The Nobel Peace Prize that President Obama recently was awarded.

He’s gotten a lot of flack over this, especially in the conservative media – he even himself stated that he doesn’t really think he deserves it. And he might be absolutely right, and it sure is a strange nomination and award.

But credit must be given to the Nobel comittee, because they’re not dumb. I believe their major reason for awarding Obama with the peace prize was for his quick actions in reaching out to the muslim world and initiating diplomatic negotiations – something the Bush administration actively refused, much to the detriment of the entire worlds stability. His speech in Kairo alone is applaudable.

Over at Salon.com there’s been a very interesting article written about Obamas work towards stability in the world so far. Much of what is written has never been mentioned in the general media, and one can argue that the democrats are pretty much worthless in reporting their own progress.

Some major important points both from that report and generally:

• The withdrawal of troops from Iraq are ahead of schedule. So far he has brought home 22,000 troops out of Iraq.
• He has cut war spending by $30 billion.
• Pakistan has as we speak today launched a major offensive towards the Taliban strongholds within their borders – as much as a response to the new US leadership as anything.
• He has managed to convince Iran to allow in UN inspections, as a result of direct negotiation.
• His effort towards dragging the US, kicking and screaming, toward a modern healthcare system (last country in the western hemisphere) could result in a much more stable and equal society.
• By dismantling the Bush plan of an aging missile defense system in eastern europe, he has opened up unforeseen diplomatic possibilities with Russia – apart from saving billions of dollars while at the same time planning a much more efficient defense plan in the area.
• His promises to close Guantanamo Bay and the administrations refusal to continue previous torture policies is a big move towards human rights in the world.

So give the guy some credit – and don’t listen to the major news outlets all the time. Obama is a force in the world most of us probably won’t acknowledge until years have passed and history can make its judgement. And so far, I honestly believe history will treat him as possibly one of the most important leaders of our time.

If we give him the chance.

President Obama sent a secret letter to Russia’s president last month suggesting that he would back off deploying a new missile defense system in Eastern Europe if Moscow would help stop Iran from developing long-range weapons, American officials said Monday.

The letter to President Dmitri A. Medvedev was hand-delivered in Moscow by top administration officials three weeks ago. It said the United States would not need to proceed with the interceptor system, which has been vehemently opposed by Russia since it was proposed by the Bush administration, if Iran halted any efforts to build nuclear warheads and ballistic missiles.

Story by New York Times

President Obama is preparing to move ahead with the most ambitious arms-control agenda in decades, calling for dramatic cuts in US and Russian arsenals, a halt to the Bush administration’s plan for a more advanced nuclear warhead, and the ratification of a global treaty banning underground nuclear tests.

Story by Boston Globe