Subscribe to Common Dreams News Updates
Most Popular This Week
Popular content
Today's Top News
War and Peace Prizes
I was dismayed when I heard Barack Obama was given the Nobel peace prize. A shock, really, to think that a president carrying on two wars would be given a peace prize. Until I recalled that Woodrow Wilson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Henry Kissinger had all received Nobel peace prizes. The Nobel committee is famous for its superficial estimates, won over by rhetoric and by empty gestures, and ignoring blatant violations of world peace.
Yes, Wilson gets credit for the League of Nations – that ineffectual body which did nothing to prevent war. But he had bombarded the Mexican coast, sent troops to occupy Haiti and the Dominican Republic and brought the US into the slaughterhouse of Europe in the first World War, surely among stupid and deadly wars at the top of the list.
Sure, Theodore Roosevelt brokered a peace between Japan and Russia. But he was a lover of war, who participated in the US conquest of Cuba, pretending to liberate it from Spain while fastening US chains on that tiny island. And as president he presided over the bloody war to subjugate the Filipinos, even congratulating a US general who had just massacred 600 helpless villagers in the Phillipines. The Committee did not give the Nobel prize to Mark Twain, who denounced Roosevelt and criticised the war, nor to William James, leader of the anti-imperialist league.
Oh yes, the committee saw fit to give a peace prize to Henry Kissinger, because he signed the final peace agreement ending the war in Vietnam, of which he had been one of the architects. Kissinger, who obsequiously went along with Nixon's expansion of the war, with the bombing of peasant villages in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. Kissinger, who matches the definition of a war criminal very accurately, is given a peace prize!
People should be given a peace prize not on the basis of promises they have made – as with Obama, an eloquent maker of promises – but on the basis of actual accomplishments towards ending war, and Obama has continued deadly, inhuman military action in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The Nobel peace committee should retire, and turn over its huge funds to some international peace organization which is not awed by stardom and rhetoric, and which has some understanding of history.
- Posted in
165 Comments so far
Show AllIt was Wilson's efforts that finally got the belligerents in the war together to negotiate a truce; we forget that part because of the rejection of the League of Nations by the US, one of the main reasons for its failure.
But at least the other recipients contributed to ending one conflict, even if the rest of their careers were devoted to war. Obama has simply continued the prosecution of war, and now is actively concealing the war crimes committed during the Bush junta
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091010/ap_on_go_co/us_abuse_photos_congress.
[It was Wilson's efforts that finally got the belligerents in the war together to negotiate a truce;]
Which war are you talking about? If it's the first world war, you're quite wrong.
Yes, and let's not forget that Wilson was one of the all time biggest and most vocal racist presidents' to have ever led this once existing nation. Of all the worthless scum to defend, Wilson is my pick for tops in the last century at least.
Wilson's work to bring together the belligerents, unfortunately, was predicated on a megalomaniacal belief to which all US presidents suffer in some degree: the belief that a Creator of the Universe put them here to lead the world in accordance with the dictates of their ethical and political philosophy.
Wilson, to the bemusement of his one-time Secretary of State, William Jennings Bryan, contrived rationalizations for the US to join "the war to end all wars"; at least in part, this policy gave Wilson the entrée to the table of international diplomacy he desired.
Wilson was neither an altruist nor a peacenik. Peace was merely the spark to kindle a "blaze to end all blazes" of glory in which Wilson hoped to bask.
· Yr Obd't Servant
"awed by stardom and rhetoric"
and special effects.
shucks and awe.
Thank you Howard Zinn. I am a Norwegian and used to respect Torbjørn Jagland. No more. The guy sold out to personal political ambition. I feel bad for people who actually worked extremely hard and deserved the peace prize such as Wangari Maathai and Shirin Ebadi to name two. This reduces the peace prize to mean NOTHING. I am ashamed and outraged.
When it was given to Kissinger, it became meaningless.
At least he did SOMETHING. Even if it was bad.
