It is great injustice that Obama has won the Nobel Peace Prize before Bush. Bush had also done exactly what Obama did. Both of them gave the world so much reason to laugh. And Bush deserves it more, because to laugh on Obama's statement, one has to do some research and realize the comedy. It takes some time and effort. But don't worry Bush, you will get it in 2010. May be both should also get the Nobel Prize for Medicine, because laughing keeps a person physically and mentally fit. Now, if you think that my previous statement was a poor joke, I am just trying to catch up with the PJ talent of The Nobel Foundation. I am afraid that the Nobel Foundation will beat me hands down in the competition by awarding the Nobel Prize for Economics to Obama too for his policies (no comments!) to bring back the US financial sector from the abysmal state it has been since the Lehman collapse. All the best, Mr. Prez!
In his Cairo speech on 4th June 2009, Obama said, "As a student of history, I also know civilization's debt to Islam. It was Islam - at places like Al-Azhar University - that carried the light of learning through so many centuries, paving the way for Europe's Renaissance and Enlightenment. It was innovation in Muslim communities that developed the order of algebra; our magnetic compass and tools of navigation; our mastery of pens and printing; our understanding of how disease spreads and how it can be healed. Islamic culture has given us majestic arches and soaring spires; timeless poetry and cherished music; elegant calligraphy and places of peaceful contemplation. And throughout history, Islam has demonstrated through words and deeds the possibilities of religious tolerance and racial equality." Curiosity drove me to wikipedia and I found that Algebra was discovered by Babylonians and that was more than a thousand years before Muhammed started preaching. The magnetic compass was discovered by Chinese and there is also some evidence that it could have been discovered even before the Chinese by the Olmec who were an ancient Pre-Columbian civilization living in the tropical lowlands of south-central Mexico. And the other comments regarding discover of printing and medicine are equally un-informed. What struck me most and for which I didn't have to consult wikipedia was Obama's remarks regarding "religious tolerance" and "racial equality". If one of my friends would have made such a statement, I would not have hesitated in calling him an "idiot". I wonder at which university Obama was a "student of history". My best guess is the University of Taliban in Afghanistan. Oh! Another PJ! I am surely catching up with the Nobel Foundation quite fast.
In another article, Martha said, "President Obama has learned nothing from history about how signs of weakness can embolden enemies. As he used a politically correct speech in Cairo, it brought to mind the appeasement by British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain when he gave away the Czechoslovian ethnic German region to the Nazis in the 1930's. In return, Hitler waged war across Europe, leaving 50 million dead besides those who died in the concentration camps."
Though I truly appreciate Obama's decision to not put the missile shield in Europe, I am not very clear about what exactly he is trying to do. Decisions like these make me feel that Obama truly understands that there cannot be a single superpower in this world any more. But then I read this statement by Obama given at the G-20 summit of world leaders: "I would like to think that with my election and the early decisions that we've made, that you're starting to see some restoration of America's standing in the world. And although, as you know, I always mistrust polls, international polls seem to indicate that you're seeing people more hopeful about America's leadership." This seems to hint that Obama does want USA's superpower status back and is probably just being rhetorical in his statements on equality. And in a country that has been a superpower for so many years, it will be very difficult for someone to get elected as President if he does not promise to get that status back.
In his Nobel acceptance speech, Obama said, "And I know that throughout history the Nobel Peace Prize has not just been used to honor specific achievement; it's also been used as a means to give momentum to a set of causes." Its amazing to see how someone can be so assertive even when he has absolutely no idea about the validity of his statements. According to the official statement on the website of the Nobel Foundation, "Every year since 1901 the Nobel Prize has been awarded for achievements in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature and for peace. " Can someone please show me where is it mentioned that Nobel Prize is given for "huge" promises that someone makes? Going by Obama's criteria, every single politician in India is eligible for the Nobel Prize!
Sometime back, Obama chaired a historic summit meeting of the U.N. Security Council which unanimously passed a U.S.-drafted resolution that envisages “a world without nuclear weapons”. I really don't know what this means. Does it imply that the US is planning to phase out all its nukes? Or does it expect Russia to do so? Dreams, dreams and more dreams!
When the US presidential campaign began, I was also among one of the supporters of Obama. And it may be that Obama is still better than the other contestants, but Obama does not seen capable enough to repair the damage done by Bush. I am afraid that in the process, the damage may only increase. Instead of boosting Obama's popularity, the numerous negative comments on the various news websites clearly show that the Nobel Prize has created a huge dent in his image.
