On Friday, US President Barack Obama was selected as the winner of the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize for striving to get the world rid of nuclear weapons and this has set public social networks, especially Twitter, on fire.
The decision to award one of the world's top accolades to a president less than nine months into his first term, who has yet to score a major foreign policy success, came as a major surprise, with some even questioning if the Nobel Committee lowered their standard.
People across the world are expressing their outrage and surprise at the decision, with tweets comparing Obama to Mahatma Gandhi saying the latter deserved the prize more than the US President. One user, bangitslauren: RT @OLIVIAfresh, writes: So obama gets the nobel peace prize and ghandi doesn't? Wtf is the world coming to?
InThaTayer tweets: Uhm okay so Ghandi and Obama can't win the same award. Truth? Obama = eliminated because Ghandi does real stuff. One user, LeoAugustine: @i_p_t, even commented that all the followers of Gandhi, from Martin Luther King Junior to Obama, have won the peace prize but "Gandhi was never awarded".
Another questioned whether it would be constitutional for Obama to receive the Nobel Prize. "...The potential issue comes from the Constitution, Article I, Section 9, Clause 8 which reads; "No Title of Nobility shall be granted by the United States: And no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State..."
Referring to the growing disenchantment among the American people of the state of their country's economy, Kovalb tweets: Maybe next year Obama will win the Nobel prize for economics; after he destroys what's left of the US economy.
Most twetters wanted to know what Obama had done to deserve the nobel prize, especially since the US was thinking of increasing US presence in Afghanistan.
Southparkfl: OBAMA WON THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE YET HE WANTS TO GO 2 WAR ITH IRAN AND INCREASING TROOPS TO AFGHANISTAN HOW IS THAT PEACEFUL?
One tweet from dsdesigns said, "will give obama a much deserved nobel peace prize after he ends both wars. WHAT! 2009 gave him one already."
Some were outraged that Obama got the peace prize for "doing nothing". Bradenwh says: If Obama receives a Nobel Peace Prize for accomplishing nothing, what will he get when (if) he actually accomplishes something? while BuckOhFive tweets, "Obama has been awarded the Nobel Peace prize. I thought you had to do something to win one. I'm entering Gabe, my cat, next year."
Marklawrence said,"will we always be asking of Obama, 'is he living up to the Peace Prize?'
gharbutts: @teeuh I'm not angry at him, I'm pissed at the idiots who worship obama enough to award him a prize for talking about stuff.
Twitter had its share of Obama's supporters also, who were saying that at least he is trying to change the world. In her blog, Joan Walsh explained why she thought Obama deserved the prize. "I loved what French President Nicholas Sarkozy (not always an Obama fan) said about why the U.S. president really got the Nobel Peace Prize: "The award marks America's return to the heart of the people of the world." That deserves a prize," she wrote.
JennyGennyPooh says, "Prez obama is tryn 2 change tha world..baby steps is all he can take...wat tha fuk have u done 2 change tha world..STOP HATIN", while Rearnakedclub tweets: If the world wishes to celebrate the US/Pres. Obama, it should support an effort against a common enemy. Iraq was not an enemy. Taliban is.
Some tweets pointed out that Obama received the Nobel Peace Prize the same day "we bombed the moon". Others likened his win to not being George Bush with ECOisKEITH saying After President Bush, any president would look like a Noble Peace Prize candidate! Some others liken his win to strange things happening in the week like Marge Simpson appearing on Playboy magazine.
Source: India Syndicate
what is so great about wining a nobel peace prize, do you know tnt was invented by nobel and he made a lot of money selling this explosive.
and i think people did not notice that obama was smart enough to refuse the dinner invitation from the king post the nobel award.
bali ke bakre ko pehele khilana padta hai, that is what the nobel award is all about, did you not notice what happened to gorbachev
i am sure mahatma gandhi would have refused to accept a nobel peace prize even if he was awarded one.
This the big joke of the century, last nine months he is just talking talking various issue but nothing has change, it may be known to the world after two year down the line. Giving Nobel Prize in this stage is pre-mature.
Grace r r
Strange, Nobel Peace Prize just on finger tips or to say on palm! Please don't reduce ratings of Peace Prize. Just about nine months in seat, here is a prize on the platter! Are we assured there will be no nuclear dangers? In nine plus months, Nobel Peace Prize? In nine plus months, the person is being compared to Gandhiji? Strange, one needs to know the deeds of Gandhiji: sacrifices, truthful dedication to suffering masses, erasing racism from world in the face of strong-arm rulers etc. And here is the suggestion to equalize the the person with Gandhiji. God Save the World!