Sunday, October 11, 2009

The Nobellicose Prize

Congratulations! You just won the Nobel Prize. Congratulations! You just lost the Nobel Prize.
"No prophet is accepted in his own country." This statement is applicable to prophets and black presidents. In the case of a certain black president, Barack Obama, not all countrymen, but enough to raise eyebrows, and curl lips.

We saw the truth of the statement within days of the president taking office. A certain radio personality put him, black folks, and the rest of world on notice with these words: "I hope he fails."

We're now so hardened that we're no longer shocked when ugly people say ugly things about the president. So when the Nobel Prize Committee gave its most prestigious award, the Nobel Peace Prize to a sitting U.S. president after ninety years, Woodrow Wilson being the last for his support of the League of Nations and his work on the Treaty of Versailles, we waited for the other shoe to fall, knowing that criticism from the Right wasn't far behind.

What caught us off guard was the harsh words on the Left.

We knew Republicans would line up to denounce the Nobel Prize committee for their choice. But we didn't expect liberals to slam the committee in language as harsh as their conservative counterparts: "Don't they see what's going on in the U.S.--high unemployment, an economy stumbling like some drunk searching for his next bottle." You'd think that, as long as our nation is seen as struggling, the president can't be singled out for any award except the "Golden Raspberry Award."

This blog has a few awards of its own to hand out--the Nobellicose Prize--for those Republicans who spoke out the loudest, with malice aforethought, because President Obama was favored this year by the Nobel Prize Committee.

The Nobellicose Prize, then, goes to three honorees: Michael Steele, Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck, for their continued non-support of President Barack Obama. There are runner-ups, to be sure, but they're too numerous to mention here, but you know who they are. This time, I only wish to honor (strike that, dishonor) three of Obama's biggest admirers (strike that, haters).

Michael Steele earned his award with these cutting words, stating first that President Obama should for the sake of his own integrity refuse the award:

“The real question Americans are asking is, ‘What has President Obama actually accomplished?’ It is unfortunate that the president’s star power has outshined tireless advocates who have made real achievements working towards peace and human rights. One thing is certain – President Obama won’t be receiving any awards from Americans for job creation, fiscal responsibility, or backing up rhetoric with concrete action.”

And these gems, courtesy of Rush Limbaugh, making himself one of the three finalists for the coveted Nobellicose Prize:

"And the two girls came in, "Hey, Daddy, you won the Nobel Peace Prize. It's really cool. It's a three-day weekend, Daddy. Let's get up and let's go."

"And Obama said, "Yeah, it's great to have kids to help you keep things in perspective." I'm on the verge of retching right there. Then Obama gets to the meat of the matter says he doesn't deserve the award. So Obama... (laughing) I mean, he's agreeing with the Taliban and us, because we don't think he deserves the award, neither does the Taliban! The Iranians are upset. (laughing) Al-Qaeda hadn't weighed in yet, Osama bin Laden, but there should be a tape before the weekend is out."


But that's not all, our last honoree, Glenn Beck, spoke these words to earn the Nobellicose Prize:

"The Nobel peace prize should be turned down by Barack Obama and should be given to the tea party goers and the 9/12 project....Because of the tea party goers and the 912 project people that stood in his way and stopped him from accomplishing from the things that he thought, 'Please I'm the messiah, I'll be able to accomplish that.'"

For Republicans clearly this president is not their president, and this country, under this president, is not their country. "We want our country back," they cry.

And when it comes to peace: The Republicans want us to fight our way to peace, not talk our way to peace--blind to the contradiction that this poses.

After listening to, or watching these wingnuts, I know now why it was necessary to fight a civil war in this country, and why Jim Crow lasted so long. There's a certain number of whites who will resist black progress, and, in the process, resist white progress towards filling in the racial divide. These whites gain more by resisting, than by cooperating; by holding back, than moving ahead; by increasing racial tension, than by relaxing it.

The Nobel Peace Prize could be seen as a finger in the eye of Republicans in this country who spend their days tarring and feathering President Obama.

I've read several articles justifying the Nobel Committee's decision to select President Obama as this year's recipient of The Nobel Peace Prize. Their reasons compel a reassessment of his achievements, but perhaps not as well as the following video segment from Rachel Maddow's show on MSNBC:

Achievements take on many colors and aren't always seen in our existential world of actions versus ideas, construction versus idealism, and material efforts versus a change of heart, humane aspirations, and noble pursuits.

And it belies the oft-repeated grumbling that people abroad see our president as some kind of lamb, one that's afraid of his own shadow. It's not about timidity in international policy, but the use of "smart power" which I've discussed before in one of my blog entries by that name.

