Peace Prize Pause...

One of the hallmarks of the Cornerstone Program is excellent thought. Cornerstoners generally enjoy thinking about many subjects, in a broad manner, to an extraordinary depth. Deep learning and insight require mental pause, a extended moment of suspended judgment in which careful thought is applied to the subject.

President Obama winning the Nobel Peace Prize is an opportunity for such a pause. On October 9th, he was named the 2009 recipient of perhaps the most prestigious humanitarian award in the world. Our reaction could easily become simply a polarizing reflection of our general political leaning. Liberals laud their hero for his example. Conservatives write-off the event as laughably premature.

However, a moment of pause can be beneficial for deeper understanding, no matter who you are. A Nobel Peace Prize is an incredibly significant event, especially since it has just been given to an American president barely into his first term. No matter what your interpretation, Obama's honor probably has more to teach you than what your gut reaction tells you.

Conservatives can start by considering the fact that the international community is really and truly taken by the diplomatic style of our president. U.S. foreign policy since Theodore Roosevelt has often earned resentment for America. No matter which way you look at it, the fact is that American government is perceived as over-confident, presumptuous, and eager to project its immense economic and military power. Do we accomplish good things with that power? Most certainly. Do we cause terrible catastrophes with that same power? The historical evidence says "yes".

You may not think Obama's strategy of re-engaging in diplomatic discussion is the way to accomplish change. Yet he is certainly earning us some friends. War is not going away anytime soon, but it seems logical to assume that discussion can lower its incidence. I think we have something to learn from President Obama's example.

On the other hand, liberals may find insight in the words of Obama's detractors. The cry is, of course: "What has he done?" Obama swept into office in a tide of euphoria about change and hope for the American political process. He is eloquent. He is visionary. But stay in the real world, people. Everyone has weaknesses, and everyone has limits. Words truly are not enough. The socioeconomic and political factors that lead to war are universally complex and intractable. From a long-term historical perspective, Obama's accomplished solutions thus far are truly modest.

Come now, let's reason together. We all have a lot to learn. Including me.