"Coloso" is more than a condemnation of war; it's an allegory of French imperialism, and as such it also condemns every previous or succeeding imperial crusade, regardless of the real or professed idealism of their apologists
NOTE: Obama had been president for less than twelve full days before nominations for the Nobel closed on February 1.
War is not peace.
I looked at my mail today while I waited for my browser to load, and there I read a note from a friend in Buenos Aires who knows me very well. He was effectively warning me that I should sit down before looking at today's news. Once securely seated, I went to my news page where I saw the announcement, "President Barack Obama wins Nobel Peace Prize". I thought it was a joke. Totally.
What peace? He's adopted every one of Bush's wars, extended some, and if you look closely, he's not even talking about ending them.
It's an insult to those who have received the honor in the past, many of whom risked their lives for peace and who did not ride around in armored cars while commanding the greatest arsenal of weapons in the history of the human race - and using them.
It's like giving the mayor's son a Ph.D soon after he's started his freshman year, because he's said he's somewhat interested in reading. He's been tossing everyone's books into a dumpster since he arrived, but maybe the sheepskin will turn things around. Disgusting.
ADDENDUM: On his own site, candidate for mayor Reverend Billy Talen writes eloquently of the Obama peace prize: "So - it has come to this. War has finally captured Peace. ".
Predator drones will be released tonight destroying the word we always depended on. The flying bomb will go out over the villages, sailing over the sleeping children and prayers and friends stopping for a laugh. The bombs will float and hesitate and change direction from computers in Florida and Missouri and the soldiers at the computers will know that Obama has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. And so they will be consumers of a war that is now being marketed as a product named Peace.
[image of "Coloso" (painted by Goya or by one of his friends and pupils) from redstateelectric]
Surprised me too.
Who else was in the running?
Kissinger won The Nobel Peace Prize as well.
So I wouldn't get too offended by the pedigree of this PR exercise.
The judges have said they gave Obama the prize, at least in part, for "great deeds to come." That would be like giving me the Booker for that novel I've been meaning to write.
There are lots of people who deserve this prize. Perhaps in due course Barack Obama will be one of them – I hope that day comes. But this is just bizarre and has made the Nobel Peace Prize a laughing stock.