Larisa Alexandrovna On Obama Peace Prize: Republicanstan Is A Country Of Its Own

http://www.atlargely.com/atlargely/2009/10/republicanistan-a-country-of-its-own.html#more

October 09, 2009

Republicanistan - A country of its own

There are legitimate criticisms of the Nobel Peace Prize and several past winners to whom it was awarded. I have always been critical that past recipients included Yasser Arafat and Henry Kissinger. Others too have noted legitimate issues of past winners, again, Arafat being a prime example of a poor choice.

Having said that, the Nobel Peace Prize in general and through an overall history of good choices, bestows an important honor on its recipient. When that recipient happens to be the leader of a nation - representing his country all over the world - then that honor is also bestowed on the citizens of that nation.

President Obama has won the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in diplomacy, a concept this nation abandoned years ago for the policy of pre-emptive, endless war. The world has shunned us for our kill, kill, kill policies and we have lost standing. So not only is this win an important accomplishment in mending our image and illustrating to the world that we are a peace-loving nation, it is that much more important that our President won the Nobel Peace Prize while in office for only 9 months and following on the heels of the most violent and unethical administration in US history.

I also think there are legitimate criticisms of not just the Nobel Peace Prize for some of its past recipients, but also as in the choice of President Obama as the latest winner of the award.

The political climate we live in

I for one don't think Obama has gone far enough in ending the many violent and destructive policies of the previous administration. But then again, I also live in this reality and have watched the changes Obama has made being attacked by right-wing extremists as a move toward socialism, communism, fascism, and every "ism" they could muster.

He has been called a democracy -ating commie for his condemnation of the military coup in Honduras.

He has been attacked as a terrorist sympathizer and anti-Semite for not bombing Iran on his first day in office.

He has been called a traitor to our allies for his efforts to dismantle the missile defense shield plans in Eastern Europe - idioctically embarked on by the last administration.

He has been attacked as a traitor to our troops for pushing back against the military - industrial - complex and their propaganda outfits demanding an increase of US troops to Afghanistan.

He has been denounced as evil incarnate for daring to attempt the closing of Gitmo and suggesting that the people being held there be brought into US prisons. When the psychotics on the right side screamed we cannot have terra-terra-ists on our soil, in custody, in secure prisons (as though we don't now have terrorists in domestic prisons), he convinced other nations to take the detainees- for which he was also attacked.

In short, Obama has been attacked for efforts of diplomacy and attempts to dismantle the violence of the previous administration. Although IMHO, he has not gone far enough on many of the issues of diplomacy and ending our illegal war in Iraq - his achievements are still remarkable in this political climate and in such a short-time in office.

The Glennbeckistanians deploy their hatriots

So, while I have no problem with legitimate criticism from both the left and the right (as I have said previously, Little Green Footballs continues to earn my respect) of the Nobel Peace Prize in general and of Obama's award in particular, what I do have a serious problem with is those who attack rather than criticize and not on legitimate points, but out of pure hate.

Let me show you some of these Hatriots in action today (as my good friend Shoq has started calling them):

Stop the ACLU (the name of the blog should it explain it all):


Apparently Al Gore, Jimmy Carter are terrorists like Yassar Arafat? Or are they terrorists simply because they are Democrats? And what of the full list of winners that Obama will be joining? People like the 14th Dalai Lama, Elie Wiesel, Desmond Tutu, Mother Teresa, and Andrei Sakharov, to name a few. Does Obama not join them but only Yassar Arafat? As I noted above, you can disagree with some of the past choices, but overall, the winners have been well deserving, remarkable people. And, as I also already noted, you can be critical of Obama's win based on legitimate issues. But to simply attack Obama and somehow call him a terrorist is not acceptable.

- snip -

But my favorite of the day comes from the drug-addicted, Viagra popping, sex-tourist himself, Rush Limbaugh:


Yep, he outed the conspiracy that clever man. The world leaders got together to give Obama the Nobel Peace Prize to somehow magically have Obama "emasculate the United States."

These people clearly have proved that whatever country they live in, it is not the United State of America, because the US is apparently a nation that they hate. From cheering our loss of the Olympic bid (because Chicago deserved to lose for having given rise to Obama); to openly hoping that Obama's domestic and foreign policies fail - and with those failures, our nation fails (but who cares so long as Obama fails); to calling for a military coup to overthrow a democratically elected leader of the United States; to countless acts and words aimed at destroying the country if that means also destroying their number one target, Obama.

Just to be clear, No, Obama is not the country, is not equal to the country, is not the same thing as the country. But, for the right-wing the country is a necessary casualty in their war on Obama.

Mods: Reproduced Almost in Entirety with Permission

But I respectfully disagree with your statement:

"I for one don't think Obama has gone far enough in ending the many violent and destructive policies of the previous administration"

We would all like to see the damage done from the freight train out of control that was the Bush years immediately thrown into reverse and down the proper track, but you must admit, it's a hell of a mess that he inherited, and will take a long time to correct things. It's a big country, and a complicated mess, and we have been going down the wrong path for many years before even Bush's term, Health care for example, should have been addressed back in Johnson's day.... or sooner. Was it Eisenhower who warned of the "Industrial Military Complex"? As great a country as it is, it has some shortcomings that are complex, and can't be solved overnight, Give the lad time, and let's see what the man can do over time, then maybe we can audit his term. You are right about another thing, and that is the "enemies" he has right here in his own country, the GOP and the far right extremists and TV goons. That is the first war that needs to be addressed.

:loveya:

I can't believe Larisa fell for that one.