent in an effort to secure “peace in our time” for Great Britain.  Today Obama talked about the need for a just war and his belief war can be just and that a desire for peace in itself does not always make peace.

Moreover he, indirect, distinctly defined the war in Iraq as unwarranted and not just. He pointed out that freedom from hunger is just as basic a right as freedom itself.  I found him refreshingly realistic and with an agenda for peace beyond all those who take the simple (and unrealistic) view that blame is the name of the game.

A year ago we had a scene globally where United States was running around telling everybody else what to say, what opinion to hold, what is up and what is down.  Alone US knew who was bad and even evil as they flew high above dropping bombs as a mean of telling us all to fold into line.

Now we see a United States that accept that it takes two to tango – to make friends or enemies.  That if you do not accept to speak with everyone momentum for peace cannot be won.  Herein lies his achievement that awarded him the Nobel Peace Prize, and justly so.  To me his work has been the most productive counter terrorism act USA has done in many years.

Now we have a US on speaking terms with other nations of the world at a scale making it possible to move on to the next phase – turning the free speech between nations into acts of peace.

My worry is all those who refuse to see this but choose to stay firm on old beliefs – whether it be Jews in Jerusalem or Muslims in Bagdad – not to speak of conservative Christians in the US congress (this list can be disappointingly long but I think I have made my point).

We were at a deadlock for years.  The ball did not go anywhere.  Most people argued where to put the ball not paying attention to the fact it was not in play.  Obama understood that we were at a deadlock and have produced a climate internationally where now we have the ball moving – now we can focus on how best to reach the goal.

Equally, I found his approach to distance himself from self righteousness and a single US cause.  Now there is a USA that is an integral part of this planet we all have no choice but to share for the common good.

So, my friends in USA – congratulations on having elected a president that is a true leader of the free world that brings about change - and a well deserved Nobel Peace Prize!


Be well, Dagfinn A

[Diane R]

The Nobel Peace Prize 2009 was given to Barack H. Obama "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples".

For those who would like to read the transcript of President Obama's acceptance speech (officially referred to as a Laureate's "lecture"), it can be found here, with some introductory commentary above the transcript.

The official video of his lecture will be posted here soon.  The Nobel Prize page about this honor is here.


--Diane.

(EDIT: I encourage you to read, or later watch, the above.  He closes by saying:
"We can acknowledge that oppression will always be with us, and still strive for justice. We can admit the intractability of depravation, and still strive for dignity. We can understand that there will be war, and still strive for peace. We can do that – for that is the story of human progress; that is the hope of all the world; and at this moment of challenge, that must be our work here on Earth." )