Peace we can believe in?

I am not sure weather to laugh or cry, having wathced a clearly embarrassed Barack Obama accepting the Nobel Peace Price, not for having done a lot of peace work but for just leading the US on a slightly different course.

Slighly less warrior like; slightly more climate aware; slightly less capitalistic.

Don't get me wrong; Obama is my second favourite US president in my living time (the definite first place holder plays the sax and actually accomplished a lot), and I really think he has a shot to be a great president. I believe his motivation is sincere, BUT he is also very concious of the limitations of his office and do not go further in his changes than the general public of the US will accept. So, it may be that at the end of his term, there is still a war going on in the middle east, partly fuled by a US supported, war mungering Israel. It may still be war in Afghanistan, fuled by a western alliance that makes war but can't manage to build peace. 50 million US americans may still lack decent health care (not to mention the health care issues of the non-US americans). And US patent laws may still stiffle the IT industry to ensure the richest get even richer.

I hope he can make a difference. I believe he has a good shot at actually accomplishing something. But he had deserved the opportunity, in 8 years from now, to be acclaimed for what he actually changed in the world.

Very few people in the world have the power to force the will of the president of the United States. But the Nobel Comittee have proven they have. They get the opportunity to bask in the glow of a popular president. Instead of taking the opportunity to put the spotlight on forgotten warriors of peace. That also worries me a lot.


But enough gloomy thoughts:-) A famous saying from the sixties is "make love, not war". And our second life is really full of that. Love, that is:-) Yes, a bit war too, but in our fantasy world, love is actually dominating. So maybe next year, Mark Kingdom (aka M Linden) will be received in the Oslo City Hall, accepting the Nobel Price on behalf of the peace loving population of Second Life? LOL, now, is that a mind blowing enough thought on a lazy friday afternoon?

Anyway, congratulations Mr President, and welcome to Norway!