Cheapening The Brand
By Mitch Berg
“Life is full of ironies, if you’re stupid”
— P.J. O’Rourke
———-
Europe is beginning to seethe with contempt for the US – partly over the Administration’s early social gaffes, and partly because of its fecklessness.
The Administration sold the Poles and Czechs down the river, causing two nations that have risked boundlessly to express their allegiance to the US to openly wondering if the US is good for its obligations.
Israel is nervous that the US has abandoned it – or at least that it will when the chips are down, one day.
Georgia is still rebuilding from when the Soviets Russians gang-raped it.
Our president bowed to a tin-pot potentate.
Afghanistan is spiralling into the toilet. (Thankfully, the grownups were in charge long enough to buy Iraq a decent chance).
The Administration is pushing socialism, which is inevitably disastrous for the environment, and gundecking capitalism, which is the world’s best hope for benefitting the environment.
Iran is building nukes, and there’s not a damn thing we can (or will) do about it (short of defend against them – which the Administration eschews on dogmatic grounds).
China – a nation that’s killed tens of millions of its own people – is ascendant, while the US,which as recently as twenty years ago freed hundreds of millions, is rapidly neutering itself.
Naturally, Obama gets the Nobel Peace Prize.
President Barack Obama won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for “his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples,” the Norwegian Nobel Committee said, citing his outreach to the Muslim world and attempts to curb nuclear proliferation.
Of course, after Algore, “cheapening the brand” is all very relative.
Um, “congratulations”, Mister President.
UPDATE: Or as Mo Rocca says on Twitter, “Nobel Peace Prize officially awarded to “Not George Bush.” Most passive aggressive Nobel ever?”
UPDATE 2: Nominations for the Peace Prize were due by the end of January.
Ten days after Obama was inaugurated.
UPDATE 3: A friend of mine wrote asking if the Onion hadn’t pulled the ultimate hoax. He wasn’t alone.
UPDATE 4: Jeff Rosenberg from MNPublius:
Extraordinary efforts? I’m sorry, but what extraordinary efforts has he made? This prize should be given for a major lifetime achievement, and while I like Obama, this is really, really jumping the gun.
Even lefties – some of them – are astounded by this.
UPDATE 5: A prize winner who actually earned one – Lech Walesa, 1983 winner and former president of Poland:
“So soon? Too early. He has no contribution so far,” former Polish President Lech Walesa, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1983, said Friday. “He is still at an early stage.”
Also, his record since the nominations closed, on February 1, has been so utterly dismal…
October 9th, 2009 at 1:16 pm
Hey, if he gets the award for things he’s done in the performance of his official duties, doesn’t it belong to the Office of the Presidency and hence to the people of the United States? Like when the Prime Minister of England gives him some tacky penholder made from the planks of some old ship – that’s actually ours, not his personally, right?
Since I thought of it, please credit my tax return for the 10 million Swedish Crowns. That ought to carry me for a while. I figure I won’t have to start paying taxes again until . . . I get appointed to the Cabinet. You know, like the other bigshots in this Administration.
.
October 9th, 2009 at 1:22 pm
LearnedFoot:
as per your request see; U.S. Code Title 5, Part III, Subpart F, Chapter 73, Subchapter IV, Section 7342:
October 9th, 2009 at 1:48 pm
We’ve got the updated list of awards up at TvM:
http://www.truthvmachine.com/?p=11930
October 9th, 2009 at 2:10 pm
By contrast, Bush had a whole closetful of trophies that said “Participant.”
October 9th, 2009 at 2:34 pm
And Obama has a whole record full of votes that said “Present”.
October 9th, 2009 at 2:44 pm
Kel:
1. 5 U.S.C. sec. 7342 is sufficient citation;
2. (a)(3) of that section provides: “gift” means a tangible or intangible present (other than a decoration) tendered by, or received from, a foreign government;
The Nobel Committee is not a foreign government, I don’t care who sits on it. And given the fact that 2 other sitting pesidents have won the Nobel Prize, I seem to be in the right. Now put your Freeper legal research and plastic gavel away, and go outside and play.
