War is the new Peace

Like the rest of the world, I was astonished when President Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Unlike Republicans, I am proud of him, and I congratulate him. That said, I adamantly do not believe he deserves it.

Obama has not significantly drawn down troops in Iraq. He has done little more than make a speech with respect to Israel-Palestine. Despite his campaign rhetoric, there has been virtually no talk about African issues coming out of his administration. Guantanamo Bay is not close to be closed- perhaps it never will be. He's facing allegations of running a torture prison in Bagram. Finally, and most dearly to me, he is probably going to escalate the war in Afghanistan and Pakistan, two countries he has demeaningly lumped together as AfghPak. That is not becoming a person singled out among all others in the world for a prize of contributing to world peace.

Some folks have countered that he was handed a raw deal, a world falling apart, and he has done his best to right the ship. Plus, you know, with the economy being what it is and all. I'm sorry, those are strong defenses of why he has been a good president, but not while he should be singled out for an award that has gone to gigantic figures truly committed to peace, like Nelson Mandela. The Nobel Peace Prize Committee erred in judgment.

This is a sentiment shared by many. The LA Times caught on, asking Afghans in Kabul what they thought of the award:
"I'm not sure I understand -- this isn't for peace here, is it?" said bank worker Homaira Reza. "Because we haven't got any."

Perhaps my favorite response has come from New York activist, the Reverend Billy Talen. I have reposted it in its entirety here:

Subject: On The Obama Peace Prize

Now we have to change all our words around.

I never thought of Peace as a word that was moveable. All our words have been shifted by Consumerism and Militarism. Democracy is gone, America and Freedom are gone. Peace always stayed there in one place.

Peace patiently waited for us to notice the best things about ourselves. Peace always stayed with us. Peace was ignored by the governments and the powerful but it was still there - the monument that is made of the sky and the wind, our memories of a face and our loving touch. But now we have to change our words around. They have taken the word Peace and we'll have to make up a new word, a secret signal.

Predator drones will be released tonight destroying the word we always depended on. The flying bomb will go out over the villages, sailing over the sleeping children and prayers and friends stopping for a laugh. The bombs will float and hesitate and change direction from computers in Florida and Missouri and the soldiers at the computers will know that Obama has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. And so they will be consumers of a war that is now being marketed as a product named Peace.

So – it has come to this. War has finally captured Peace.

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Yesterday I broke with the tradition of this blog by not posting any news. The reason was my preoccupation with disseminating a reform proposal that would diminish corporate influence in the Democratic Party.