just as I finished reading that, “Waiting Room” started playing on my iPod. that was kind of a moment right there.

Though I disagree on the troop surge in Afghanistan, that’s not a done deal. Otherwise, yeah, this is encouragement to keep doing what he’s doing, which has been a lot of “right things” so far, even if they’re not completed.

Well put, Spencer.

That’s absolutely the case, and I hope my post didn’t suggest that escalation was a done deal, because it isn’t.

a symbol of an America that is willing, once again, to drive the international system forward, together, toward the humane positive-sum goals of peace and disarmament

Spencer, you and the Norwegians are on drugs. Obama has done nothing to deserve this award. Looking at his approach in general, it is safe to say that he will do nothing to deserve this award. All this does is debase the prize.

You, Rush and the Taliban.

You think he might have enough now for Arizona State U. to reconsider and retroactively grant him that honorary doctorate?

To which I say, bullshit.

But the Peace and Literature prizes are always a matter of whim and political fancy.

I don’t give a shit. Except for all the dead civilians.

I’m happy for him, and I congratulate him. But he needs to earn this, and he’s going to look awful silly after winning this if he escalates the war in Afghanistan and doesn’t establish a clear time table for ending our involvement there.

Ever since Kissinger was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, – the gesture is more of a farce than an honor.

Clearly he got the Nobel Prize for not being Bush. It was like the Nobel whoevers were trying to give the prize to America for tossing the chimp to the curb. I don’t see that it has much to do with Obama other than being given to Obama. Heh.

It was a nice gesture and the Nobel Committee meant well, but Jeez, this is just embarrassing for all concerned.

The Pentagon Budget was increased under Obama. So we can say without much doubt that A Warmonger wins Peace Prize.

Obama:

…we have to confront the world as we know it today.

I am the commander in chief of a country that’s responsible for ending a war and working in another theater to confront a ruthless adversary that directly threatens the American people and our allies.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10……html?_r=1

Doesn’t sound like much of a peacenik to me. More like a person who thinks that war can solve our problems.

Exactly.

Beat some of those swords into plowshares mr Pres.

I am inclined to agree. Talk is cheap. Like private health insurance, the war business is extremely lucrative. Does Obama have the desire or the will to battle their lobbyists and congressional lapdogs? I hope so but I have yet to see any evidence.

I share your perspective Spencer. My first reaction was similar to many other well-intentioned moderates and progressives: “isn’t this a bit premature?” But after reading others’ reactions, I can identify with the school of thought that says this is more about encouraging that he’s turning the ship’s direction, not about awarding already having reached a destination. It’s hard for many Americans who live by cable TV IMHO to understand just how lost the rest of the world felt without American diplomatic leadership the last eight years. The award is simply a “thank you” for returning to the leadership helm, with hope that it’s a net positive incentive to reach the tangible destinations still in front of us.

After the right’s display last week after Copenhagen, it’s admittedly quite satisfying to see them this week hyperventilate over this. “He must fail, whatever the cost to the country.” Most theories of truth require some form of verification against reality as well as internal consistency. Their ideology is failing not just the first but also the second every day now it seems.

Bravo, maesro Ackerman. The president has great expectations from not only his countrymen – well, most of them – but from most of the world as well. It is a pity that the Republicans have used this occasion to display their seemingly endless capacity for pettiness and irrationality.

But, I’m sure they know better. This will undoubtedly sway millions of Democrats, moderates, and independents to their side and help them regain power in 2010 and the White House in 2012. And quoting that immortal philosopher Wayne Campbell, “It might happen, tsshyeah, and monkeys might fly out of my butt.”

Actually, I think the flying butt monkeys are more likely.

Not too long ago the Republicans were crowing about their permanent majority. Your flying monkeys depend on how many you have crammed in there but rest assured sooner or later the pendulum will swing and the other party will return to power.

He has not earned it yet I hope the WH now feels pressure to move big on at least one thing. Preferably bringing the troops home or even just dropping the number of troops.
We can help no cash for a Real Healthcare bill then no cash except to bring the troops home.
The Corporate wing of the GOP not plugged into the war machine cash I’m sure is looking at the Growing National Debt and thinking tax increases will be necessary no matter how much they fight.
The longer the war the bigger the tax increase. We can divide the Corporate GOP on this.

