Obama Receives A Nobel Peace Prize - Optimism Reigns Extreme

Obama has won the Nobel Peace Prize.

A man leading a country at war, who has increased the number of military personell sent to combat, has won the Nobel Peace Prize.

It seems he has been given the Nobel Peace Prize for his talk, and not his actions. From the NobelPrize.org: 'Obama has as President created a new climate in international politics. Multilateral diplomacy has regained a central position, with emphasis on the role that the United Nations and other international institutions can play. Dialogue and negotiations are preferred as instruments for resolving even the most difficult international conflicts. The vision of a world free from nuclear arms has powerfully stimulated disarmament and arms control negotiations. Thanks to Obama's initiative, the USA is now playing a more constructive role in meeting the great climatic challenges the world is confronting. Democracy and human rights are to be strengthened.'

So, he has 'dialogue' and 'vision', yet he is still at war, sending more troops into combat. As for Obama's human rights record, he has not closed Guantanmo Bay as promised which still holds 223 inmates, and still uses 'state secrets' excuses to prevent classified information being discussed in court trials where the treatment of detainees involves torture. Prisoner abuse at Bagram Prison in Afghanistan continues. But the Nobel Prize is awarded because he says democracy and human rights are to be strengthened.

The only explanation for awarding a person the Nobel Peace Prize based upon promises and talk, and contrary to deeds, must be sheer optimism. Optimism that a politician will actually do what he says, and optimism that talk can solve the worlds lack of peace while concurrently waging war with guns. This is optimism at its most extreme.

This extreme of optimism despite the physical reality fits with the personality of a sucker rally, such as the one seen in 1929 during the Great Depression. Things were so bad during the 2008 credit crunch, countries like Iceland and Pakistan were on the verge of declaring bankruptcy. Now we have an upturn in the economy and social mood, and people are so hopeful that all the bad news is over despite record unemployment and home foreclosures. This type of optimism precedes a great fall, for Obama from public favour and for the rest of us economically.

The very extreme degree of optimism must mean we are at the end of the economic upturn recently experienced.

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