:)
It's just sad the shrinking number of people not taken in by the illusion. Check out sites like Daily Kos (which has turned into a sickening circle jerk over the past 24 hours, attracting every Obama fanatic on the Internet), watch supposed progressives on TV like Rachel Maddow, and you question your own sanity. Am I seeing what they don't see or is something wrong with me in that I am finding faults where I shouldn't?
Thankfully there are a few people who seem to see clearly, but they seem to be growing fewer. Howard Zinn is one, Glenn Greenwald, Naomi Klein. However, now much of the American "left" is rallying against these people and labeling them as extremists in league with Republicans and other crazies.
Wake me up in 8 years when America is in more financial trouble, still in growing poverty, and still engaged in wars. Of course the illusion may still be present then, and people will still be making excuses for why things are as they are and that Obama is a hero.
"Europe" is as easily fooled as the Democratic Party base apparently. They hate us when a conservative is in power and protest every policy, but as soon as a friendly Democrat is in power, all is well with the world.
I haven't even bothered with Daily Kos, but I can imagine it's pretty bad. HuffingtonPost is absolutely depressing right now, as anyone who is at least bit critical of this award is being shouted down as racist or a tool of the right wingers. I'm really afraid we are already returning to the era of Clintonesque triangulation, in which the the Democrats play to an ever rightward "base" and ignore the left because they ahve nowhere else to go. Well, guess what? *That*, not Ralph Nader, is what got Bush into office in the first place.
Arianna Huffington is ANOTHER FRAUD....
MARKOS IS A CIA OPERATIVE....DAILY KOS IS A CIA FRONT BLOG!!!!
I don't give sites like Kos the benefit of my click(s) or Maddow any TV screen time either. (I do however, peer occasionally to check who's advertising there.)
Avoid them.
Well, I'm of those Europeans who are not taken in by Mr. Obama's smooth talk and I'm not the only one. The same politicians over here who are keen to kiss his ass, were the ones who were kissing the ass of double U. Barack Obama could have started leaning on Israel months ago, to get a real peace process going, but he was to busy being on TV, showing the priorities in his presidency. The Democrats have the Presidency, the Senate and Congress; what are they waiting for?
Well, do you recommend any other blogs that have a large user community that are discussing this decision more critically? A European blog/site is fine with me as I don't live in the US anymore either. This is the only one I know of aside from specific writers blogs like Glenn Greenwald. I cannot stand Daily Kos anymore, and it's partially why I feel that so many people are under this illusion. Otoh, that site has a massive user base and a good comment system. This site unfortunately isn't organized well for communication and I just see the same half a dozen user names pop up commenting on every article here.
Suspect
There is a web site that, even though it does not have a great many people commenting, does look at issues like war and health care and other social issues in a critical manner and that would be Left I on the News.
I suggest antiwar.com
I also suggest you listen to antiwarradio as well and get away from the liars and sociopaths in the corporate whore media.
Check out Counterpunch.org as well.
This Congress, and I include all who are a part of it, are only interested in that nice round number the Clinton's made public a couple of years back of how much Bill Blow Job made $100 million plus! Sadly, many, the majority of "Americans," think that is just fine. So, if you want to get anyone who is part of this government's attention, you will need to talk big bucks. I am so glad that some Europeans are willing to speak the truth to what is happening here, as you know, it is our greatest export.
Of all of the Americans I know 'of' Mr. Zinn is one of only a few that have my absolute and utter respect. In fact, I personally would qualify as an 'advertising outlet' for his fantastic book, 'A peoples history of the United States'---since it always tops my list of reading for others who are searching for wisdom in the form of information---unaltered and unbiased.
My people respect those we admire with 'titles' in his case I would call him "Uncle"----and 'if I had only been consulted' I would have chosen him as one of my own 'uncles' from one side of my family or the other.
So it is with this in mind that I respond with this posting.
"Uncle"
Your words are like music to my heart, like the sweet wind that blows across the prairie in the spring when the flowers bloom, like a sip of cool clear water when I am thirsty; for they are true, and as with all truth, they are as if they were written upon stone.
You may consider this however.
The Nobel Peace Prize was given in the past by members of the Plutocratic Oligarchy to other members of the same. They all are wealthy recipients of their own accolades and praise.
