Peace be with all of us.

I must admit I was as surprised as anyone upon the announcement of President Obama's Nobel Peace Prize. I spent a good part of the time yesterday tormenting those on the right whose heads are continuing to explode.

Another good part of the day I set about to understand the decision. I have to admit I am guilty of what many / most of us are guilty of. Seeing the world from the American Perspective. Remember this is an International Peace Prize not a US Peace Prize.

For the last 8 years the United States under the leadership of George Bush has done pretty much whatever we wanted militarily. The United States had said we are going back into the business of building new types of nuclear weapons. The United States had said we will torture anyone the President / Vice President wishes. We will hold people in secret prisons as long as we desire without cause. We stated, will not talk to anyone who does not agree with us. Let us not forget the true Bush doctrine "you are either with us or against us".

Now when I tuck my son into bed at night and I close my eyes real tight none of that affects me. As a result when a new President comes into office and changes all of the above that as well does not affect me either. However, since this is an international Peace Prize I must attempt to perceive this world from someone else's perspective.

One might understand the new sense of peace that people of the world must sense when they put their children to bed at night. They now know that the World's Most Powerful country is a country that is attempting to be its neighbor not it's master. One can make a valid argument, that shift deserves recognition. I have written only half jokingly that President Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize for "peacefully overthrowing a powerful, violent, and corrupt regime".

Two images come to mind, one is the image of the Iraqi reporter throwing a shoe at President Bush and one is of 200,000 Europeans showing up to listen to candidate Obama speak in Germany. It was only a year ago during the campaign that many, many people (myself included) were talking about the importance that President Obama would make as the new face of the world's most powerful country. Maybe we shouldn't be surprised by this award after all.


I could have saved you a couple of moments by posting this video first it is definately worth a look