October 9th, 2009 at 3:06 pm
Learnedfoot:
“The Nobel Committee is not a foreign government,” the Norwegian Nobel Committee consists of five members elected by the Norwegian Storting – unless you are going to assert that politics plays no part in those elections (in which case prove it) I suggest that the Committee is the voice of a politically motivated government body.
“1. 5 U.S.C. sec. 7342 is sufficient citation;” because you of course were the only person who would read this and apparently you didn’t read far enough to catch this:
(i) The President shall direct all Chiefs of a United States Diplomatic Mission to inform their host governments that it is a general policy of the United States Government to prohibit United States Government employees from receiving gifts or decorations of more than minimal value.
the fact that TR & WW received the prize doesn’t make it right or acceptable.Your appeal to authority followed by an ad hominum make yours the weak insubstantial argument. So take your JD and shove it you pompous twit.
and how is $1.4m not a gift
October 9th, 2009 at 3:07 pm
Learned Foot I’d say its you who needs to go out and play, but good job destroying an argument before it gets started. The last thing we need is another set of “birthers” running around in the camp.
October 9th, 2009 at 3:18 pm
But if he was born in Kenya, then he’s not really President, so it’s OK for him to win the Nobel.
October 9th, 2009 at 3:28 pm
politics plays no part in those elections
Of course it does.
But the Nobel Committee is no more the government of Norway than the National Council for the Humanities are the government of the United States.
Intensely political? Yes, in both cases.
Empaneled by the Storting/US Government? Sure.
An actual government? In both cases, no.
Seriously, Kel – there are many reasons we should mock this decision, and many that the President should decline it.
This isn’t it.
October 9th, 2009 at 3:39 pm
So take your JD and shove it you pompous twit.
Poop!
and how is $1.4m not a gift
Um, when it’s an “award”?
Does anyone think Great Leader will actually pocket the $1.4 mil?
October 9th, 2009 at 3:44 pm
Wow, turning on Kel for an attack on Obama that’s *too stupid.*
That’s gotta be an SitD first.
October 9th, 2009 at 3:49 pm
OK, now I’m just going to pile on. Kel sputtered:
“(i) The President shall direct all Chiefs of a United States Diplomatic Mission to inform their host governments that it is a general policy of the United States Government to prohibit United States Government employees from receiving gifts or decorations of more than minimal value.”
Subject: The president. Action: Shall direct. Object: Chiefs of US diplomatic missions etc.
While you need to have reading comprehension to get a JD, you don’t need a JD to get reading comprehension.
So go take your GED and shove it you clueless Freeper.
October 9th, 2009 at 3:55 pm
Oh and Kel, the Constitution doesn’t let you stop paying your taxes or give you powers to arrest government officials you don’t like.
Just in case your research takes you in that direction.
October 9th, 2009 at 3:55 pm
Kel,
the fact that TR & WW received the prize doesn’t make it right or acceptable
Perhaps. I might even agree with you on that.
But that’s a matter of opinion, not constitutional law.
Accepting this “Peace Prize” is legal. Just stupid.
October 9th, 2009 at 3:56 pm
the Constitution doesn’t let you stop paying your taxes or give you powers to arrest government officials you don’t like
Yet.
October 9th, 2009 at 4:02 pm
the Constitution doesn’t let you stop paying your taxes
GEITHNER: “D’oh!”
October 9th, 2009 at 4:09 pm
PALIN: “D’oh!”
October 9th, 2009 at 4:50 pm
Charlie Rangel: “D’oh!” Isn’t he frfom New York?
October 9th, 2009 at 5:19 pm
Charlie Rangel, not “D’oh!” but, “So? What are you gonna do about it? Nyaah-nyaah!”
October 9th, 2009 at 5:45 pm
Bozo- “People like him.” Interesting standard for a Nobel prize.
October 9th, 2009 at 9:42 pm
Bozo- “People like him.” Interesting standard for a Nobel prize.
Sally Field could get one next year, then.