Ari Shavit / Obama awarded Nobel because he's a Democrat, liberal and black

The so-called Nobel Peace Prize committee has a long history of awarding the prize to white racists, colonizers, and genociders, along with those who truely believe in and work for peace. Given that long twisted history of hypocrisy, President Obama's receiving and accepting the prize, and his speech in which he misrepresented and trivialized the usefulness and effectiveness of the beliefs and works of people such as Gandhi and Marthur Luther King was not really a new low. He just didn't raise the bar any. The West lost any credibility it had in the field of neuclear non-proliferation when it looked the other way while Israel and other so-called Western democracies worked hand in hand with the thoroughly repugnant Apartheid regime in South Africa to create a nuclear armed anti-black state in Africa. After lying for years about the existence of the weapons, these heroes removed them when it became clear that the weapons would no longer be in safe white racist hands.

the world is desperate for some sanity and plain talking and Obama is a breath of fresh air after the inane bushism.It is going to chaange the worlds respect for America, and altho it may be premature, it reflects the desperation for things to change

Actually, 0bama was awarded this prize due to Nobel committee becoming corrupt in 1919 (when they awarded the prize inaptly to Woody Wilson), increasingly so till 1993 (when it was awarded to arch-goonda Arafat) when they decided as-rule to award it to goondas (with some exceptions such as Mohd Younus of Grameen Bank), such as 0bama!

lies in the ego of those awarding it. Instead of awarding it to those that acrually enhanced peace the Nobel Committee choae to use it as a political weapon by expressing their political preferencea and thus to exercise power.

Hands than Arafat. Perez should not have been nominated. It proved later that he never stood for or was in full agreement with the genuine peace that Rabin and Arafat had agreed upon.

pete, - the very idea of non-proliferation is about preventing countries who do not possess these weapons from getting them. we can regret & keep regretting forever the fact that some countries have already obtained these weapons, incl. some fairly recently. but we're gonna get nowhere that way. this is not some childish symmetry game. "you have, so i must have." actually, in today's world a mandatory non-proliferation regime should've been imposed, via UN, to all the world's nations still without nuclear weapons (not very likely to happen). the situation is seriously risky. you only need one match now to be lit, especially in the ME, for this to spin entirely out of control. so iran remains THE key country to prevent from going nuclear. one can wish for, work for reducing the weapons already in existence, incl. starting a process towards nuclear-free zones. but only as a parallel task. NP can't be made contingent on global nuclear disarmament. that's never gonna work.

- & he set his agenda high himself from the time of his campaign already, in his inauguration speech, later in prague & in cairo. so the pressure & expectations were gonna follow him regardless of what the norwegians would do, & they will, so why don't we just let history judge him eventually? the nobel committee's overreach is a lesson to themselves. not to try to make history before it makes itself & keep to where they actually managed to make a difference in the past, ie in giving the prize to heroic, not well-known individuals, working in difficult circumstances - by putting them on the map & in several cases by literally protecting their lives. giving it to obama was a bit like the vatican awarding the pope w/sainthood & while he was still alive. the joke & funny thing about this year's award was obama using half of his acceptance speech to actually make a case for war, something i guess not even ari shavit had anticipated. i'm happy for the charities getting the money.

Barks Nobel Prize. The real looser is the repuratation of the Nobel Price for Peace Committee who bestowed a Peace price on a President of USA who from the start of his campiagn in 2008 advocated s troop surge in Afganistan angd an escallation of war on Taliban into Pakistan. Add too it the reality emerging now that Obama did not achive naything sonce January, when he assumed presidency. He continues with economic polocies of Bush. He failed to reform the health system he is neatly neutralized by both Israel and PA and Hamas. Hios speeches are excellent. Results on the ground are nil. Its high;y safe topredict that he will be a one term President.Having decorated with a Nobel Prize he will not run in 2012. Look at his track record. 2 years in ILL Senate, 2 years in US Senate..Always short term goals. Americans swallowed his ruse. Talk is cheap

Don't forget Rabin ,he is at the top of the list.

This is an amazing article. It's about the danger of proliferation and a nuclear Iran. Let's see. Mr. Shavit, which country doesn't belong in this list? Iran India Israel Pakistan (Hint: it's not about their first letter). Answer: the country that doesn't belong in this list is: Iran. Reasons: 1. Iran is the only country in this list which hasn't got nuclear bombs. 2. Iran is the only country in this list which has signed the non-proliferation treaty.

for America the the man child Obama. Mickey helped millions smile and see the good of our nation, albeit fantasy. There is a fluke in the democratic system that repeats itself every so often, we hate to be hated, so instead of doing the right thing, we put this fake in the top spot. Look back, we've had some seriously stupid ones. OK, the world needs a good laugh, but as a serious American, I am ashamed of the neophyte running the country. He didn't deserve the position above a real was hero and patriot with a lifetime of experience. Change sucks now doesn't it? Remember, you are the master of your nation. Don't expect much from the 'Nobel winner'. Gag.