The world's people don't want a bellicose America, one that lead international diplomacy with a heavy hand, and a fighting stance, but one that's willing to talk with enemies and seek common ground where possible.

Some days, the callous, racialistic events in this country transport me back to the forties and fifties and a "Colored Only" existence, justifying the anger and, yes, rage, I occasionally feel toward this country.

Isn't it ironic: the country that gave us a black president is working just as hard to take him away. It's this dichotomy, this white schizophrenia with which blacks must live that impacts our own sanity.

How do we keep our head, so to speak, while all those around us are losing theirs. And yet, I know how the story will end. We wrote the ending first ... before the story began. It's done that way sometime, when you wish to be certain of the outcome, because, if you don't, a story can get away from you, and create its own ending.

10 comments:

Mac Daddy Tribute Blog said...

Very interesting take on the award. It's got me thinking.

vanishing point said...

"Achievements take on many colors and aren't always seen in our existential world of actions versus ideas, construction versus idealism, and material efforts versus a change of heart, humane aspirations, and noble pursuits."
______________________________
That is beautiful, and right on target, and it is chilling to think that the dem's can't see your point.

Writing our own ending, that is one of my favorite ideas, there is a Chinese song called Fairy Tale, that speaks of writing our own ending, I love that so much.

Thank You Black Diaspora, I feel so good reading this post, and I love your awards, too, :))

Black Diaspora said...

Thank you, Kathy. If I can find the song online, I'll check it out.

For those dems and repubs: they see what they put there.

"We see what we believe as surely as we believe what we see."

Black Diaspora said...

MacDaddy said...
"Very interesting take on the award. It's got me thinking."

Thanks. Then I've succeeded.

Anonymous said...

I waited for your take on this, now the President has to take a long hard look at, the TRUE heart of man!

I was perplexed when the Blogger's on the Left were in lock step with the Right Wing!!! and to be honest, who can the President trust? but, this is a teaching moment for the President, for he can never ever let his Guard's down!!! Never! for he is not a Typical President!!! he cannot!!! ever attempt to follow in the foot step's of any past President!

Now, I have no Idea what level of TRUST the President has, when it come's to people, but, one thing is sure, God uncovered a new Group of adversary's that the President knew not of! God Revealed their Name's as well as their Face's!!!! and these were some of the people that were suppose to be Cheering for the President, not Against him!!! but, all thing's work together for the Good!! God has given the President a Greater Insight!

iseeisee

Black Diaspora said...

@iseeisee: "I was perplexed when the Blogger's on the Left were in lock step with the Right Wing!!!"

Frankly, it took me aback as well. One blogger I respect saw the Prize as a big distraction for the president, and perhaps not deserved.

I see no such thing. This award will grease the wheels of progress, not be the proverbial "monkey wrench," they expect it to be.

With all the attacks by the wingnuts on the Right, you wouldn't expect Dems/libs to give Repubs one ounce of support when it comes to the slamming of the president.

It makes you think that they're as angry with the president as Repubs. For my part, I'll defend the president until hell freezes over.

Even if President Obama turns out to be a "bad" president, he'll still be a thousand percent better than a George Bush.

Big Man said...

I liked this take, and your response over at Deac's place to Trumpet blower's comments.

Black Diaspora said...

Hey, Big Man, thanks for stopping by. I hope you'll come again.

Deac is one of my favorite places to crash, and now your CyberPad.

Ernesto said...

The wingnuts heads exploding was a joy to see. But the bigger picture here is that the Nobel was awarded to Obama but THROUGH the majority of the people who voted in this country in 2006 and 2008. This is our award. We were smart enough to see that Hurricane Katrina exposed the fraud that was "Homeland Security" and by extension the "War on Terror". And we put an end to the worst aspects of the Neo-Con agenda. That is what the Nobel committee was recognizing...OUR accomplishments in ending so many nightmarish policies. Obama accepts this award for us, but he has a lot of work to do to finish killing the Beast. Hopefully when he looks at this award it will give him some inspiration to finish the job.

Black Diaspora said...

Their heads exploding, like fireworks, set off a dazzling light display--and just think, it's not January, nor July, but October.

Ernesto, your take on things always manage to surprise--pleasantly of course, as with this statement:

"[T]he bigger picture here is that the Nobel was awarded to Obama but THROUGH the majority of the people who voted in this country in 2006 and 2008. This is our award."

And I agree. We should all take a bow--well, most of us, anyway.