I didn't know anything about Dr. Mukwege before; thank you for the link. He's an exceptional person for sure.

You're welcome Dean. I wish the Dr and others could get some more attention to their causes, even if they didn't win.

Well, it might seem weird, but any discussion about what the Novel Prize is needs to take into account the origins of the prize. During his life, Alfred Nobel—who was the inventor of dynamite—was considered a person who grew wealthy off of the death of others his invention caused. The Nobel Prize stems from his will where he wanted to right the perceived wrongs of his invention by rewarding those who strive to make the world a better place.

And with that in mind, Obama winning makes 100% sense. If the election went to McCain and this whole Iran nuke debacle happened, there would be a new war in the mideast and possibly a draft. FWIW, Obama has clearly made efforts to smooth things over in the world and people look at the U.S. more positively nowadays. That's a tremendous thing. I mean some people might overlook it, but his strong efforts at relations with Iran is tons (TONS) more than any President has done in decades. Remember, with China Nixon started relations and it took Clinton to improve them even more.

He deserves it. And hilariously, the Taliban is against it? Really? Golly gee! You mean, the Taliban is against something positive from the west? If anything I love that: Now we can literally compare Republican loons to the Taliban.

Thank you Nobel Prize Committee.

This = truth.

Don't you know that Obama has decided the Taliban has a right to be involved in the future of Afghanistan?

Yeah, I heard that. Basically, how else can he pull out of Afghanistan without some kind of basic relationship? We pull out without any plan and it's hell. At least if they are willing to differentiate themselves from Al Qaeda and the Afghan militants that's reasonable.

Seriously, most of the Afghan insurgents have nothing to do with anything and are just jockeying for power with whatever side they can hang onto.

Makes me almost want to reread the basics of what happened before the U.S. pulled out of Vietnam.

As much as it pains me to say it and as little as you'll ever read this in the American press, there actually are "moderate" non-Jihadi elements of the Taliban. I think the shift in thinking has to do with the inevitable and what's realistic. We can't wipe out the Taliban, so why not make peace with what reasonable members exist for strategic influence in Afghanistan's future? The Bush administration's stated goal (well, the one that was sincere) in Afghanistan was originally to wipe out Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and remove the Talibani government. Unfortunately this only pushed the training camps and formerly Taliban-supported extremists into Pakistan, an iffy "ally" at best, making matters even more complex and difficult.

I suspect the administration is also taking a similar look at Iran, which is quietly becoming a post-terrorism superpower in the middle east, and according to some analysts already wields greater influence in southern Iraq than the Iraqi government does. Bombing Iran with the supposed purpose of taking out nuclear enrichment facilities would only empower Al Qaeda and other anti-American terroristic organizations, as the USA is already viewed as being an imperial colonist in that part of the world, whereas keeping the peace with them and accepting that they are an important state would be the less inflammatory path. Obama's in a very tough spot, and will be vehemently criticized and possibly lose face no matter what his strategies regarding those countries.

Yikes this is so far from toys. Read some Robert Baer for better explication.

I saw this on the news last night and was a bit confused. I guess the award is more a motivator and a pat on the back for heading in the right direction. I wish we were all awarded for things we are trying to pursue. Sometimes it can be a lonely road.

Well, the thing is if you look at the history of Afghanistan (outsiders who don’t know the terrain lose; massive home court advantage) and the fact a lot of this mess really has it’s roots in colonialism, there’s really no choice BUT to foster alliances.

Unless you want to wipe out a whole continent in the name of peace, you have to make nice and just leave. Or more simply put, “Forget it Jake, it’s Chinatown.”

Now more than ever, heads are being scratched.

when does their new album drop?

Gwen Ifill probably already had the book finished on how and why he won the award, back in April, for preorder.

Obama had been president for something like 11 days when the nomination deadline for the NPP hit, what the fuck had he done to deserve it at that point, what has he done to deserve it at this point in time for that matter, he probably didn't even know where half the bathrooms in the White House were by then...