“Nearly every time the Nobel Committee hands its ‘Peace Prize’ to a politician, the hand which accepts it is a hand literally dripping innocent blood. Barack Obama isn’t an exception to that rule — he embodies it. Elected to the US Senate in 2004 on a platform which included opposition to the US war on Iraq, he proceeded to routinely vote in favor of continuing and funding that war as a sitting Senator. As a presidential candidate, he advocated expanding the war in Afghanistan to encompass Pakistan as well, and appears to be following through on that advocacy with increased use of ‘drone’ operations. Of all available policy options in Afghanistan, the first and only one he has explicitly ‘taken off the table’ is US withdrawal. Where did the Nobel Committee go wrong? At least partially, its errors subsists in assuming that politics and peace have, or can have, anything to do with each other.” (10/12/09)