Noble Nobel Laureate
He has been praised to the skies by Norway's Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg, as representative of the sole outstanding individual over the course of the last year, who has exemplified a dedication to peace. Despite which, the controversial decision to bestow the Nobel Peace Prize on U.S. President Barack Obama has left most people baffled. A survey conducted by the University of Kinifk, indicates that while an unimpressive 35.9% of Norwegians believe the award was justly given, a mere 26% of Americans feel their president deserved the award.There's a piercing disconnect there between perceptions and reality. Since Americans themselves who took the bold step of electing a biracial, self-identified black American as their president and chief of their armed forces, have their doubts about the applicability of rewarding a neophyte on the world stage who has yet to succeed in any of his ambitious endeavours, that ultimate recognition appears beyond premature. Yet there are those whose work would commend them to the award other than he.
This is a president who has exhibited boldness in some areas, caution in others. A huge disappointment to the Iranians who have put their lives on hold and in direct danger, while confronting the corrupt illegality of their re-elected president, and whose contempt for their Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamanei has manifested itself in their protests against totalitarian rule. That they have received no recognition, no support in word or deed by Barack Obama has surprised them, and failed their need.
This wonderful orator whose hopeful promises for a better future was unable to bring himself to personally meet with the world's premier advocate of world peace and harmony brought shame to the reputation of Barack Obama. And no complaints from China. The Dalai Lama deserved a finer response than to be snubbed. While not deigning to meet with the Dalai Lama, President Obama has sought to extend a hand of friendship to Iran, opening himself to useful dialogue in the hopes of defusing that country's nuclear intent.
The president chose to abandon his country's long support of the Middle East's singular democratic state, and to ally himself foursquare with the Arab states whose record on human rights remains steadfastly abysmal. And who have never accepted the reality of a Jewish State in an Islamic geography. Hugo Chavez has received an invitation to palaver, while democratic Honduras received censure by the United States for its constitutional and juridical decision to remove from office a failed president intent on installing himself in perpetuity.
There is little doubt that President Obama is a man with an honourable vision, a man with universally-acknowledged values of justice and fair play. His various initiatives to date on the world stage have appeared to have accomplished little of note despite high-flown rhetoric and the flourish of his personal appeal. In attempting to restore his own country's collapsed finances he has managed to rescue giant corporations from the results of their own fiscal greed, while abandoning the growing unemployed to their own pitiful devices.
His is a huge task, to bring a modicum of balance to a chaotic world as the arbiter of the international community's need to comport itself in a manner which respects all states and abjures none. For all are created equal in the crucible in human development, although sound judgement, restraint and justice are allotted to few. It might be interpreted as rather churlish that the president chose to abstain from attending the official program laid out in reflection of his award. Humility or arrogance?
There are those who now stand in judgement of whom they had formerly championed in great jubilation at the very essence of the thought of hope for the future that he advanced. In the final analysis he rose to his own occasion by his simple acknowledgement that he had his detractors and they did not concern him. He correctly identified the crux of the matter when he claimed that the issue was whether, in the final analysis he would succeed in earning the honour granted him by the award.
"If I'm not successful, then all the praise in the world won't disguise that fact." An honourable declaration of humble acknowledgement that he has much to live up to.
Labels: Human Rights, Political Realities, United States
posted by Pieface @ Thursday, December 10, 2009
<< Home