I have not read many Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speeches, but the one that Obama just gave made me feel like I was reading the Onion. Here are the highs, lows, and some commentary.
Highs:
1. Obama doesn’t pretend that he is not a war lord. Well, at least not if you take his rhetoric to its logical conclusion.
2. Obama seems to be somewhat aware of just war theory, unlike his predecessor. Or, his speechwriting team checked Wikipedia.
3. Obama seems to be trying to be honest and admits that he is not the best candidate for a peace prize. And then he tells us why it is still okay for him to accept it—a quintessential politician.
Lows:
Too many to mention. But this just about sums it all up: Obama articulates his Gospel of War to justify his acceptance of a prize for peace. Obama’s Gospel of War is remarkable. It overrides history, Gandhi, Dr. King, and more. Here are some excerpts:
War, in one form or another, appeared with the first man. At the dawn of history, its morality was not questioned; it was simply a fact, like drought or disease — the manner in which tribes and then civilizations sought power and settled their differences.
I know there is nothing weak, nothing passive, nothing naive in the creed and lives of Gandhi and King.
But as a head of state sworn to protect and defend my nation, I cannot be guided by their examples alone.
The United States of America has helped underwrite global security for more than six decades with the blood of our citizens and the strength of our arms.
So yes, the instruments of war do have a role to play in preserving the peace.
We can understand that there will be war, and still strive for peace.
Commentary:
While it seems like a good thing that Obama appears to know what he is doing, what he is actually doing is nothing to be proud of. Comparing Bush vs. Obama is like differentiating between ignorant neglect and willful harm. Which is worse? In practice, I don’t really know. We need better options than this. It is like asking me if I would prefer to be branded by a hot iron for my “good” by some mindless buffoon or carefully tortured by a more enlightened antagonist.
To be clear: Obama is wrong—dangerously wrong. War is not a primordial feature of man. War is not eternal. Non-violence is not passé. War is never a means to peace. War is only a means to—rarely justified—moral tragedy. The USA is not a State of exception when it comes to the waging of war and its record speaks for itself. The logic of war is an ideology that literally makes peace impossible. Under this logic, Obama fails to bring us change; much less change we can or should believe in.
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