So our favorite Sri Lankan rude girl tweeted her surprise about Obama getting the Nobel Peace Prize:
“Obama winning the nobel peace PRIZE? he should give it back like john Lennon sent back his MBE” — @_M_I_A
GROAN. Really, Maya? The sitting U.S. president should give back a Swedish (decided by Norwegians) prize because it’s like a British citizen receiving a British honor… how, exactly? And the Nobel carries the taint of its dynamite origins, sure, but is that the same as the bloody history of the British Empire?
And speaking of history!! Lennon DIDN’T give it back until FOUR YEARS AFTER he accepted it:
John Lennon, along with the other Beatles were made MBE’s in 1965, to much criticism. Lennon justified the comparative merits of his investure by comparing military membership in the order, saying “Lots of people who complained about us receiving the MBE received theirs for heroism in the war – for killing people”. He continued: “We received ours for entertaining other people. I’d say we deserve ours more.” [Source]
Lennon sent back his MBE insignia in 1969, which Queen Elizabeth had bestowed upon him in 1965. He wrote: “Your Majesty, I am returning this in protest against Britain’s involvement in the Nigeria-Biafra thing, against our support of America in Vietnam, and against “Cold Turkey” slipping down the charts. With love. John Lennon of Bag.” [Source]
So let’s see…Lennon happily accepted it in 1965 saying “we deserve ours” more than people in combat, then returned it in 1969 for a list of ludicrous reasons that included the failure of his song with the Plastic Ono Band.
For Obama to refuse the medal exactly like Lennon, he should hold onto it for four years then give it back because he just lost the 2012 election or something. Or wait, even that would be more meaningful.
Lennon’s a genius, wrote great songs, the world lost a poet, (etc., etc.)…and I really do love M.I.A’s songs. All of them. But sometimes, just sometimes, you just can’t help wishing that musicians would shut the hell up about politics because they start sounding like these guys. And that’s just too soul-crushing to contemplate.
Cross-posted](http://blog.mtviggy.com/2009/10/09/m-i-a-slams-obama-fails-history/) to the Iggy Blog.
Obama winning is a joke nonetheless; even many of his supporters agree (so long as they are not Obama groupies)
yeah why exactly did Obama receive the Nobel Peace Prize ?? People have gone too far in putting Obama on a pedestal.
Based on this award, I won’t be surprised if a future Nobel Prize for Medicine goes to the inventors of Botox… if anything Botox has been around longer.
You guys forgot the Beer Summit that bought peace between a police department and a Harvard professor.
Lets see if Kanye West will interrupt this award ceremony.
A war ended in Sri Lanka, and they found no heroes there? They found no one in Iraq who works for the welfare of people in the war there, that they had to go congratulate the President bombing them? They didn’t find one single hero in Rwanda or Sudan? Not one person who advocates against the genocide there—so that bring that person into spotlight may actually achieve something?
But then, the peace prize didn’t think Gandhi to be worthy of it. But yeah, Kissinger who gloated about nuking India got one—after all, from the western perspective, Gandhi is a fly in the ointment while Kissinger was a hero.
I don’t know how else to really justify the ludicrous decisions that have been made for this prize. Obama will do well to remember that validation by this committee is not necessarily something to be proud of, and redouble his efforts into doing something good.
I was hoping Sepia Mutiny would be the one place where I wouldn’t find that joke. No such luck. It was old eight hours ago.
The award is a joke clearly the celebrity wins than actual accomplishments
My heart goes out to Hillary. She came just so damn close, and now this guy goes on to get a Nobel. On sheer hype!
Once again the the inconsistency on SM is true to form. MIA beats up on Bush and war and she is lauded. Then she does a nosedive on the Great One and then folk are indignant. You cannot suddenly turn around and call for musicians to stay the hell out of politics when you dont care for the message. Sure Maya is inconsistent, but then so are you.
MIA’s ranting and raving has increased lately. Half her tweets are reserved for screaming and whining about Sri Lanka, now that her poster boys the LTTE have been taken out. So I am surprised she actually decided to change topics. I actually kind of agree with her about Obama. Obama does not deserve the award and he should return it. I just hope MIA doesn’t return to screaming and whining and frothing at the mouth about Sri lanka.
Can’t believe there’s actually people defending obama on the award.
