Obama is awarded the Nobel Peace Prize

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By Josh Mitteldorf (about the author) Page 1 of 1 page(s)

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For OpEdNews: Josh Mitteldorf - Writer

President Obama has received the 2009 Nobel Prize for Peace. The 5-member Nobel Committee cited "his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and co-operation between peoples". There were a record 205 nominees for this year's prize, and Obama was chosen, "because we would like to support what he is trying to achieve"

Many of us at OpEdNews have decried Obama's continuation of the Middle East war, and slow retreat from torture and abuse that so lowered the world's expectations for humanity under Bush. The suppression of Constitutional rights in the name of fighting "international terrorism" has continued seamlessly from Bush to Obama.

On the other hand, Obama was elected with a mandate for withdrawal from Iraq, and he has expressed a tentative commitment in that direction. He has begun a stronger initiative for an Israeli/Palestinian settlement than any predecessor in recent history.

Another Nobel laureate, Nelson Mandela, once said “Thinking too well of people often allows them to be better than they otherwise would be.” We can all hope that carrying the mantle of the World's highest honor helps to lift Obama's aspirations and energize his best self.

Press Release from Nobel Committee

Josh Mitteldorf, a senior editor at OpEdNews, was educated to be an astrophysicist, and has branched out from there to mathematical modeling in a variety of areas. He has taught mathematics, statistics, and physics at several universities. He is an (more...)

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