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http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2009-12-10-obama-nobel-prize-oslo_N.htm In Nobel speech, Obama hails pacifism, defends use of force By Mimi Hall and David Jackson, USA TODAY President Obama accepted the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo on Thursday with a mix of humility and defiance to answer critics who said he won the prestigious prize too soon and questioned whether it was deserved. Little more than a week after he ordered an escalation of troops to Afghanistan, Obama acknowledged that his role as commander in chief of a nation at war was "perhaps the most profound" of the controversies surrounding his receipt of a prize given to leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. and former South African president Nelson Mandela. Though he hailed the "moral force of non-violence," Obama said that as a head of state, he must be guided by his oath to defend the United States. "I face the world as it is and cannot stay idle in the face of threats to the American people," Obama said. "For make no mistake: Evil does exist in the world. A non-violent movement could not have halted Hitler's armies. Negotiations cannot convince al-Qaeda's leaders to lay down their arms." FULL TEXT: Obama's Nobel speech PHOTOS: Obama accepts Nobel Peace Prize U.S. PRESIDENTS: Four honored as Nobel laureates He acknowledged it was early in his career for him to win the coveted award: "Compared to some of the giants of history who have received this prize my accomplishments are slight." In Washington, where members of Congress debated health care and spending bills Thursday, there was little reaction to Obama's speech, delivered on another continent as many people in the USA were waking up. Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, who called it "unfortunate" when it was announced in October that Obama had won the prize, said nothing. Congressional Republicans also were silent. Even Obama's Democratic allies, effusive in their praise a few months ago, were quiet. At House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's morning news conference, no one asked her about Obama's speech, and she didn't bring it up. Caroline Wadhams, an expert on Afghanistan at the liberal Center for American Progress, called Obama's speech an effort to "set out his vision on foreign policy." Last week's address announcing an immediate buildup of 30,000 troops in Afghanistan was an explanation of his decision on national security grounds, she said. The Nobel remarks mapped out what motivates him more broadly, she said, including that "the use of force can be justified morally." Reginald Dale, a senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said he was glad Obama made that pitch in Norway to the "pacifist, leftist, European intellectuals who need to hear some of that." MR. AND MRS. SMITH: In Oslo to host Nobel Prize concert FAITH & REASON: Exploring the "just war" theory ARCHIVE: Obama wins Nobel Peace Prize, says it's a world 'call to action' But he said he doesn't have faith that Obama will keep troops in Afghanistan until the government there is prepared to secure the country against terrorists. Listening to Obama, Dale said, "I thought, 'Gosh, this would be a really good speech given by someone else.' I don't trust him to follow through." Commentary ricocheted around the blogosphere: John Bolton, United Nations ambassador under President George W. Bush, called Obama's speech "pedestrian, turgid and uninspired" on the conservative National Review's website. Jonathan Chait at the liberal-leaning New Republic lauded Obama for rebuking the political left's reflexive opposition to military force as well as the right's "blinkered nationalism." Time magazine's Joe Klein wrote that Obama "did the nation proud" with a speech that "balanced the rationale for going to war against the need to build a more peaceful and equitable world." The speech got mixed reviews in Oslo, where anti-war protesters put up signs featuring Obama campaign posters altered to read, "Change?" The president defended his decision to skip several events typically attended by Nobel winners, including lunch with King Harald V and a concert. Obama blamed his hectic schedule. "I still have a lot of work to do back in Washington, D.C., before the year is done," he said. Obama will receive $1.4 million to go with his Nobel medal. The White House says he will donate the money to charities, which have not been named. Contributing: Associated Press ________________________________________________ Send list submissions to: [email protected] Set your options at: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
