Obama wins Nobel Peace Prize

[Pants Rowland]

Pants, I like the cut of your jib.

 

Thanks! What's a jib?

 

The ottoman empire's culture was not proliferated nearly the same amount as American culture is. Our reach is incomparable. Though we never "ruled" as many lands as England, no country has imported it's culture and business the way we have. None. So no, if it all crashed tomorrow we'd be far more than a historical footnote.

 

Maybe, but our reach has only been around for a short period of time when compared to other great nations in history. I suppose it does not make the spread of our culture any less impressive, but is the ability to market ourselves an indication of the richness and attraction of this culture, or simply our ability to spin and spread our story? Thousands of years from now, when it's all covered in sand (other than the top of the Statue of Liberty, of course) will future archeologists be impressed with our civilization or will they simply be amazed at our skill producing plastic junk that still won't be fully decomposed thousands of years later?

 

I really do not know the answer to these questions.

 

Coming back to Tex's original statement, however, I am somewhat troubled how such a great nation, with the opportunity (and wealth) to leave an overwhelming legacy in so many fields, prides itself the most on having a strong military and reveres no citizens more than those in uniform. We take pride in "protecting" our citizens at home and abroad from alleged foreign threats, yet don't tackle real visible daily threats to our health and happiness such as pollution, poverty, obesity, food allergies, and most importantly ignorance. What's worse, is that ignorance has been given multiple new media and spokespeople to spread further.

 

I do not know if any of this rant is related to the nobel prize, but the ignorant comments from all sides of the political spectrum today (not necessarily here), along with trying to explain the concept of peace got me wondering if we as a nation really try to spread peace at home and abroad.

[BigSqwert]

Thanks! What's a jib?

 

Origin

 

The jib of a sailing ship is a triangular sail set between the foretopmast head and the jib boom. Some ships had more than one jib sail. Each country had its own style of sail and so the nationality of a sailing ship, and a sailor's consequent opinion of it, could be determined from the jib.

 

The phrase became used in an idiomatic way during the 19th century. Sir Walter Scott used to it in St. Ronan's Well, 1824:

"If

s

he di

s

li

k

ed what the

s

ailor call

s

the cut of their jib."

There may be an allusion between the triangular shape of noses and jibs in the figurative use of this phrase, but this isn't authenticated.

[bmags]

Thanks! What's a jib?

 

 

 

Maybe, but our reach has only been around for a short period of time when compared to other great nations in history. I suppose it does not make the spread of our culture any less impressive, but is the ability to market ourselves an indication of the richness and attraction of this culture, or simply our ability to spin and spread our story? Thousands of years from now, when it's all covered in sand (other than the top of the Statue of Liberty, of course) will future archeologists be impressed with our civilization or will they simply be amazed at our skill producing plastic junk that still won't be fully decomposed thousands of years later?

 

I really do not know the answer to these questions.

 

Coming back to Tex's original statement, however, I am somewhat troubled how such a great nation, with the opportunity (and wealth) to leave an overwhelming legacy in so many fields, prides itself the most on having a strong military and reveres no citizens more than those in uniform. We take pride in "protecting" our citizens at home and abroad from alleged foreign threats, yet don't tackle real visible daily threats to our health and happiness such as pollution, poverty, obesity, food allergies, and most importantly ignorance. What's worse, is that ignorance has been given multiple new media and spokespeople to spread further.

 

I do not know if any of this rant is related to the nobel prize, but the ignorant comments from all sides of the political spectrum today (not necessarily here), along with trying to explain the concept of peace got me wondering if we as a nation really try to spread peace at home and abroad.

 

Well, I'm sure the historians will be able to tell a discernible difference in eras. In one era, goods moved slowly, politics moved slowly, and armies moved slowly, and America has ruled in the new era where everything can end at the push of a button. I think we deserve some credit for our relatively short dominance because I can't see someone dominating the world as the romans did ever again.

[bmags]

Really liked Sullivan's piece, who usually has a pretty good pulse on world politics :

"I've had some coffee now. Reading through all the reactions, compiled by Chris and Patrick, there are two obvious points: this is premature and this is thoroughly deserved.

 

Both are right. I don't think Americans fully absorbed the depths to which this country's reputation had sunk under the Cheney era. That's understandable. And so they also haven't fully absorbed the turn-around in the world's view of America that Obama and the American people have accomplished. Of course, this has yet to bear real fruit. But you can begin to see how it could; and I hope more see both the peaceful intentions and the steely resolve of this man to persevere.

 

This president has done a huge amount to bring race relations in this country to a different place, which is why the far right has become so vicious in attacking him and lying about him. They know he threatens their politics of division and rule. He has also directly addressed the Muslim world, telling some hard truths, and played a small role in evoking a similar movement of hope and change in Iran, and finally told the Israelis to stop cutting their nose off to spite their face.

 

I like Shimon Peres' statement, reprinted in a useful compendium of world reaction at the Lede:

 

“Very few leaders if at all were able to change the mood of the entire world in such a short while with such a profound impact. You provided the entire humanity with fresh hope, with intellectual determination, and a feeling that there is a lord in heaven and believers on earth.” Mr. Peres, who won the peace prize with Yitzhak Rabin and Yasir Arafat in 1994 following the Oslo Accords, added: “Under your leadership, peace became a real and original agenda. And from Jerusalem, I am sure all the bells of engagement and understanding will ring again. You gave us a license to dream and act in a noble direction.”

