It’s as simple as putting the biscuit in the basket

So, he is a surprise choice for the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize; some would even say that choosing him as a recipient of the award is so left field that the other 204 nominees could potentially start a green revolution. But Obama has a just reason as to why he is a decent candidate to recieve this award (there is no best candidate)… and here are my 10 arguments for him being a good choice.

1. The award is given to those who have achieved or helped improve international relations over the last year. Obama has certainly innitiated this since taking office by meeting as many international counterparts as possible within his first 9 months. This isn’t an effort to rack up the airmiles, moreover he is attempting to reach out and let the world know that he is more engaging than the previous administrations.
2. The most important characteristic in bringing peace is diplomacy; Obama is the master at this. The world can be a more peaceful place with each community getting their share of the pie. Don’t forget – this CANNOT be achieved overnight, but he has been more proactive in getting the ball rolling than any other president in history.
3. Jimmy Carter achieved his award after years of hard work, and infact Bill Clinton’s role was ‘overlooked’ for his effort in the Oslo peace accord, but Obama is trying to pressurise the regional governments to work with their neighbours to gain peace in the region. The previous administration did didly-squat about the Middle East peace process; the last 9 months have re-innitiated the work done originally by the Clinton administration. Support for Israel cannot be pulled awayby the US government because there will be a global effect from various different angles, so diplomacy will help achieve 2 states which can co-exist in peace. We must not forget that one man’s will cannot change established institutions, no matter how iconic the man is; however, atleast he is putting the issue on the agenda and making sure that slow but steady progress is being made – this did not happen over the last 8 years.
4. He has revolutionised politics in a way by re-introducing bi-partizanship. Very rarely has any government around the world looked to work with the opposition to ensure that the domestic and global economies have stabilised and grown.
5. The Obama administration is more open than any previous administration. They are also more active in the United Nations than any previous govenment. The UN, largely considered an international political playground, is still an important institution in maintaining world peace; the UN peacekeepers who give their lives while bringing peace in other nations have not died in vain.
6. Obama is working hard to maintain international arms control and nuclear disarmament. Iran and North Korea have pledged to reduce their activity and conditionally open up their facilities to UN arms inspectors to observe their activity – when has this happened in the past?
7. The Iraq and Afganistan wars are a major issue – there is no denying this. However, Obama is fighting the fire which was set by the last administration. If the troops were completely withdrawn tomorrow from both these nations, it will create instability – can anyone guarantee that nobody will question and critisize the decision to fully withdraw troops and leave 2 nations in absolute turmoil? What people do not realise is that the troops spend more time maintaining peace and building the infrastructure in these places. A lot of lives have been lost, however pulling out completely is not an option at the moment – the instabillity that it would create is not predictable, and unpredictable calls is what the Bush administration made. Damned if you do, and damned if you dont!
8. The US government is working harder to achieve climate change targets. Although they are still a little way back from achieving the Kyoto targets, they are doing more now in terms of research and investment than any previous US administration in working towards environment sustainance.
9. Obama is reaching out to people; he is a personality to start off with and then someone who makes things happen. He has a proven track record before he was president in ensuring change was made – in terms of local and national laws, but also in campaigning for international causes while he was a senator. His track record extends to beyond the last 9 months, his achievements – they are greater than what is being reported by the media.
10. Obama has a lot to achieve. He has spoken a lot, and a lot has yet to be done; his job however is to fix the past and build on it for the future. In 9 months, he has initiated more than the previous administration had in 8 years, and the eventual results will prove whether Obama was the right choice; however, unless everyone gets behind the plans, initiatives and proposed solutions, the world is going to remain in the same state as it had been at the end of 2008 – screwed.

This wasn’t a personal agenda against the Bush administration, but a lot of Obama’s work over the past 9 months has been to neutralise damage and show recovery in every sense of the way. What do you think – is there anyone else who matches this bill from the 204 nominees? Email me your reasons [biscuitinabasket at googlemail dot com], and I will post them as a post.