Robert Schuller once wrote a book titled, "Tough times never last, but tough people do!" Interestingly, the three US Presidents to have won the Nobel Prize before Obama served only a single term in office. Will the "tough" Obama last longer? Keep your fingers crossed, Mr. Prez. The great Abraham Lincoln once said, "You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time."
In his Cairo speech on 4th June 2009, Obama said, "As a student of history, I also know civilization's debt to Islam. It was Islam - at places like Al-Azhar University - that carried the light of learning through so many centuries, paving the way for Europe's Renaissance and Enlightenment. It was innovation in Muslim communities that developed the order of algebra; our magnetic compass and tools of navigation; our mastery of pens and printing; our understanding of how disease spreads and how it can be healed. Islamic culture has given us majestic arches and soaring spires; timeless poetry and cherished music; elegant calligraphy and places of peaceful contemplation. And throughout history, Islam has demonstrated through words and deeds the possibilities of religious tolerance and racial equality." Curiosity drove me to wikipedia and I found that Algebra was discovered by Babylonians and that was more than a thousand years before Muhammed started preaching. The magnetic compass was discovered by Chinese and there is also some evidence that it could have been discovered even before the Chinese by the Olmec who were an ancient Pre-Columbian civilization living in the tropical lowlands of south-central Mexico. And the other comments regarding discover of printing and medicine are equally un-informed. What struck me most and for which I didn't have to consult wikipedia was Obama's remarks regarding "religious tolerance" and "racial equality". If one of my friends would have made such a statement, I would not have hesitated in calling him an "idiot". I wonder at which university Obama was a "student of history". My best guess is the University of Taliban in Afghanistan. Oh! Another PJ! I am surely catching up with the Nobel Foundation quite fast.
In another article, Martha said, "President Obama has learned nothing from history about how signs of weakness can embolden enemies. As he used a politically correct speech in Cairo, it brought to mind the appeasement by British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain when he gave away the Czechoslovian ethnic German region to the Nazis in the 1930's. In return, Hitler waged war across Europe, leaving 50 million dead besides those who died in the concentration camps."
Though I truly appreciate Obama's decision to not put the missile shield in Europe, I am not very clear about what exactly he is trying to do. Decisions like these make me feel that Obama truly understands that there cannot be a single superpower in this world any more. But then I read this statement by Obama given at the G-20 summit of world leaders: "I would like to think that with my election and the early decisions that we've made, that you're starting to see some restoration of America's standing in the world. And although, as you know, I always mistrust polls, international polls seem to indicate that you're seeing people more hopeful about America's leadership." This seems to hint that Obama does want USA's superpower status back and is probably just being rhetorical in his statements on equality. And in a country that has been a superpower for so many years, it will be very difficult for someone to get elected as President if he does not promise to get that status back.
In his Nobel acceptance speech, Obama said, "And I know that throughout history the Nobel Peace Prize has not just been used to honor specific achievement; it's also been used as a means to give momentum to a set of causes." Its amazing to see how someone can be so assertive even when he has absolutely no idea about the validity of his statements. According to the official statement on the website of the Nobel Foundation, "Every year since 1901 the Nobel Prize has been awarded for achievements in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature and for peace. " Can someone please show me where is it mentioned that Nobel Prize is given for "huge" promises that someone makes? Going by Obama's criteria, every single politician in India is eligible for the Nobel Prize!
Sometime back, Obama chaired a historic summit meeting of the U.N. Security Council which unanimously passed a U.S.-drafted resolution that envisages “a world without nuclear weapons”. I really don't know what this means. Does it imply that the US is planning to phase out all its nukes? Or does it expect Russia to do so? Dreams, dreams and more dreams!
When the US presidential campaign began, I was also among one of the supporters of Obama. And it may be that Obama is still better than the other contestants, but Obama does not seen capable enough to repair the damage done by Bush. I am afraid that in the process, the damage may only increase. Instead of boosting Obama's popularity, the numerous negative comments on the various news websites clearly show that the Nobel Prize has created a huge dent in his image.
Robert Schuller once wrote a book titled, "Tough times never last, but tough people do!" Interestingly, the three US Presidents to have won the Nobel Prize before Obama served only a single term in office. Will the "tough" Obama last longer? Keep your fingers crossed, Mr. Prez. The great Abraham Lincoln once said, "You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time."
No comments:
Post a Comment