Seeing through their self worship, their arrogance and their pomposity will reveal that they are actually the most fearful of all people.
They fear that as the world becomes more weary of their manipulations and their control they will loose it all, with the 'flip of a switch'. One that launches a missile, that creates a flash of light that can be seen from space; and others that may follow.
They now mock the most aggressive people the human race has ever known. The most dangerous rogue nation to have ever been created by humanity and they have in a relatively short time frame; killed millions of people, directly or indirectly. They have poisoned their own environment as well as those of others every where they go.
They have little or no remorse for their actions and they justify them with the most absurd arguments to have ever been devised by human minds. The world has reached its level of tolerance of the USA. I believe this latest move is a method for the Plutocratic Oligarchy that controls the rest of the world to ride itself of the USA. It has tired of the USA and its particular 'PO' and they are making the first steps in directing the elimination of the USA as a threat to them and 'their own' Plutocratic Oligarchy.
In the future they will be able to say, with accuracy that they gave the USA a wonderful opportunity to live up to its own propaganda, its own rhetoric and show the world that the USA is a nation worthy of respect instead of fear.
When the USA arrogantly disregards the warning the world will have all of the necessary excuses set in place; so that in the future they will be able to use the USA as a negative example; even if necessary as a horrible warning for the future generations of humanity.
And the USA will have no others to blame but themselves.
In the same respect. The USA has the most moving and powerful moment in their history. They can make the needed changes, and live by example. This could motivate the rest of the world to follow the lead of the USA---'the new USA'.
If only you and the other '11 decent Americans' can convince the many 'other' americans to join in a 'rehabilitation of the nation'---make the USA 'honest'.
If the USA could somehow find the integrity and courage to make the needed changes; the world would join in the remarkable future that the USA could initiate.
If not? -----------Then there will be no future for the USA.
"If the USA were another nation the USA would invade the USA to keep the world safe; and they would be justified."
"remarkable future"
No doubt one's vision of such a "remarkable future" is the impetus to criticizing the elite status quo and to actions taken to build the alter-institutions, in parallel, so that when the elite status quo fails it doesn't have to be bailed out by 130 million voters.
War criminals are not confined to the BS Soldier-in-Chief, but to every dupe who OBEYS and executes his illegal orders to attack across sovereign borders with no legitimate national declaration of war; or to widen and escalate the Bush Wars by invading these additional nations (e.g., Syria, Pakistan, Iran) as contrary to their Uniform Code of Military Justice. Indeed, just(ly) cite Parrot's Beak Kissinger and his Cambodian B-52 crews (not to mention ALL the grunts on the ground, therein).
If only the facts you state were upheld by the military and the courts and the media, perhaps, the sad few who think they understand might realize that our blanket "support the military" mantra might receive an honest response. You cannot adorn those who carry out atrocities and expect the plague of war to stop. Guilt, ironically, is the motivator here for those who choose blind support for the horrendous behavior of the Pentagon and their lackies. We know our politicians no longer count, that our President is simply a puppet for power, and most of our people in the U.S. are cowards and self-serving liars. Given these facts, what is left?
Excellent article on Howard Zinn regarding the bizarre awarding of a Peace Prize to a militant president like Obama. What is equally bizarre is Howard Zinn's belief that an independent investigation of the events of what occurred on Sept. 11, 2001 [which he stated on The Real News about a month ago] should be deemed a "diversion." One would like to believe that the families of the victims of those terrorist attacks on that day would think that seeking out the truth as to what occurred on that heinous day should be viewed, not as a diversion, but as a necessity.
It surely has been well documented that more was covered up with the 911 "investigation" than was exposed, ie Mr. Tillman and what was given his family for starters. Whether or not those who suffered deserved better, or not, Zinn simply restates previously documented fact. What would you suggest he do?