The Nobel Peace Prize is a joke (see previous winners). => hence it making sense for MIA saying to return the Nobel. Obama winning a Nobel Peace Price is a joke (what has he done?)
MIA seems perfectly reasonable here. cicatrix is just hating.
MIA should stick to what she does best – mixing sick beats vs rewritting history. and if the prize is such a joke, why does anyone care who wins it? sad there isnt a sliver of this obama-magnitude controversy reserved for past winners like kissinger and arafat. it makes me seriously wonder for the first time, “why do people resent him so much?”.
Obama beat out fellow nominee Mahinda Rajapaksa from Sri Lanka for the prize. Its pretty obvious why M.I.A. is upset, and frankly, I am too. The guy ended a war! An entire war! Maybe Obama will also go on to do great things one day, but you shouldn’t award the nobel prize for just talk.
“MIA should stick to what she does best – mixing sick beats vs rewritting history. and if the prize is such a joke, why does anyone care who wins it? sad there isnt a sliver of this obama-magnitude controversy reserved for past winners like kissinger and arafat. it makes me seriously wonder for the first time, “why do people resent him so much?”.”
Because he’s black obviously. I mean why else?!!!
I am trying to decide of the people who follow MIA’s tweets and the members of the Norwegian Nobel committee, who’s the most retarded. To be fair though, it has been argued that this isn’t just the triumph of style over substance and that this could be a cynical attempt by the Nobel committee to influence the policy decisions of a sitting US president. Obama is going to have an interesting time, for example, justifying a troop surge in Afghanistan. This could also be intended as a slap in the face of Bush. I don’t think the members of the committee are as naive and as stupid as people think they are.
musicians are people that say strange weird stupid things just like all people. but never want them stop talking politics because when they get it right, they knock it for a six. examples too many.
give peace a chance.
Why could they not have given it to Bill Clinton instead? He made a lot more love and a lot less war, both sustained over a longer period. It fitted the Kafka cliche perfectly – “when Barak awoke one morning from troubled dreams, he found himself changed into a Nobel Laureate”
Bill Clinton would have been a much better pick…It would still be an anti-bush, pro-america signal by the norwegian committee. So why didnt Bill get it (even ignoring other worthy contenders) ? The committee offers some clues. http://bit.ly/7c25J
Is Obama the Narcissist-in-Chief ?
Admittedly, from cicatrix’ POV, this was a poorly worded statement. Although, I think this post reads too much into her 2-sentence tweet – I think she was only commenting on the act of returning the award, not necessarily saying that obama should return it for the same reasons.
And I really question when people get ticked off with musicians, actors etc talking about politics – I understand that they may be politicizing certain things in relation to their profession or position as celebrities, but would you tell the average citizen to just shut up and not think/talk about politics? They may be opinions that sound “stupid” or with which you don’t agree, but they are opinions nonetheless – I think they have a right to express them, just like you have the right to ignore or discount them.
There’s always the chance that she’s had a change of heart and now agrees with Jonathan Kay–Mahinda should’ve gotten it (or Netanyahu or McCrystal or perhaps Mahinda’s main squeeze Ahmedinejad.)
http://transcurrents.com/tc/2009/10/mahinda_rajapaksa_not_barack_o.html
Actually, I thought that was kind of funny and cool. Lennon was definitely politicised at this point and did feel unease with the British establishment and the political stances over Nigeria-Biafra and Vietnam. And coming from a working-class background from Liverpool, there was always a remnant of unease with being feted by the London establishment, especially royalty. And the line about Cold Turkey slipping down the charts was really funny, I thought, classic Scouse (Liverpool) humour.
Are you suggesting that he somehow selected himself? He accepted it in the spirit in which it was offered, i.e. a request to keep the US from waging wars of choice.
Okay seriously, people are getting too wrapped up in this. It’s a freaking medal! LOL. Who really cares? It’s his actions and decisions which are gonna affect me that I care about… on both national and international platform. There are SO many unsung heroes that should get this medal everyday but don’t, because they are not famous or thrust into the limelight so I don’t give these kindda “symbolic handouts” too much thought.
From reading the comments, I can tell readers of SM are also big fans of Rush Limbaugh.
Anyways, it is just a dumb prize. The world is not better because people are handed prizes from some committee. Obama really cant do anything right in the eyes of people who dont like him. If he gave it back then he is a ignorant American, who thinks that he knows what is best for the world. If he keeps it then he is a ignorant American, who thinks that Americans can do know wrong. In his own country, if he gives it back then the right will call him a narcissist and if he keeps it then he is a narcissist.
