What can we do?

Editorial

The common theme is that nothing has been accomplished. The loudest noise comes from the extreme right and the fundamentalists. Let's examine the public record a bit.

Relating to the UN: Obama is the first US president ever to preside over a Security Council session. He offered a resolution that calls for nuclear disarmament by all nations. It was endorsed unanimously. His exemplary words are right on: April 5th, Prague: [The United States would] "seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons." (Who among us listened?} Consider also: Obama has moved ahead on the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. He is renewing the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty with Russia. The Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty is also in his sights. To date, the US and its polar opposites have been wary of one another. And this has essentially stalled progress on these three pillars. Obama bought immense goodwill on the other side when he cancelled the antimissile program in Europe. These are not in the future, they are done deeds. The Nobel Committee obviously does not listen to Fox news. Obama has a sticky problem with India. Mr Bush gave India special status regarding the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. Of course this back step now is demanded by the likes of Iran and Israel. Obama is not supporting India's special status. Obama is the first American president to stand up to Israel. For the importance and necessity of doing that, see the results of three different analyses: 2003; 2009; and 2009a. Of course there is a rocky road ahead, and much better than we, Obama knows just how rocky. By cooling the temper of the world communities, Obama has achieved an historic success, even if it only lasts for his administration. He has shown the way. One of Obama's closer-to-home accomplishments came in his reaction to the crisis in Honduras. He did the right thing in opposing the military coup. It happened anyway, but the up-side is that America's stock in democratic Latin American nations is now flying higher than it has in a long time.

It is our considered opinion that Obama was an excellent choice for this year's Peace Prize. The above eclipses what anyone else has accomplished on the nuclear issue in 2008. Truman had the first opportunity and he missed the opportunity to institute world controls.

It is high irony that while the extreme right and fundamentalists claim to follow a man of humility--Jesus--they preach and practice war as a cure for violence. They are not alone in their genetic predispositions. See Peace Via Nature's Way for a quick summary and index.