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Barack Obama Wins the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize

Barack Obama has just been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The BBC opines: "In awarding President Obama the Nobel Peace Prize, the Norwegian committee is honoring his intentions more than his achievements. After all he has been in office only just over eight months and he will presumably hope to serve eight years, so it is very early in his term to get this award. ... The committee does not make any secret of its approach. It states that he is being given the prize 'for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and co-operation between peoples.' This is of course an implied criticism of former US president George W Bush and the neo-conservatives, who were often accused of trying to change the world in their image." The Washington Post collects more reactions from around the world.

16 of 1,721 comments (clear)

  1. Waitaminute. Didn't we just bomb by wiredog · · Score: 5, Funny

    the moon? How is that peaceful? The Raelians are going to be pissed!

    Oh well, on the bright side, I can now say that my President is a Man of Peace like Henry Kissinger, Yasser Arafat, and Teddy Roosevelt.

  2. strange by Jarik+C-Bol · · Score: 4, Funny

    does this graph
    http://app.sgizmo.com/chart/189342-LC02FT150W995AC4HSAOQWU8WZACL1&crt=4&rspid=46741811
    seem just a little odd? its from the washington post poll about Obama deserving the nobel prize.

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  3. Re:For what? by bheer · · Score: 5, Funny

    > Seriously, what on earth has he done to win such a prize?

    He has delivered some very good speeches, you insensitive clod!

  4. Hillary? by bckspc · · Score: 4, Funny

    Wait, isn't the Secretary of State responsible for US foreign policy?

    Hillary Clinton screwed again!

    1. Re:Hillary? by cthulu_mt · · Score: 4, Funny

      Thank's jerk, now I'm imagining Hillary naked.

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  5. For happiness and rainbows, that's what by Mr.+Underbridge · · Score: 5, Funny

    Seriously, what on earth has he done to win such a prize? He has brokered no treaties, he has resolved no conflicts, he hasn't even particularly changed foreign policy with Iraq and Afghanistan. Even the crown jewel of his agenda, closing Gitmo. Having gotten into office he's discovered the world is more complicated that a sound bite for a political stage allows.

    But...but...he's a really nice guy. And he gives great speeches. And when he's making a point, he uses this fantastic faraway gaze and extremely compelling hand gestures. You can't teach that.

    You say Obama doesn't deserve the Prize after 8 months in office and no major accomplishments? Foo, I say! I have personally seen him give more kittens and rainbows to the needy than any world leader. When his talks with other world leaders break down, at least those leaders go away thinking 'Wow, that man has a fantastic handshake. That may be the best handshake I've ever experienced'. And you know, maybe years down the line, they'll be more likely to roll over for us thanks to that handshake.

    Really, I think it's great that the Nobel committee is now awarding prizes for trying a little bit for a little while. Sort of reflects the reduced standards in our schools where kids get diplomas for sitting in a room and learning nothing for 12 years. This gives little Johnny hope that he doesn't really need to accomplish anything in life, but that if he at least tries a little for 8 months, he can achieve his dream of an increasingly watered-down prize.

    Thank you, Nobel Committee. You give hope to the mediocre everywhere.

  6. bullshit by smoker2 · · Score: 4, Funny

    I for one consider the Nobel shark, jumped.

  7. Re:personally by Moryath · · Score: 4, Funny

    Hey, I just won a Nobel Peace Prize too! Says something about my "continued work to end the crisis in Sudan." Don't remember ever going to Sudan.

    Then again, I didn't know they were packaging these things in cracker-jack boxes...

  8. Re:Lowering of standards? by Rhaban · · Score: 5, Funny

    I remember when the Nobel Prize used to mean something, when people won it many years after tremendous accomplishments. It was so exclusive that the best of the best never knew if they would ever receive it.

    I feel the same about epic gear in WoW.

  9. Next year Myth Buster get the nobel prize by Perl-Pusher · · Score: 3, Funny

    In chemistry for their work with Mentos & Cola. Also: Michael Moore - Literature Nancy Pelosi - medicine Osama Bin Laden - Peace Bill Nye - physics

  10. That word, peace by ekimminau · · Score: 3, Funny

    Inigo Montoya: You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

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  11. Re:personally by Profane+MuthaFucka · · Score: 5, Funny

    Einstein didn't even have Power Point, but that's essentially what he did too.

    If we're going to start characterizing accomplishments dishonestly but with complete accuracy, Einstein won his Nobel for making little black ink marks on little pieces of white paper. I mean, really, my dog does that kind of shit.

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  12. Someone prep the Secret Service... by bornyesterday · · Score: 5, Funny

    Yo Obama, I'm really happy for you & I'm gonna let you finish, but Mahatma Gandhi had one of the best Nobel Prize candidacies of all time!

  13. Re:personally by bitt3n · · Score: 3, Funny

    Hey, I just won a Nobel Peace Prize too! Says something about my "continued work to end the crisis in Sudan." Don't remember ever going to Sudan.

    Then again, I didn't know they were packaging these things in cracker-jack boxes...

    actually, this might make the Nobel Peace Prize harder to come by in the future, if the committee's standards get so low it awards itself the prize on account of promoting peace by awarding the Nobel Peace Prize.

  14. Re:A little premature? by ArcherB · · Score: 3, Funny

    A lot premature. Barack has accomplished very little in terms of peace. They could have just waited 10 years and then give him a prize if he really did anything good. They've been giving many of these prizes years after the actual achievements, so what's the rush?

    I'm actually shocked that this was not given out in October of 2012, a month before the next presidential election. I guess he'll get the newly formed Nobel Prize for Awesomeness then. (They'll probably call it the Prize for Obamaness after that)

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  15. Re:personally by Jason+Levine · · Score: 5, Funny

    Hello! I am from the NOBEL PEACE PRIZE committee and am informing you that you have won the NOBEL PEACE PRIZE! To collect your award and prize money, please reply with your name, address, phone number, social security number, date of birth, unladen swallow weight, mother's maiden name, bank account numbers, passwords to your online banking accounts, current bank balance, Slashdot account information, social networking username and passwords, and your e-mail addresses and passwords. We look forward to giving you what you deserve!

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