I am sure he is going to give that million dollar prize away, so I am sure some good will come out of this.
This whole argument over, who is the most deserving person in the world for a peace prize is ridiculus. “So and so saved hundered thousand people, but this guy saved 2 hundered thousand people so that other guy can suck it.”
Um, who gives a shit if she used a bad analogy? Her point is still right: Obama should’ve rejected the Peace Prize. He did not earn it or deserve it in any way.
Who is Mia? Never heard of this insignficant person
“Obama really cant do anything right in the eyes of people who dont like him”
this is right on the money. its like people put up there just to tear him down.
Speaking of Sri Lanka and Cicatrix, why all the silence on the topic? When the war was on cicatrix couldn’t help but write screeds against the evil of the LTTE, couldn’t help working potshots against MIA for supporting them. All under the guise of speaking for the people.
Now that the government has won the war, defeated the LTTE and interned 280,000 (tamil) people. Suddenly cicatrix, formerly so outspoken, is silent. Why is that?
can’t we all just get along?
Dr Optimist wrote:
Two words: human nature.
nobody complained when the dalai lama got the award and there is still no solution between tibet and china.
“and if the prize is such a joke, why does anyone care who wins it?”
Because it’s not a joke? I’d expect some of Obama’s critics to cry sour grapes. But they’re mostly partisan hacks. The prize does come with some cash. More important, it can bring attention to the cause of some obscure saint.
Weird that it’s the Obama fans who are crapping on the idea of the award.
“and if the prize is such a joke, why does anyone care who wins it?”
Because it’s not a joke? I’d expect some of Obama’s critics to cry sour grapes. But they’re mostly partisan hacks. The prize does come with some cash. More important, it can bring attention to the cause of some obscure saint.
Weird that it’s the Obama fans who are crapping on the idea of the award.
The news headlines are something akin to what The Onion would publich : “Obama Awarded Nobel Peace Prize For Bringing Hope To The World”.Soon the White House will become a pilgrimage site for the faithful seeking a cure for their ills. MAybe he’ll turn water into beer and pass it around.
The award is a joke, in the sense that having a contest for “peace” kind of doesnt make sense.
You have this list of people, who have done such great things with their time on this planet and this other group of people gathers at a table to judge, who is the “ultimate” nice guy. “This guy is nice, but that other guy is a shit ton nicer”.
Recognition is great because it beings attention to events around the world, but when it makes people say “Fuck that guy who saved a ten thousand babies. I know a guy a saved 10,001 babies”, it starts to make the award look superficial.
I wish that they give it to Gaddafi next year to further bolster their credibility. Also, the acceptance speech would be awesome.
She’s never heard of you, either, except she has the Grammy and Oscar nominations, while haven’t even acquired a fully functioning sense of humor yet. She wins.
No Biggie, Maya. it’s all good. we all make simple mistakes like that. lol. nothing to blog about.
what disturbs me is not the fact that obama hasn’t done anything yet for which he deserves this award, but the things that he has done which should prevent him from receiving a peace award. during his tenure so far not only has he not stopped any of the wars that were handed to him but in fact is escalating the Afghanistan war including authorizing bombings which produce results like this. not only is he continuing the preventive detention policies (which he was against as a candidate) but at one point he wanted to actually strengthen them. his administrations record on transparency is dismal (again something he promised as a candidate), including their recent support of libermann’s amendment to the freedom of information act . the expansion of Bagram (and his policies there) is another example. i do appreciate the way his has recently handled iran and his stance on israeli settlements, but these are far outweighed by the above.
what disturbs me is not the fact that obama hasn’t done anything yet for which he deserves this award, but the things that he has done which should prevent him from receiving a peace award. during his tenure so far not only has he not stopped any of the wars that were handed to him but in fact is escalating the Afghanistan war including authorizing bombings which produce results like this. not only is he continuing the preventive detention policies (which he was against as a candidate) but at one point he wanted to actually strengthen them. his administrations record on transparency is dismal (again something he promised as a candidate), including their recent support of libermann’s amendment to the freedom of information act . the expansion of Bagram (and his policies there) is another example. i do appreciate the way his has recently handled iran and his stance on israeli settlements, but these are far outweighed by the above.
