Orwell 2009: USA Prez Wins Nobel Peace Prize

By Rady Ananda

United States President Barrack Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize today, undoubtedly for one of the following:

* On his 3^rd day in office, he ordered the barrage of drone attacks on the sovereign nation of Pakistan, which – because drones are remotely operated and cannot discern between a nursing mother and a Taliban militant – leveled villages, killing at least three children;

* He lied to the American public, promising to reduce troops in Afghanistan and withdraw fully, but then voted another $106 billion for increased troops in this land with a sole remaining resource of heroin;

* He allowed the CIA recently to increase its presence in Afghan lands, because, perhaps, of how adept it can be at transferring large quantities of illegal drugs from one nation to another;

* He renegotiated deals, so that contractors in Afghanistan now outnumber troops;

* In June, he allowed a US air base in Honduras to be used during the kidnap of President Manuel Zelaya by election loser, Roberto Michelleti, effectively authorizing a military coup d’etat contrary to the democratic voice of the people;

* In September, he authorized the use of a sonic cannon on defenseless protesters at the G20 Summit in Pittsburgh, also allowing for the excessive use of indiscriminate force on anyone in the vicinity of armed and uniformed agents of the government;

* He is a member of and attended the 2008 Democratic National Convention, which also authorized the attack of defenseless, lawful citizens who exercised their Constitutional right to assembly and free speech in Denver;

* He works hard to cooperate with the Republican National Party, which at its National Convention in St. Paul, also attacked defenseless, lawful citizens who exercised their Constitutional right to assembly and free speech;

* He accepted contributions from corporations which he then later provided with a multi-billion dollar bailout at taxpayer expense, thereby increasing the wealth of the rich at the expense of others, which we all know eventually leads to mass violence;

* He is about to force US citizens to purchase private health insurance, though the industry exists solely on its ability to deny health coverage;

* He supports the Patriot Act, continuing the fascist practice of spying on citizens without adequate judicial oversight.

* He protects telecom giants from criminal prosecution for spying on US citizens;

* He has not shut down Guantanamo Prison;

* He refuses to prosecute war crimes of the previous administration, instead wishing to ignore the past and “look forward;” or because

* He backs Israel’s genocidal war crimes against Palestine, despite a United Nations investigation and finding of violations of international law, and even though Israel admits to using white phosphorus on Gaza, a densely populated area imprisoned by Israel blockade.

In 1964, the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. received the Nobel Peace Prize. Now there was a man who voiced his objections to war – at that time, it was Viet Nam – in the now famous Time to Break Silence speech on April 4, 1967. A year to the day later, he was assassinated.

Maybe in street terms, Obama was really awarded the Never-Ending War Prize, but they just don’t call it like it is, anymore.

In his acceptance speech today, President Obama acknowledged that the prize is not “recognition of my own accomplishments….” He should have stopped there, but added “but rather as an affirmation of American leadership.” No, that last part can’t be it, since the Bush-Cheney regime started these Middle East wars that Obama refuses to end, hardly an act worthy of a Nobel Peace Prize.

A more honest response by the President would have been to admit peace and an end to war are the “aspirations held by people in all nations.” Now, that’s the truth. It isn’t American leadership which deserves the Nobel Peace Prize; it is the hopes and aspirations of most people on the planet that the US withdraw from the Middle East, Latin America, and Africa.

I say, give the prize to Cindy Sheehan, or to Cynthia McKinney, or to the Dalai Lama. 

Oct. 12 UPDATE: Even better than the Nobel, let’s celebrate and honor true peace activists:  John Pilger wins 2009 Sydney Peace Prize