Great article with one addition needed: Isreal is also a "nuclear nightmare".

Ahmadinejad gave this weekend???!!! Did you know the US is blocking the appearance of the Mahdi? Does this man sound sane to you? Yes, he would use nuclear weapons if it furthered his agenda.

who got the peace prize for future deeds.... Hint: there isn't one.

I completely disagree with your thoughtless diatribe.

and they sure aren't Bush, Blair or Brown or Obama.

There's something about Obama I find very frustrating, namely he makes promises that doesn't keep. He said there would be transparency, but he refuses to make information available to a growing number of Americans who want him to make his birth records public. Why he doesn't do this is a mystery to me. In his speech accepting the Peace prize he said: "Pent up grievances fester." And people are festering over his broken promises. I also think he should NOT have been awarded the Nobel prize for peace.

the world was so relevied at getting rid of the halfwit bush.

because of skin color (he's mixed, not black) the rest is pure wishful thinking.

sanctimonious bunch here avoid it like the plague,they can't hit Israel with it,so those people serve no purpose in the ideological war.

Oh Jane save us that patriotic bullshit. There are many countries much worse off that the USA. This was about Europe's leadership acting like a bunch of whores trying to get on Obama's good side. Any meaning this award had has been tarnished. People should be awarded for accomplishments NOT for they intend to do. In this case Obama was awarded because the media has made it out be this lovable leader who is going to unite the world. In essence its more of a pipe dream than reality.

Obama will continue his march of leadership until someone watching the parade states that the emperor is not wearing any clothes. He may have brains but he is a naive ideologue. His award was more of a spit in the face aimed at Bush and the former president's supporters, than an acknowledgment of anything that Obama did.

before critisizing Obama. I want Ari Shavit to honestly state whether Israel and Netanyahu really want peace, or as much Palestinian real estate as possible.

Seems to me that this year's Peace Prize was awarded to someone who has the potential for creating peace, and not for actual acomplishments towards world peace. If this is the case, maybe Hamas should have received the prize. After all they have the potential for creating peace by laying down their weapons.

President Obama must be the first "black" man to have a "white" mother. Could it be racist to ignore the maternal side of the president's family?

While it is fair to debate the merits of President Obama's selection for the Peace Prize, as an American I find it disgusting to read criticisms of him in an Israeli newspaper for "targeted killings", Ariel (misspelling intended) bombardment of civilians or lack of courage in the pursuit of peace. Any history of Israel over the past 15 years would be a treatise on those very subjects. One need only to look at the last Israeli to receive the award to guage Israel's respect for the Nobel Prize, or lack thereof. Oslo recognized PM Rabin with the Peace Prize, and he was assassinated at the hands of his own countrymen. While his assassin may have been condemned to prison, the segment of the Israeli population that shared the killer's venomous hatred and supported it have never, as far as I can tell, been similarly condemned. Rather, they receive government stipends. So don't preach to me about peace or the shortcomings you see in President Obama.

Why is it so urgent to stop Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons? And why are North Korea's weapons considered such a great threat? Neither North Korea nor Iran has attacked any other state in the last 50 years. Wouldn't it be more urgent to deal with the nuclear arsenals of aggressive states like USA and Israel?

"Despite suicide bombings and numerous wars, it has not resorted to use these weapons." As if Israel might have considered use of such weapons as an antidote for 'suicide bombing'!? Iran are no more likely to use a nuclear weapon than Israel.(Did Israel ready these weapons for use in 1973?). Your idea that Iran might 'lend' out a nuclear device or two to 'proxies' is not credible either. It is not as if Israel would not know where such weapons originated from in such a scenario. It would be as if Iran had launched a nuclear attack from its own soil. The response would be the same. Hence Iran would be as likely to 'lease' these weapons as Israel would be to use hers, no more or less. The talk about 'Messianic' urges is not that credible either. The home of Messianism is rather Jerusalem than Tehran, and in Jerusalem as well as the settlements, Messianism is flourishing.

... and Elie Wiesel won it because he was a Jewish Auschwitz survivor, and Amnesty International because its a touchy-feely, do-gooder organization. The Nobel committee has an agenda and we're supposed to be surprised? Obama represents an evolutionary step in dealing with racism. Point. Get a life.

seem to have a real problem with the fact that Barack Hussein Obama is Black. Racism seems to permeat Israeli society at every level.