Thong-girl
Are you not aware that there is a call by the 9/11 truth organization and a group in New York City for an independent and open investigation as to what occurred on Sept. 11, 2001? As you seem to be inferring, the 9/11 Commission Report, headed by Bush insider Philip Zelikow, was essentially a whitewash. As the widows who lost their husbands on that day [who are known as The Jersey Girls] and others who had lost their family members have said, approximately 70 per cent of their questions were not answered by that impotent body. That is why they are calling for a true investigation of what happened on 9/11/01. Zinn knows this but still claimed that a real investigation, composed, not of hack politicians with their own agendas to promote, but rather of professionals such as engineers, physicists, aviation professionals, firefighters, scholars, and family members of the victims who died on that day would somehow be a "diversion". One expects that type of sentiment from those on the far right instead of a seeker of truth like Howard Zinn.
Yes, and I don't assume to have Mr. Zinn's motives at my disposal, however, I do believe that it is a fait accompli as far as those who are responsible for getting to the truth. So much of the last eight years is a white wash, those who actually have the palate for honesty here seem to have accepted the fact that our government is not capable of dealing with what is obvious. I think we know that this government, I include both the last and present governments, is corrupt to its core, and not the U.S.A. that we all consider our homeland. Furthermore, the majority of so-called "Americans" have not the will for the truth, when cliche is all they know.
Could it be?
Charges were probably set in place in both towers after the first attack in the early nineties in the belief they would eventually be attacked -- by air. There were no warnings to the general public since it would be a disaster to air travel and the economy in general. And who would work in those buildings--or near them? Preparing the buildings in order to bring them down quickly was a "logical plan" to quickly rid the skyline (and minds) of towering burned out & damaged buildings, along with the debris that would fall for weeks, months or longer.
As for Zinn's apprehension about a new investigation, I'd imagine that is one line in the truth/sand he can't cross, or, perhaps face... that the fact our military (of which he was once a part of) was purposefully restrained by prior plans, that is, it would cause irreparable political harm to the federal government and the pentagon, by the sight of hundreds of humans being blown out of the sky by their own military--and the fact they couldn't even protect the nation's biggest city, its capital, indeed, its main base of war operations--the pentagon itself. Imagine, the thought of them being rendered completely helpless. The truth is, they were. That's a hard truth to swallow.
I personally don't think our government planned this attack, it would disrupt commerce, but they did--by default of weakness "let it happen". They didn't offer a political solution to the "enemy" because Washington only understands one thing: empire. The 3,000 that died on the morning of 9-11 were simply collateral damage on the road to that goal.
But, uh, I'm probably e wrong. Silly me. :)
(I understand the names of the ones who nominate people for the Noble are withheld in secret for 50 years.)
"Preparing the buildings in order to bring them down quickly was a "logical plan" to quickly rid the skyline (and minds) of towering burned out & damaged buildings, along with the debris that would fall for weeks, months or longer".
******************************************
I don't know the truth of what happened that day but anyone who would conclude that the government placed charges with the motivation stated above, has been swimming in way too much kool aid. Imagining the imaginary committee meeting that came up with that rationale, however, would have made a great Python sketch.
the towers were brought down with explosives.
these were pre-planted as a sane safety precaution.
the only other assumption can be that insane "terrists" did it.
which scares you more?
Yes, great commentary by Howard Zinn.....GREAT AGAIN, I MUST SAY!!!!!
Again I am going to tell and ADMONISH all of you OBAMA BOOTLICKERS RIGHT NOW!!!!!
WAKE UP YOU SO-CALLED "LEFTY LIBERALS" OKAY!!!!
CRITICIZING OBAMA DOES NOT MEAN YOU ARE A RIGHT-WINGER!!!!! STOP THAT BOGUS REASONING ALREADY!!!!! YOU SHOW YOUR IGNORANCE ACCUSING THOSE WHO CRITICIZE OBAMA OR THE SELLOUT DEMOCRATIC PARTY AS AUTOMATICALLY BEING RIGHT WINGERS AND/OR REPUBLICANS!!!!!!
Not only has Howard Zinn criticized Obama, but, so too have Noam Chomsky, Gore Vidal, Frida Berrigan, Glenn Greenwald, Jeremy Scahill, Dahr Jamail, Naomi Klein, Phyllis Bennis, Richard Falk and the list goes on and on of true Leftists who are REALLY OUT FOR PEACE & JUSTICE VERY CRITICAL OF THE PRECIOUS BARACK OBAMA!!!!!