The mutineers have been pretty ironic lately. None of you guys would has cared about billboard charts till now when Jay Sean is #1. The opposite is true for The Nobel Prize. If someone worthy would have won the Nobel prize there would have been series of posts about it he or she deserves it but when Obama wins one (which he shouldn’t have), instead of calling him out on it, everyone talks about how the prize means nothing at all.
i wonder, all the naysayers and dissenters, did you perhaps voice your discontent when previous undeserving laureates won their prizes (the list is quite long)? were you as loud abt it? maybe you ought to read up on the criteria of what makes for a good prize nominee. easy enough to find on the charter on their website.
i am puzzled how so many deshis are so upset abt this both in the desh and abroad. president obama clearly was shocked as much as the gasping people were at the announcement, and he clearly accepted in with due humility, turning the prize into something others beyond him are deserving.
i’d say the sort of reaction to president obama’s nobel peace prize is exactly one of the very reasons they gave it to him. hope wins over cynicism.
also, show some respect, it’s “president” obama, he’s not your college buddy! unless.. ahrm, he is actually your buddy from college, in which case, carry on.
anon-i-mouse wrote:
or when arafat et al, yet still no palastinian peace or state, or al gore, yet people still don’t care abt climate change… etc etc etc…
why the agro? i think it has little to do with whether it is deserving or not (which it clearly is according to the the committee’s charter/criteria).
what disturbs me is not the fact that obama hasn’t done anything yet for which he deserves this award, but the things that he has done which should prevent him from receiving a peace award. during his tenure so far not only has he not stopped any of the wars that were handed to him but in fact is escalating the Afghanistan war including authorizing bombings which produce results like this. not only is he continuing the preventive detention policies (which he was against as a candidate) but at one point he wanted to actually strengthen them. his administrations record on transparency is dismal (again something he promised as a candidate), including their recent support of libermann’s amendment to the freedom of information act . the expansion of Bagram (and his policies there) is another example. i do appreciate the way his has recently handled iran and his stance on israeli settlements, but these are far outweighed by the above.
guys, harsh much? i dont think mia thought this one through properly but she isn’t the first person in the world to tweet something off-hand. you cant expect people to always come up with a perfectly well-thought-out researched and historically accurate comparison that is a perfect fit in every way. she was just trying to make the point that obama doesn’t deserve the award, a point made by like half of twitter that day.
We may think President Obama doesn’t deserves this NPP so soon, but you know what he doesn’t serve even more? all this venom from all over the political spectrum.
The vast majority of the people who suddenly are experts on who should get the NPP probably couldn’t even name who got it last year or can articulate what the official criteria is without Googling it now. You don’t really give a @#$% who gets the NPP each year, so save me the nuclear outrage now.
It is their prize and can award it to whom they feel fits their criteria. We can agree or disagree with them without being such jerks to President Obama.
Take it out on the Nobel Committee not President Obama. They are the ones who made the choice.
This is their criteria: “According to Nobel’s will, the Peace Prize is to go to whoever “shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses”.” http://nobelpeaceprize.org/en_GB/about_peaceprize/
This is their reasoning why they gave it to President Obama. “For 108 years, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has sought to stimulate precisely that international policy and those attitudes for which Obama is now the world’s leading spokesman. The Committee endorses Obama’s appeal that “Now is the time for all of us to take our share of responsibility for a global response to global challenges.” ” Read it all here: http://nobelpeaceprize.org/en_GB/home/announce-2009/
And no, I don’t think he should have gotten it so soon, but I am not ripping him apart for it. Think about it. Last year someone threw his shoes at our then President. This year our President gets a Nobel award. Things have changed.
This is their criteria: “According to Nobel’s will, the Peace Prize is to go to whoever “shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses”.” http://nobelpeaceprize.org/en_GB/about_peaceprize/
This is their reasoning why they gave it to President Obama. “For 108 years, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has sought to stimulate precisely that international policy and those attitudes for which Obama is now the world’s leading spokesman. The Committee endorses Obama’s appeal that “Now is the time for all of us to take our share of responsibility for a global response to global challenges.” ” Read it all here: http://nobelpeaceprize.org/en_GB/home/announce-2009/
And no, I don’t think he should have gotten it so soon, but I am not ripping him apart for it. Think about it. Last year someone threw his shoes at our then President. This year our President gets a Nobel award. Things have changed.