Obama & Speeches, Many great speeches given by people who enchanted,& captivated their audiences,taking the masses with them was later to have been proved a disaster. Just to mention a few: Shukery, Abdul Nasser, Arafat, Nasrallah, Ahmadienjad. And now, Obama.(Hope.An exception) Arafat,& Obama got the Peace Prize ! No kidding ! Really ! It's one thing to get the Peace Prize for nothing,& quite another thing,people working for decades to alleviate the sufferings of the poor,the destitute,the weak & broken. They,the silent ones without fanfare,& a merry-go-round of endless parties.They should have had the benefit of the prize. It would also show the world & others,that there is reward for perseverance & hard work.Day in & Day out. An example for others to follow.

It is hard to believe that Obama will not launch a pre-emptive uprooting of Iran's nuclear capability, because that is the only way he can take charge of the proliferation threat and give impetus to his global agenda at one and the same time. So we will see if the acceptance speech's justification for using force will actually be put into effect in such a way that Obama will become a real world leader, not a leader only intoxicated with the exuberance of his own rhetoric.

I cannot comment as to WHY Obama is being awarded this prize, only that I agreed - He has done nothing yet to deserve it.

Can you imagine if Mr. Obama had not been 'black' but 'Jewish' and someone, other than with the last name Shavit, listed that as a derogatory factor - can you imagine the indignation and headlines of anti-Semitism that would follow!! Shame on you.

Your argument about the Nobel Prize for Obama may be at least partly justified; while I am a supporter of his, I do think that it's too early. But stating baldly that it's because a black democrat? Wow. I feel sorry for you, sir, if you're really that cynical. And then you go on to urge Obama to greater things? Make up your mind. Either he's a waste or he isn't.

The ultra right is jealous that George Bush and Tony Brown didn't win it.

Obama was given the Peace Prize for one reason only: he is not Bush. Hey, I'm not Bush, either, so where is my Peace Prize? And no, I'm not donating the cash to charity, at least not all of it... Harry

In his wecoming address, the Norwegian host spent all of his time talking about climate change and nary a word about "peace."

and declined the honor, why he accepted is beyond me but it is surely wrong. He has done nothing to deserve such a prize and it demeans the prize and it's stature. I was disappointed in him.

President Obama received the Nobel on behalf of the American people. We are in two wars, our economy is in the tank, and it's all because of the attacks of 9-11-01. The committee awarded this prize as a gesture of solidarity with us and to express the hope Obama's election brought to the world at a very difficult time in history. Race has nothing to do with it.

President Obama won the prize because he was young dynamic intelligent and extremely charismatic. His apparently disarming naivety (or well concealed cynicism) served him well in manipulating hopeless simpletons into hopeful morons - he played artfully into inferiority complex of (apparently inferior) Europe. Good for him - best wishes, etc

indeed there is not.there is no leadership.none at all.we will have a nuclear armed iran.

ari shavit's words are not in the least bit in doubt.the norwegians think they can manipulate and patronise the americans.in the process they have devalued and demeaned the peace prize.not for the first time.

It's a shame you can't be bothered to look up what the the Nobel committee itself sees as its remit for the award of its 'peace prize'. If you did you would know that you are mistaken. The Nobel foundation has given many reasons for awarding Nobel peace prize to Obama. They have stated that "the prize is awarded to encourage those who receive it to see the effort through". It may be deemed a worthless prize by some and that is certainly arguable, but your statement: "You give out Nobels for what people have already done.. ie in the past!!"... is complete garbage, generated from the top of your head.

Israel was motivated by the spectre of annihilation it experienced as a result of the Holocaust when half of world Jewry was exterminated. Despite suicide bombings and numerous wars, it has not resorted to use these weapons. Whereas Iran's plan is to nuclearize its warheads and ship them to its proxies, I am sure that is where it is leading. In fact they would be happy to see the end of the world, and the arrival of the Messiah. Obama's goal is to hunt in Afghanistan. It will make or break him and of course, regard for the civilians is not an issue. Of course it's self interest. Men are like animals, Nobel or not.

Israelis have a tendency to understand the paradigms of the mainstream American media literally, as if they were true. The fact is that Obama is a descendant of immigrants, rather than a descendant of slaves, as most Black Americans are. This is why he could be elected. Skin color or "race" is a secondary issue and this is why he could appear to the White electorate. As an "Immigrant" his inner orientation to the USA is no different than any American White, and completely different than that of any ordinary American Black who is the descendant of slaves. No descendant of slaves, the true Black Americans could ever be elected to the presidency, not now, and not ever.

Let's face it, this decision had very little to do with Obama's skin colour, but a whole lot with the fact, that people are sick and tired of the injustice that is going on in this world (Israel/Palestine, Darfour etc....). And they see Obama as a potential "savior" there....

there was an ignoble attempt by five norwegians to influence united states foreign policy by according its new, totally inexperienced president, the nobel peace prize. the real players behind this attempt are unknown. what can be known with certainty is that israel will be the loser.