 

Right now, we do not know where that direction will ultimately lead. We do know that we were facing a spiral of conflict that, unchecked, could have taken the world to the abyss. I see this prize as an endorsement of his extraordinary reorientation of world politics, and as an encouragement to see it through. In the midst of our domestic battles, and their ill-temper (from which I have not been immune lately), this is an attempt to tell us: look up for a moment, see how far we've come in pivoting away from global conflict, and give this man a break for his efforts and the massive burden he now bears.

 

And, in the darkness that still threatens, know hope."

 

http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_...world.html#more

[Pants Rowland]

Origin

 

The jib of a sailing ship is a triangular sail set between the foretopmast head and the jib boom. Some ships had more than one jib sail. Each country had its own style of sail and so the nationality of a sailing ship, and a sailor's consequent opinion of it, could be determined from the jib.

 

The phrase became used in an idiomatic way during the 19th century. Sir Walter Scott used to it in St. Ronan's Well, 1824:

"If

s

he di

s

li

k

ed what the

s

ailor call

s

the cut of their jib."

There may be an allusion between the triangular shape of noses and jibs in the figurative use of this phrase, but this isn't authenticated.

 

Thanks for the explanation. My question was more of a remote Homer Simpson reference but it's good to know nonetheless.

[southsider2k5]

Really liked Sullivan's piece, who usually has a pretty good pulse on world politics :

"I've had some coffee now. Reading through all the reactions, compiled by Chris and Patrick, there are two obvious points: this is premature and this is thoroughly deserved.

 

Both are right. I don't think Americans fully absorbed the depths to which this country's reputation had sunk under the Cheney era. That's understandable. And so they also haven't fully absorbed the turn-around in the world's view of America that Obama and the American people have accomplished. Of course, this has yet to bear real fruit. But you can begin to see how it could; and I hope more see both the peaceful intentions and the steely resolve of this man to persevere.

 

This president has done a huge amount to bring race relations in this country to a different place, which is why the far right has become so vicious in attacking him and lying about him. They know he threatens their politics of division and rule. He has also directly addressed the Muslim world, telling some hard truths, and played a small role in evoking a similar movement of hope and change in Iran, and finally told the Israelis to stop cutting their nose off to spite their face.

 

I like Shimon Peres' statement, reprinted in a useful compendium of world reaction at the Lede:

 

“Very few leaders if at all were able to change the mood of the entire world in such a short while with such a profound impact. You provided the entire humanity with fresh hope, with intellectual determination, and a feeling that there is a lord in heaven and believers on earth.” Mr. Peres, who won the peace prize with Yitzhak Rabin and Yasir Arafat in 1994 following the Oslo Accords, added: “Under your leadership, peace became a real and original agenda. And from Jerusalem, I am sure all the bells of engagement and understanding will ring again. You gave us a license to dream and act in a noble direction.”

 

Right now, we do not know where that direction will ultimately lead. We do know that we were facing a spiral of conflict that, unchecked, could have taken the world to the abyss. I see this prize as an endorsement of his extraordinary reorientation of world politics, and as an encouragement to see it through. In the midst of our domestic battles, and their ill-temper (from which I have not been immune lately), this is an attempt to tell us: look up for a moment, see how far we've come in pivoting away from global conflict, and give this man a break for his efforts and the massive burden he now bears.

 

And, in the darkness that still threatens, know hope."

 

http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_...world.html#more

 

It was a week ago that Obama couldn't do anything to repair our image internationally when we lost the Olympics, now it has turned around soooo much. lol. I wish the media would pick a theme and stick to it.

[Balta1701]

It was a week ago that Obama couldn't do anything to repair our image internationally when we lost the Olympics, now it has turned around soooo much. lol. I wish the media would pick a theme and stick to it.

Maybe they should just stop listening to the right wing themes?

[lostfan]

It was a week ago that Obama couldn't do anything to repair our image internationally when we lost the Olympics, now it has turned around soooo much. lol. I wish the media would pick a theme and stick to it.

Meh the first one was a manufactured non-story from the right, as are any other trivial stories that have a remote chance of making Obama look bad. If the rest of the media picked up on that it's just because they're lazy.

[southsider2k5]

Meh the first one was a manufactured non-story from the right, as are any other trivial stories that have a remote chance of making Obama look bad. If the rest of the media picked up on that it's just because they're lazy.

 

Bulls***. Why would would the right let Obama off of the hook by saying Bush was to blame for the failure to get the Olympics?

[lostfan]

Bulls***. Why would would the right let Obama off of the hook by saying Bush was to blame for the failure to get the Olympics?

The entire theme of there being political fallout and personal rejection started with the right. The other themes branched out from there. It's dumb, just another product of having a 24-7 media with ADHD. I usually ignore these "stories."

Edited October 11, 2009 by lostfan

[HuskyCaucasian]

Quote of the Day:

"Certainly from our standpoint, [the Nobel Peace Prize] gives us a sense of momentum -- when the United States has accolades tossed its way, rather than shoes."