Action Left

Every time I turn around, someone is hating on Obama. So, I in turn, hate on the haters. And lets be honest, they deserve it. On one hand, we’ve got right-wing tea baggers comparing him to Hitler and on the other, we’ve got left-wingers complaining that he hasn’t rid the world of evil in 8 months.

Sometimes I get so weighed down by all the ignorance, impatience and hostility that I forget about all the other people who are celebrating the accomplishments and potential of Obama’s presidency.

So, in that spirit, check out these two badass blog posts in defense of Obama earning the Nobel Peace Prize:

Juan Cole writes a scathing critique of conservatives who mock Obama’s receipt of the award, and lays out the case for why he was chosen:

Barack Obama was given the prize because he is a game-changer. Obama has dedicated himself to reducing and ultimately scrapping the nuclear arsenals that threaten the world with nuclear winter or a destruction of the ozone layer; either event would be catastrophic for human beings’ existence on the planet. Obama has already made a substantial change in relations between the US and the Muslim world. Two years ago we were talking about whether Cheney could convince Americans to go to war on Iran. Now Washington is engaging in direct talks with Tehran that have eased tensions.

Dwight Furrow argues that it is Obama’s commitment to governing from a moral center that prioritizes hope, trust and compassion that has earned him the award:

The decision to be guided by moral purpose is a fateful and monumental act, because it determines whether we approach each day with hope or fear, emotions that regulate our sense of what is possible and what is not. Obama’s rhetoric of hope is not empty and not a mere aspiration. That hope conquers fear is a necessary condition for stable cooperation….All peacemakers have one thing in common—they are willing to take the first step toward peace, which is always a gratuitous act of faith with no assurance it will be reciprocated. Obama has announced to the world that the U.S. is willing to take that step. As with the other recipients of the prize, he confronts destructive forces with an act of generosity. Unlike most of the other recipients, he does so from a position of power. The powerful renouncing power is an event sufficiently rare to warrant celebration despite lacking personal sacrifice.

I really do believe that President Obama is on to something with his leadership style that encourages care and social responsibility. Of course he is not perfect, but as Cole, Furrow, and the goddamn Nobel Committee say, he’s a big time game changer, and thats something we can’t afford to pass up.