You people cannot be that "INTELLIGENT" IF YOU CANNOT HANDLE REASONED CRITICISM OF MR OBAMA AND THE PUTRID DEMOCRATIC PARTY--ANOTHER CORPORATE PARTY IN ITS OWN RIGHT!!!!!!
Where have you gone Mrs. (Cynthia) McKinney I must ask? The country of the USA needs you.....
hello action jackson. you speak a lot of truth my friend! thank you.
You hit the nail on the head when you described the democratic party (with the small exception of a few) as being putrid.
Maybe the right is right on this one: The Nobel Peace Prize was given to O because they want to nudge him into making reasonable decisions about Afghanistan and Iran. If so, it is a mistaken strategy. You think of all those NPP winners who suffered for the cause of peace, beginning with Jane Addams, through Nelson Mandela, through Aang San Suu-Ki (sp?) and beyond, and you see Obama does not belong. It is an insult to their memories that he should have been considered.
Barack "Fraud" Obama before, during and after......
There is no substance to Obama at all. The man is all about war not peace.
Obama is here to protect and covet the military empire of the United States and of its main ally Israel.
Obama is a disaster, Castro's endorsement notwithstanding. I admire Fidel Castro but disagree with him on his praise of Obama receiving this award.
The "Nobel Peace Prize" is WORTHLESS in my opinion. This award has NO VALUE any longer.
Like Henry Kissinger, Obama is also a war crimninal. Obama's orders allowing innocent people to be killed in Pakistan and Afghanistan along with continuing Bush's so-called anti-terrorism policies from Guantanomo to Bagram to the gulags in Iraq and around the world, President Obama is GUILTY OF WAR CRIMES!!!!!!
Obama has NOT REPUDIATED THE BUSH DOCTRINE OF PRE-EMPTIVE WAR EITHER!!!!!!!!!!!
OBAMA IS A WAR CRIMINAL BUT THAT IS FITTING FOR THIS BANKRUPT "NOBEL PEACE PRIZE" WHICH HAS BECOME A FARCE!!!!!!!!!
Sioux Rose
RICH M: You remind me of a sole sane reporter in the midst of a political, urban battle field, who calls out the plays and helps the spectators separate illusions from actual goings on.
I was wondering where your voice was on yesterday's threads announcing this oxymoronic peace prize recipient (oxymoronic given the record). Thank you for offering your always-appreciated analyses to the forum.
Can it be too cynical to say that European governments like the idea of new oil pipelines running through a "tamed" central Asia?
It's an ugly thought, but I can't avoid thinking it.
-TIA
I always thought that the Nobel Peace Prize was limited to certain classes. Until yesterday, most people would not have been able to detect that it all has to do with class. Then again, I don't know if the majority have found out or are still stuck in blissful ignorance. Thank you for shedding light on the corrupt ties between the Nobel Committee and Washington.
FWIW, while watching Thorbjørn Jagland stammering out his replies to a clearly incredulous journalist at the press conference, I was struck by his reliance upon the most formal and abstract elements of Obama's record in defending the choice.
That is, Jagland pretty much argued, "But... but... bear in mind that Obama's been SAYING all the right things! And he's demonstrated a firm commitment to walking back the legacy of barbaric diplomatic unilateralism and restoring the primacy of "diplomatic solutions" entirely foreclosed in this century! That's what the Nobel effort is all ABOUT!"
I'm paraphrasing, of course, but Jagland essentially asserted that Obama's POSITIONS revealed him to be the embodiment of the Nobel philosophy: to jaw-jaw is always better than to war-war, as Churchill put it.
In response to the report that the nomination had been submitted in February, I thought that perhaps the committee was like a platoon emerging from the jungle, eight months behind the times. In short, THEY seemed in their own European elite way to be expressing the "Obamamania" that raged this past winter.