Why should any one care about Shavit's opinions on world and domestic U.S. affairs? For anyone who is not an Israeli, "Israel" means only one thing: The Arab Israeli conflict.

You talk about the "nuclearization of fundamentalist regimes" but what about the "fundamentalisation" of a nuclear power like Israel ?

It looks extremely funny and strange when every Tom, Dick and Harry criticise President Obama for his Nobel Peace Prize. The Israel is heavily dependant in every respect on USA and the writers invariably skip this important point.

What is all this nonsense about the Iran, Pakistan, North Korea triangle? The three states have nothing in common. Why not the India, Pakistan, Israel triangle, or the Israel, Russia, France triangle? Get out of the looking glass and get real. Any nation which has nuclear weapons is a liability to world peace and ultimately to itself. If Iran scores a direct hit on Dimona what price Israel's nuclear defence? And what will this have to do with the other other points of your crazy triangle, North Korea and Pakistan?

we are now blaming obama for stealing from us the underdog label. we were the exclusive underdogs for years, victims of racism, antisemitism, glass ceiling and what not? here we have in obama a new smart underdog, harvard material, suave, handsome, who made it to the highest office in the US -really in the world. and guess what? we can't live with that. on top of that, he reveals ugly racism in us. go figure!

Obama has plenty of courage

True, Obama did not deserve the Nobel Peace Prize. But, what about our "Great Nothing" Peres? Did he? For what? All other Prizes are given for past accomplishments. Only the Peace Prize is based on HOPE!

' He must use the little time remaining to lead a resolute campaign against the extremist forces acquiring nuclear capability. ' So which would be the greater threat: the extremist force seeking to acquire nuclear capability or the extremist force which already has it? Now, which one could the US apply more pressure on?

M.A.:"because US will NOT attack Iran....THIS is why he was awarded peace prize" You don't give out a Nobel for what you "think" a person may or may not do at a future date. Why? Because it is TOTALLY UNPREDICTABLE. You give out Nobels for what people have already done.. ie in the past!!! That's why they haven't awarded me the Physics Nobel for the Wormhole Time Machine I'm going to invent one day.

themselves, and the world would not notice any difference.

There are at least two senior figures in the Obama administration who unlike their president do deserve a Nobel Peace Prize: George Mitchell for Northern Ireland and Richard Holbrooke for the Dayton Accord in Bosnia. Obama should give half of his prize money to each of them. But he probably won't.

Arafat deserved it for sure. After all, he invented airplane hijacking. By the way, one of the members of the Nobel Committee was so disgusted by this award that he resigned his position. There are hundreds and hundreds of aid workers, of individuals who have worked for peace for decades...enduring incredible suffering, even torture. But nope...lets play spin the Nobel and give it to Mr. Hopenchange. Abominable is my attitude. The Nobel has been dramatically devalued in a flash.

How Obama could actually accept this "prize" with any sense of honesty is totally beyond me. It speaks volumes about the man, his ambition, his need for accolades, whether deserved or not. If I were Obama, nothing in the world would have embarrassed me more than flying to Stockholm receive such an award. He has virtually NOTHING in his meager political history to show for. Worse, he is a danger to Israel and has a long, long track record (look it up) of associations with anti-Israeli/anti-Jew associates. Prediction: he will allow Iran to develop a nuclear arsenal and the consequences of that will be so horrendous that he will be vilified by historians. Caroline said it all and quite quickly. Within weeks of his election, everything he did was geared to undermining Israel's security. In 2009 he petitioned Congress to lift the U.S. law that forbid financial aid to terrorist groups, so that the PA could get funds despite Hamas operating as the de facto government of Gaza.

....THIS is why he was awarded peace prize. To attack Iran would be the dumbest thing ANY country could do as it would destabilize the entire region. See? Smart people know this. This is FAR more important than anything on the list that the author believes Obama has failed to do for the award.

You didn't win the prize from Oslo. The Israeli state had a peace named Oslo once and you guys gave it back.. Perez didn't deserved his Noberl either..He not a man dedicated to peace.

for a person who believes that President Obama is "the only world leader who can etc.etc"--you sure have a curiously feisty way of enlisting his support for what you'd like to see done.

Obama is 2nd.

Obama will hit it out of the park. The world has changed. See the article in here about the simulation at the Kennedy School. America will seek it's own self interest. When the Health Care Reform passes, he will focus on the economy especially jobs. There will be no war with Iran, deal with it. Right now, he needs every vote he can get in the Congress and that has moderated his strategic goals . As he has said often that peace in the area will require justice for the Palistinians. Expect hardball to start next year. To make matters worse..HE CANNOT STAND BIBI.