…and so far the speech is first rate.
The acknowledgment of those who came before him, winning the prize due to decades of action and suffering, was and is very important. The call out to those who are actually doing peacemaking and are imprisoned for the cause of freedom (it would have been nice to say a few by name but I’ll take it).
He acknowledges the war and his involvement in deploying troops. He declares it a just war.
He then talks about the history of the 20th century and talks about the doctrine of Just war and makes it clear that the United States is justly proud of it’s actions.
He talks about “A few small men with outsized rage.” That is the best description of the terrorists we fight that I’ve heard. He says that you can not negotiate with Al Qaeda.
“To say that force is sometimes necessary is not cynicism”. Is this Actually Barack Obama talking?
He declares publicly that the peace of the latter half of the 20th century was directly purchased by American power and blood. This is a Nixon/China moment. They would have laughed at George Bush saying that even if it was true.
Whoever wrote this speech isn’t being paid enough, this is clearly the best speech I’ve ever heard him give.
Now he is going back to his normal stuff, he is about to hit Gitmo etc…
Ran outside to sand the walk before the wife leaves for work so missed it from that point where he says Wanting peace is not enough it make it happen.
The only applause he gets is when he hits Gitmo, the torture line is BS. this tells us more about this crowd then anything else.
I think he is going too long now, if he is smart he will cut is short here.
He is now talking about proliferation.
Those who care about their own security can’t ignore localized arms races.
He talks about the need to act rather than sit back concerning sanctions.
He talks about freedom of speech and religion and it’s necessity for peace.
He hits Burma and Zimbabwe and Iran by name holy shit he is sounding like an Actual president!
Update: The Wall Street Journal is liveblogging this speech.
He now gives Copenhagen a thumbs up and plugs climate change. Nonsense but not unexpected.
Hits the concept of “Holy War”, throws a bone to Islam by attacking the Crusades. He hasn’t read his Thomas Madden.
Clearly a first rate speech and a decent job. I think it was very much a Nixon China speech. On Morning Joe they point out that the European left will not like this speech.
Update 2: The NYT Take is here.
Talkleft describes the situation as a travesty of a Mockery, it’s true in my opinion he doesn’t deserve the prize but it’s a consolation that the socialist European left that gave him the prize had to listen to him tell them that their ideal world only exists thanks to American Power and Blood, that’s gotta leave a mark!
I guess this is sort of a non-traditional liveblog of President Obama Nobel Olympic Speech, I’d be interested if people think I should have done a more traditional one with timestamps and more direct quotes.
Update 3: Is it just me or could George Bush have given that speech with only minor alterations?
Update 4: I guess I’m in good company
Sarah Palin and President Obama don’t agree on much, but last year’s Republican vice presidential nominee just gave the president’s defense of “just wars” a thumbs up in an interview with USA TODAY. In fact, she said that the president’s address in Oslo, where he accepted the Nobel Peace Prize today, reminded her of what she wrote on the same subject in her hugely successful memoir, Going Rogue.
Smart woman that.
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