Citizen MrCleveland:

Embarrasing for WHOM, Citizen Mr. Cleaveland? Are YOU embarrassed…if so for whom or what are you embarrassed? I want to know so I can edjakate my three kids, 2 of whom are high schools teachers and the other is soon to be a counseling psychologist, why they should be embarrassed for their country or their president for receivin’ an international award for peace.

There are 120,000 troops in Iraq — but by the summer of 2010 there will be 55,000; and by December 2011; practically none.

Wanna bet?

Given our economy are you sure you wanna bet? We are in a recession John McCain might want to keep troops add more troops but where will he find the money?
Unless McCain finds a GOP majority ready to vote for tax increases to keep the war going. If Obama tries Bush’s trick of debt financing the Dollar will drop like a stone.
Helicopter Ben said today low interest rates can’t last forever.

Citizen Eureka Springs:

Yeah I’ll take some a yer money Citizen ES…if there are more’n a few troops in Iraq in 2012 then we will have a new President…wanna bet on THAT there Citizen?

I wonder if high interest rates are directly linked to long stalemate wars ending?

I am pretty sure they are directly linked to a slowing economy. Given our already high unemployment numbers more war spending instead of job spending FDR sized job spending will be increasingly unpopular.

Citizen ThingsComeUndone:

Good catch Brother TCU…the entire Bush administration and the wars were set up to bring down the next several political leaders who tried ta turn the guns into butter before the country starved to death. But as long as there are boomers and Vietnam vets who vote they won’t get away with it.

Winter is coming to Afghanistan so Obama should have a lull in fighting use the lull to say my plan is working and then draw down the troop numbers.
Pakistan never let Bush go after Osama Isay we let Pakistan clean up the mess they created.

I’ll bet 100.00 payable to a Blue America or FDL Action of the winners choosing… Mega Bases will be loaded and 30,000 or more troops and private contractors will still be in Iraq Jan 2012 and beyond.

And Dems will love him for it (at least in spite of it)… Will have to create a whole new super-Nobel for occupational and oppressive peace. AKA Oil security.

True but what was Bush thinking the Vets and Boomers are all reaching retirement age their kids bankrupt because of healthcare emergencies or having lost a home do to Bush and Greenspan’a housing bubble I fear are moving back home with the Vets and Boomers.
That can’t be good for the GOP and “nobody could have foreseen ” that excuse got old after 9/11, Katrina, the Banking Crisis etc.
I’m wondering just who is doing long range planning for the GOP?

ratfood,
You said, “rest assured sooner or later the pendulum will swing and the other party will return to power.”

That statement is not axiomatic. Another party will surely come to power, but quite possibly not the Republican Party. Other parties have imploded and vanished from the national stage: the Whigs and the Know-Nothings, most notably. The Republicans are showing signs that they are far out of touch with all of America, all except the insane sheeple who dine exclusively at Chez FauxNews. Unless sane leadership emerges very soon, they risk losing the little credibility they have left.

Given their collective performance over issues such as Chicago losing its Olympic bid and President Obama winning the Nobel Peace Prize, I’d say the butt monkeys are a better bet than sane leadership emerging from within the Republican Party by the next election cycle.

Once again there’s talk of using currency other than dollars to trade in oil. IMO this was one of Shrub’s reasons for invading Irak under Sadaam. I can imagine al Maliki promising to stick with the dollar as the carrot to keep US troops in the country. For security reasons, of course.

You’re on, Buddy ! *wink*

That’s the first bet where, even if I lose, we all win …

Petro!!

Namaste

The GOP always wanted to shrink government to a size they can choke it in the bathtub.
Suppose we shrink the army and use the cash for jobs and healthcare. The Army granted under Bush and Rummy’s leadership obviously can’t win 2 foreign wars at the same time.
I think the army plan was to be able to fight and win to foreign wars at the same time. Since we can’t as Bush has proved we plan to win one war and scale back spending.
Getting rid of Blackwater over charging us and Hal with their electric showers seems a good first step that will save the army lots of money.

Experience tells me all the people penning the GOP’s obituary are deceiving themselves. I am quite willing to be proven wrong but only time will tell.

Much depends on the Dems showing that they are competent to govern. I remain rather skeptical in that regard.

that it wants the U.S. back as a leading component of the global order.

to drive the international system forward,

or maybe they’re sick of our exceptionalist leading and driving, maybe they even want somebody else to drive and for us to just STFU and stop invading and bombing everybody, could be that’s all they want.

