Slog

News & Arts

Line Out

Music & the City
at Night

« Equality Weekend | Re: Are You a Lady? On the Pill? En… »

Friday, October 9, 2009

Re: Mythology Today

Posted by Charles Mudede on Fri, Oct 9, 2009 at 12:58 PM

For my post about Obama's Nobel Prize, Simac made this excellent comment:

If you talk to any Norwegians today, ask them why they think Obama got the Nobel Prize. Many will say that the prize was really for the American voters for electing someone so different from George Bush, and many will say that it has to do with overcoming the history of slavery to elect a black president, in addition to the obvious points that Obama has changed the tone and discourse internationally (a tone that most Americans have no idea about).

Let's begin with this: According to CNN Money, one of the big pieces of economic news today, a day that will likely end with gains on the stock market?

Obama: President Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize Friday for his efforts in strengthening cooperation around the world and trying to reduce the usage of nuclear weapons.

Why is this economic news? Because a world that general supports an American president is a world that is safer for investments and business cooperation. We can not entirely separate the current recovery of global markets from Obama's global popularity. If a rabid Republican was in power, the world would not find liberation from a state of anxiety.

So, Obama, as Simac points out, received the award because the world we actually live in is not the same as the one Sarah Palin wants us to live in.

By giving Obama the Nobel Peace Prize, the world essentially participates in American politics. It is a democratic intervention at the global level. This intervention points toward Zizek's ideal of the American political system: Everyone gets to vote for the American president except Americans.

If an American does not understand why Obama received the award, it is because he/she has no idea how dangerous the world was under Bush.

Comments (10) RSS

Oldest First Unregistered On Registered On Add a comment

And by giving Obama the Nobel Peace Prize, the world also essentially recognizes that during those tense, frightening moments of the Kanye-Swift conflict it was a resolute Obama proclamation against Kanyes' dangerous and irresponsible jackassery, that gave comfort to millions.

Like Harry S Truman, in the Korean Crisis, Obama showed a needed firm resolve, and ya know, Korea worked out just fine.

Posted by pissy mcslogbot on October 9, 2009 at 1:18 PM

I'm reminded of Sally Field's famous Oscar acceptance speech. "They like [us], they really like [us]!"

Posted by Explorer on October 9, 2009 at 1:19 PM

Look at all those different fonts and colors. Ugh. I'm surprised they didn't use Comic Sans.

Posted by keshmeshi on October 9, 2009 at 1:55 PM

I was just telling someone "this prize is just a collective sigh of relief from the rest of the world".

Posted by Fnarf

on October 9, 2009 at 2:04 PM

"Noble" prize? really?

Posted by jezbian on October 9, 2009 at 2:16 PM

Henry Kissinger, Menachem Begin, Le Du Tho and Yassar Arafat won the Nobel Peace Prize. So who cares?

Posted by Algernon on October 9, 2009 at 2:17 PM

Last time I checked, it was specific members of a committee making a decision, so it's more their reaction than the Norwegian people as a whole.

Posted by Will in Seattle

on October 9, 2009 at 2:26 PM

Charles,
I completely disagree. The Nobel Committee hated Bush intensly. It was a rebuke of the Bush Admin. Obama himself said he didn't deserve it. He has done nothing substantive to deserve this award. Ruth Marcus, an Obama supporter of the Washington Post thought it was a joke. May liberals/lefties are uneasy with him being awarded it. I find it comtemptable of the committee (not Obama) to give Obama the Peace Prize. Especially now as he is expanding the war in Afghanistan. Bloody foolish. There is a "cult' of Obama that I am greatly uncomfortable with.

Posted by lark on October 9, 2009 at 2:51 PM

Get ready for Iran.

Posted by Wake Up on October 9, 2009 at 3:35 PM

God, those horrible intelligence updates. Thanks for reminding me just how fucking bad it used to be.

Posted by Rumsfeld was a horrid douche on October 9, 2009 at 5:52 PM