- "Here is the speech I hope he will give:
“Let me begin by thanking the Nobel committee for awarding me this prize, the highest award to which any statesman can aspire. As I said on the day it was announced, ‘I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures who’ve been honored by this prize.’ Therefore, upon reflection, I cannot accept this award on my behalf at all.
“But I will accept it on behalf of the most important peacekeepers in the world for the last century — the men and women of the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps.
“I will accept this award on behalf of the American soldiers who landed on Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944, to liberate Europe from the grip of Nazi fascism. I will accept this award on behalf of the American soldiers and sailors who fought on the high seas and forlorn islands in the Pacific to free East Asia from Japanese tyranny in the Second World War.
“I will accept this award on behalf of the American airmen who in June 1948 broke the Soviet blockade of Berlin with an airlift of food and fuel so that West Berliners could continue to live free. I will accept this award on behalf of the tens of thousands of American soldiers who protected Europe from Communist dictatorship throughout the 50 years of the cold war.
“I will accept this award on behalf of the American soldiers who stand guard today at outposts in the mountains and deserts of Afghanistan to give that country, and particularly its women and girls, a chance to live a decent life free from the Taliban’s religious totalitarianism.
“I will accept this award on behalf of the American men and women who are still on patrol today in Iraq, helping to protect Baghdad’s fledgling government as it tries to organize the rarest of things in that country and that region — another free and fair election.
“I will accept this award on behalf of the thousands of American soldiers who today help protect a free and Democratic South Korea from an unfree and Communist North Korea.
“I will accept this award on behalf of all the American men and women soldiers who have gone on repeated humanitarian rescue missions after earthquakes and floods from the mountains of Pakistan to the coasts of Indonesia. I will accept this award on behalf of American soldiers who serve in the peacekeeping force in the Sinai desert that has kept relations between Egypt and Israel stable ever since the Camp David treaty was signed.
“I will accept this award on behalf of all the American airmen and sailors today who keep the sea lanes open and free in the Pacific and Atlantic so world trade can flow unhindered between nations.
“Finally, I will accept this award on behalf of my grandfather, Stanley Dunham, who arrived at Normandy six weeks after D-Day, and on behalf of my great-uncle, Charlie Payne, who was among those soldiers who liberated part of the Nazi concentration camp of Buchenwald.
“Members of the Nobel committee, I accept this award on behalf of all these American men and women soldiers, past and present, because I know — and I want you to know — that there is no peace without peacekeepers.
“Until the words of Isaiah are made true and lasting — and nations never again lift up swords against nations and never learn war anymore — we will need peacekeepers. Lord knows, ours are not perfect, and I have already moved to remedy inexcusable excesses we’ve perpetrated in the war on terrorism.
“But have no doubt, those are the exception. If you want to see the true essence of America, visit any U.S. military outpost in Iraq or Afghanistan. You will meet young men and women of every race and religion who work together as one, far from their families, motivated chiefly by their mission to keep the peace and expand the borders of freedom.
“So for all these reasons — and so you understand that I will never hesitate to call on American soldiers where necessary to take the field against the enemies of peace, tolerance and liberty — I accept this peace prize on behalf of the men and women of the U.S. military: the world’s most important peacekeepers.”
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5 comments:
racist
You know as well as I do that Obama can't win with the Republicans no matter what he does or says.
They danced up and down when his efforts didn't lead to the Olympic committee selecting Chicago. Rather than be disappointed, they were gleeful and trashed his efforts to bring the Olympics to the United States - yes, Chicago is a part of our country.
Now that he has been given the Nobel peace prize, not one positive comment comes from the lips of the Republicans. So, you see, it won't matter what Obama says or does, the Republicans have turned into the party of mean.
As to the speech honoring our military personnel, sure they deserve honor. But they are not the peacekeepers. They are merely pawns in the various wars that the leaders of countries begin and end and begin and end on an ongoing basis.
The idea that Bush lied to involve us in an unending war in Iraq and now Obama is failing to extricate us from Afghanistan makes me sick.
There will be no victor in the Middle East. Instead there will continue to be destruction, inhumane treatment of human beings, and deaths and injuries without end.
Thank you Charlotte. No, I would not expect Republicans, libertarians, or moderate Democrats who remember greatness among our leaders to support this, or anyone who'd been in office 12 days when he'd been selected. However, as you have seen yourself, other progressives and liberals such as you, have also expressed their surprise and displeasure--some because they think is is running a Bush 3rd term when it comes to the war.
Yesterday I heard the list he'd beat out, and they had amazing accomplishments--some through great suffering and imprisonment. This country attempts to be a nation of meritocracy, not feel good warm fuzzies, but that's no longer acceptable for many raised with their hands out, or even those who get a feel good high at the thought of controling people for their own betterment.
Oh. PS. Charlotte and I may be distant cousins (probably by marriage) and I have a link to her website on my page, even though politically we are miles apart.
Murray sez:
There has been is no doubt about the outcome in my mind regarding the outcome of either war. We have forgotten all we have learned from previous wars. Our strategy for both wars has been centered around political correctness and making sure our enemy knows in advance what our next move will be and what plan is being considered by broadcasting on the evening news. Plus we have billions worth of high tech equipment gathering dust while our foot soldiers risk their lives beating the bushes and losing lives from the enemy's simple road and car bombs. What a stupid tragedy!
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