While listening to Jagland I thought, "Yikes! (or words to that effect) This sap is simply taking all of Obama's rhetoric at face value, and giving him FULL CREDIT for lip service without respect to Obama's actual behavior!"
This doesn't contradict your assertion that the Nobel committee was never "awed by stardom and rhetoric". It just adds the point that they certainly employ Obama's rhetoric as a marketing tool into their own lofty rhetoric to more effectively sell both Obama AND their ostensible mission; the combined rhetoric is like "dazzle" camouflage to obscure the ignobel (couldn't resist) realpolitik motives you describe.
The Nobel Prize Committee® proudly announces a new partnership with Brand Obama®! FEEL the buzz!
· Yr Obd't Servant
A Europeon Uncle Tom.
"The Nobel peace committee should retire, and turn over its huge funds to some international peace organization which is not awed by stardom and rhetoric, and which has some understanding of history."
I TOTALLY AGREE...with Howard Zinn on this one.
THIS So-Called "Nobel Peace Prize" AWARD HAS NO-ZERO VALUE AND I HAVE BEEN SAYING THIS FOR THE LAST 24 HOURS PLUS....
Thanks Mr. Zinn......
The awarding of the prize was, first and foremost, a slap in the face to George W Bush.
Obama was awarded the Nobel because he is the anti-Bush. He has certainly proven that much, which is not an empty gesture.
Whether he can accomplish anything in Afganistan or the Middle East is another question altogether.
I am curious of your choice of the word "can" in regards to what is possible for him to do. By "can" do you mean that he may not have the authority to stop the war, that it may not be in his hands? Or, do you mean he may not be able to change the minds of those in Congress to give him the backing, which clearly he cannot seem to forge? I personally believe the Pentagon took over this nation and Obama is simply a dope on a string, a paid-for-hand for the fields of bullshit he helps nurture.
Oh, I wish.
Whatever do you mean "accomplish"? Hasn't he caused enough grief already?
How can you call Obama the anti-Bush? We're living his third term as we breath! He's escalating the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. He's aiming his war machine on Iran. And He's got a larger defense budget than Chimp George could ever dream of on his wildest drunken binge.
What remains ironic in all of this is that Mahatma Ghandi never got the award despite the fact he was one of the greatest peace makers ever to walk on Mother Earth.
A reminder of how corrupt those running the global show.
Who will ever give the Nobel Prize a nod of credibility again?
Let's not see awards passed out for hypocritical speeches. Far greater good for world peace has been done by Howard Zinn and his great book, "A People's History of the United States."
I would like to see Howard Zinn get the Nobel Peace Prize, only to do a Marlon Brando-type condemnation at the awards ceremony.
-TIA
Hey, I'm pretty sure that Sacheen Littlefeather is still available!
I would rather have Zinn come leaping out of the balcony yelling "Sic semper tyrannus!", like John Wilkes Booth did after assassinating Lincoln.
But Dr. Zinn isn't as spry as he used to be, and even if he landed without hurting himself, I haven't figured out what he ought to do afterwards. ;)
· Yr Obd't Servant
Thank you Professor Zinn for the clear thinking from a man who has been involved in the horror of war and knows how hypocritical it is to give this prize to the war makers!
Ah, well, all the examples offered by Prof. Zinn were wonderfully stimulative of explosives manufacturing, which, after all, was how Nobel obtained the money for all those neat prizes the world now reveres.
Let's hope that Obama wakes up and decides the explosives manufacturers have done well enough for the time being....
"turn over its huge funds to some international peace organization which is not awed by stardom and rhetoric"
Let's recondition ourselves to respond effectively to reality. Let's associate "funds" with "stardom" and "oppression" and recognize that they cannot be seriously disassociated. As long as the funds are there to be disbursed, a star is going to be available, even groomed, and then designated to receive them.
An effective response from the people is to resist joining in the celebration of the disbursement of the Dynamite Peace Prize to the latest elite designee. And instead, celebrate the accomplishments of normal people everywhere, such as the many small farmers, craftsmen and merchants who tend the REAL economy.
I think RichM pretty much nailed it here, and quite succinctly.
-30-