America's Nobel Peace Prize

Remember when Europeans said,"We are all Americans now." after September 11th. Within a few short years, the United States took a tumble to the seventh most admired country and a plurality of the world believed that America was a force for evil in the world. After almost a generation where Latin America had lost its anti-Americanism, it came back in force. Throughout the Arab world, Bin Laden actually polled higher than the American President. In seven short months, the National Brand Index showed the United States had regained its past position as the number 1 admired country in the world. According to the NBI pollsters, this was the most rapid comeback in its history. They attributed this to the popularity of the election of President Barack Obama.

The Nobel Peace Prize committee did the United States a huge favor in awarding President Obama its prestigious award. In its commendation, it made it clear that the award was for accomplishments done and not just hopes for the future. In essence, their award was for defining the new language for international affairs and his outreach to the world in seeking cooperative solutions to the challenges of the 21st century. Awarding the President of the United States the Nobel Peace Prize was a recognition of the centrality America plays in formulating the solutions to the world's problems from climate change to peace in the Middle East. Of particular note, they underlined his commitment to seeking a world without nuclear weapons. In fact, he was the first American President to preside over a United Nations security Council and got a Security Council resolution adopted proclaiming this as a goal of the global community.

Americans should be deeply flattered. The Europeans recognize the catalytic role America plays in encouraging human rights and democracy around the world and its power to seek the peaceful resolution of conflicts. It was clear that they missed the America who urged the world to listen to its "better angels" rather than its darkest instincts. A nation that pioneered international law had deliberately and overtly abandoned its own creations. A nation, who historically forbade its military to torture, publically embraced a policy of torture against all domestic and international commitments it made to the contrary. A nation, which founded the United Nations, abandoned its commitment to reforming an institution that had become plagued by both corruption and a tolerance of despots. A nation, which had sought alliances and multinational cooperation, had now defined itself as exceptional in its unilateralism. A nation, which had refined the policy of deterrence, abandoned it for preemptive war without restraint. With Barack Obama, the Europeans found reason to hope for the restoration of the America they admired and with whom they would be partners.

There was another reason for the award--the perception by the Norwegians that America was still captured by forces that extol ignorance of science,elevate racism and disdain education. It was telling that the committee made reference to not waiting three more years. Hidden in this language was their knowledge that the Nobel Peace Prize can not be given posthumously. It should be recalled that another young American Nobel Peace Prize winner had been slain in his struggle for racial equality in this country--that man was Martin Luther King, Jr. The dark forces of anger over the election of President Obama generates this cloud of threat over our political landscape.

Reaction in the imperial capital was predictable. The pundit class questioned the achievements of the President. In Washington, there is still no awareness of the degree to which our country had become reviled at worst and ignored at best. That the international community might actually root for the success of our President simply escapes these people. In a rare grace point, Senator John McCain said that all Americans should be proud of their President receiving such a prestigious honor. His was one of the only voices from the President's opposition who offered congratulations.

The Nobel Peace Prize may go to personalities who have achieved great things but there is another tradition of awarding it to people aspiring to change the world. Bishop Desmond Tutu won his for his lifelong struggle against apartheid even though he would have to wait years before he saw white-rule end in South Africa. A prize winner from the 1930s was awarded for his opposition to Adolf Hitler, although it would take another decade before Nazism was defeated. Willy Brandt was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his Ostpolitik, almost two decades before the Berlin Wall fell and Germany was united. Arafat and Rabin were awarded the Peace Prize for advancing the Middle East peace process, even though it has not been achieved to this day. The award is meant to focus attention on the aspirations of mankind and the hopes for peace and the end of injustice, even though they remain out of reach. What was intriguing was the Committee's statement that in President Obama's request that we all take responsibility in solving these problems that they made the award as part of their shared responsibility--a lovely gesture.

Only two other sitting Presidents have won the Nobel Peace Prize--Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson. Roosevelt for his successful negotiation of the Manchurian war in the unlikely location of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Woodrow Wilson for the Versailles Treaty and the doomed League of Nations. An aspect of the award to President Obama is the deep seated fear of Europeans that America will turn neo-isolationist. Here is an internationalist President who has lived around the world during his youth and is eloquent in defining America's commitment abroad. It should be noted that the Committee recognized his uniqueness in defining the totality of global challenges today. It is through the power of his words and his influence in other parts of the world that brought him his prize.

Outside the Beltway and the new Romans, the right-wing talk shows went ballistic over the award, even demanding he turn it down. After celebrating America's defeat at the Olympic bids, these characters again resurrected the old meme of the President as celebrity with no substance as criticism of the award. The Europeans would just trying to glomb onto his charisma. In part, this is true but for very precise reasons. Such avatars as Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh declared it was a joke and that the President is the laughingstock of the world for being given the Nobel Peace Prize. Although later in the day, Glenn Beck suggested his tea-baggers should get it. The right has had problems with the Nobel Peace Prize since it was awarded to President Carter for his humanitarian work around the world, a gesture they thought was an insult to George W. Bush. Ironically, the right wing blogosphere suggested Bill Clinton was a more worthy person for the honor. Bill Kristol thought this was all a parody and suggested John McCain deserved it for his advocating the Surge in Iraq. By and large, the right has descended into their isolationist cave and believe any international honors awarded to an American is an insult to our exceptionalism. Mind-boogling in its idiocy was the RNC's letter from Michael Steele, which went out by midnight yesterday essentially mocking the President. To think, these people actually discuss this all day!

Trying to bring back the debate over war and peace, our Left got a late start. But by late afternoon, they rifled off the essential points that America was still waging two wars and dislocating thousands of Pakistanis and the President was holding war councils the day of his award to discuss the escalation of the Afghanistan conflict. It was almost a knee-jerk reaction going back to the old days of America the Terrible. By the end of the day, I felt the Right and the Left should have a jamboree since apparently both now seem to despise the country.

For his part, President Obama handled the situation with typical grace. Acknowledging he felt humble and not deserving to be placed in the honor of such distinguished company, he talked candidly about the on-going conflicts and why he would accept the award for all those who are seeking justice and dignity. The press was interested in whether this would create greater partisan divides--like one side likens him to Adolf Hitler and now it's going to get worse; and what he's going to do with the money. The latter he is donating to charity.

After squandering our economic and military power, it's nice to see that the world still sees us as relevant to solving the questions facing the planet. For all of us who work abroad and in international affairs, the Nobel Prize for Peace to the American President makes our work a little easier. Thank you, Norway! I accept on behalf of the United States.