Obama Love-Fest Continues

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While I count myself amongst fans of Barack Obama, the Nobel Committee’s decision to award him with the Peace Prize did come as a WTF moment this morning (to lots of people judging by FB news-feed). The Nobel Committee honoured him this morning for “his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples”.

Obama excels at  public diplomacy, and has a cult-like following around the world. No other world leader shares his commitment towards nuclear disarmament and a multilateral world.  However, awarding the Nobel to him with the war in Afghanistan bringing new dead everyday, Guantanamo still open and troops still in Iraq strikes as  pre-mature. Further, he has been active as president for only 10 months. Granted that he has made significant departures in that period, would it not have been more seemly to honour a longer commitment to human-rights and world-peace.

Not that the Nobel Prize is a sign of anything. Gandhi, being amongst the famous non-recipients.

But for now the Obama love-fest continues.

The Economist published yesterday the favourites to win, foremost amongst whom were