One of Rummy’s goals was to have an armed force capable of fighting in more than one small-scale conflict, what we used to call bush wars, at once. Methinks that didn’t work out so well for him.

Namaste SD !

Quite the day, huh ? *g*

I’d say the butt monkeys are a better bet than sane leadership emerging from within the Republican Party by the next election cycle.

With Sarah as front runner with everyone trying to out Crazy Sarah to get the 20%ers you need to win the GOP Presidential Primary?
Ron Paul might be Sarah but he’s a Crazy Racist but I think his kid is running as GOPer for something if Ron’s kid don’t win Ron is likely to form a third party.
In which case even a weakened Dem Party will pick up seats.

GOP’s going nowhere. They may find themselves out of power for a while but once they manage to break away from the Dobson crowd they’ll be back.

Agreed … the Dems could have been more aggressive at stomped the Repugs into oblivion … maybe they were trying to avoid a complete Fascist takeover of the Rethug party.

Harry Reid and the Dems have been too eager to bend over to accommodate their Rightard friends …

Yeah. I was stunned this morning but as the day has progressed and I’ve listened to the Nobel committee spokesmen I understand their point so we’ll just have to wait to see.

Show me anything the GOP is doing to get Moderates. Show me some GOP ideas besides saying No to everything Obama does that the GOP can rally around.
Show me a Tea Bagger movement that can get the same crowds nation wide as the immigrant right marches.
I’m not trying to be mean I am looking for signs the GOP has a Plan to win a majority so I can counter it.
Despite all my time here and on the Net I am not seeing it.

True didn’t Rummy have a MSM trumpeted Doctrine once? Like Powell’s overwhelming force and a clear exit Plan?

As long as the Party continues to hold hands with the reichwing Christianists they’ll just continue to alientate the majority of Americans.

New post at the mothership: Swopa – The Debris of an Occupation

Known as �the Rumsfeld Doctrine,� the 74-yearold cabinet member�s guiding principle on the battlefield has been to employ fast-moving, lightly armored forces supported by hi-tech weapons and �shock and awe� air power. This may work for standing armies that fight out in the open, but it has proven to be catastrophic when employed against guerrilla fighters, who hide deep within mountain caves or easily dissolve into crowds in urban environments.

Recently, some of Rumsfeld�s harshest critics have argued that he is a captain going down with the ship. This has become increasingly clear because, despite the deepening crises in Iraq and Afghanistan, Rumsfeld continues to claim that his doctrine has succeeded. It is only a matter of time, he says, before everyone else realizes that fact.

My bold the Rummy Doctrine!

I don’t think so. IIRC it was more of a concept that he hoped to hone first in Afghanistan then in Irak to show that it was viable. I think he simply outsmarted himself.

True they need to keep the Crazy quiet to win they need Reagan code words and no internet spreading the news of words like Macacaw Nationally despite the MSM poo pooing the story for as long as they did.

OK, the media called his doctrine. I saw it as a concept. A concept that failed to live up to Rummy’s expectations. Spending a few decades in and around the Pentagon is no substitute for being on the ground.

I don’t think it’s matter of keeping them quiet. I think they need a full on break from the movement. The Party and the government bureaucracy is rife with Christianist moles.

I can agree its a concept it never should have been called a Doctrine.

Without the 20%ers well they need Moderate votes they need new positions on the issues to get them. Its possible but first they have to axe Sarah.

B-Bu-But, it’s the Soldiers’ fault that Henny Penny’s strategy failed …

Yeah, it’s always our fault.

Ours is not to reason why
Ours is just to do and die

psst…i love u

i’m with naomi klein: delusional

Do you have any candidates for people who have killed more people than Obama in the last 9 months?

Inquiring minds want to know who these war criminals are.

Likewise.

John F. Kennedy did not win the Nobel Peace Prize after defusing the Cuban Missile Crisis and probably saving the world from a nuclear war. Obama has won it apparently for having good intentions and not being George W. Bush.

As Mr. Spock used to say … fascinating.

bilejones,
Why do you restrict your question to the last 9 months? Is it so you can exclude president Cheney and his lapdog W? Dick the dick and W are responsible for the deaths of more Americans than Bin Laden. When you add in civilian deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan then the figure is probably in the millions. What is your point?

Citizen NF,

It’s embarrassing for Obama because he hasn’t done anything to deserve this, and it’s embarrassing for the Nobel Committee because they’ve made such a bad choice. I don’t think anyone else has any reason to be embarrassed.