Home >> United States & Canada >> President Barack Obama

     Email   Print 

America: Time to honor it with a Nobel Peace Prize

Bhuwan Thapaliya - 12/31/2009

The Norwegian Nobel Committee has awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 to President Barack Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples. I am happy for the great man and an inborn leader but instead The Nobel Peace Prize committee should have awarded the prize to America – a nation that has fought for others' liberty more than any other nation in the history of the world.

America is the nation of peace and it is the nation of peace keepers – it’s government which showers the tax payers money to end conflict the world over, its citizen who pays the tax and the men and women of the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps of every race and religion who work together as one, alien and isolated - far from their families, motivated chiefly by their mission to keep the peace, strengthen the rule of democratic law and by the law, and expand the borders of freedom.

And how could the world forget those Americans who have gone on countless humanitarian rescue missions after earthquakes, tsunamis, and floods from the mountains of Pakistan to the islands of Indonesia . How could the world forget the history? Wasn’t it America who liberated Europe from the grip of Nazi fascism and East Asia from Japanese tyranny in the Second World War? Wasn’t it America who protected Europe from Communist dictatorship throughout the 50 years of the cold war?

Wasn’t it America and her allies who stopped Saddam from swallowing Kuwait ?

Aren’t American soldiers standing today at outposts in the mountains and deserts of Afghanistan to give that country, and particularly its women and girls, a chance to live a decent life free from the Taliban’s religious totalitarianism. Flip open the history books to know more the humanitarian deeds of America and its peace keepers.

Furthermore, what is most remarkable about the American foreign policy is that it has continued to help the world even when terrorists continue to set bombs to maim America and her people, and more than once America has carried the world’s military burden alone for the benefit of others. This is not an argument that America ’s critics, find easy to swallow. But this is the fact and it doesn’t seize to exist just because it is ignored.

Some countries think, its high time America pulled its troops out of Afghanistan . But deep inside, the whole world knows the consequence if the American soldiers leave Afghanistan any time soon. The question is whether America does extra soldiering alongside the world, or eventually does it alone. After all, terrorist’s number one target, America , would be the first to suffer along side with Russia , China , India , Pakistan etc if the Afghan crisis got out of hand.

Cross –border terrorism will be one of the most difficult international challenges in coming years and America has already realized this as exemplified by its fight against terrorism with a sole determination of making the world a better place to live for all. Critics of America ’s war against terrorism have alleged that any war is inherently bad for peace. But by allowing the terrorist to make their own individual decision would one day lead to a complete social catastrophe – a society always at war within. That would be a shame for developing countries and developed countries alike. So the time to curb the terrorism crisis is now, and America is leading the way.

So for all these reasons — I think its time to honor the great nation with a noble peace prize. If it wasn’t for America , then the world wouldn’t be as stable as it is now in the midst of all ongoing conflicts. America ’s role in international peace, security, and promoting international cooperation for economic and social development can never be redeemed. Perhaps, in the year 2010, we may see America winning the Noble Prize for Peace. Is the Norwegian Nobel Committee listening?