If they thought they were choosing an award winner that would somehow repudiate American actions on the world stage in recent history then they got a very big surprise from our president. So to did American conservatives and dyed in the wool nationalists who believe in American exceptionalism.
The opening remarks were for the Nobel Committee when President Obama stated the obvious, "And yet I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the considerable controversy that your generous decision has generated. In part because I am at the beginning, and not the end, of my labors on the world stage." Compared to some of the giants of history who have received this prize- Scwheitzer and King, Marshall and Mandela- my accomplishments are slight."
In diplomatic parlance, this is the equivalent of asking what the Hell were you dummies thinking?
The rest of the speech essentially was a no nonsense embrace of American foreign policy since our arrival as a major power on the global scene. The president simply laid out the obvious, when referencing the non violence of King and Ghandi he said,
"But as a head of state sworn to protect and defend my nation, I cannot be guided by their examples alone. I face the world as it is, and cannot stand idle in the face of threats to the American people. For make no mistake: Evil does exist in the world. A nonviolent movement could not have halted Hitlers armies. Negotiations cannot convince al-Qaidas leaders to lay down their arms. To say that force is sometimes necessary is not a call to cynicism — it is a recognition of history, the imperfections of man and the limits of reason."
What Obama made clear is that when the smoke and rhetoric of elections clears it is the interest and the values of the nation that come first. By fully embracing the policies of the president's who have come before him (yes Geo Bush) he has made clear that we are not likely to abdicate our responsibilities on the world's stage. Nice job Mr. President.
Attached is the complete text.
