I think what the Nobel committee is really doing is awarding the Peace Prize to the American people for the accomplishment of overcoming their entrenched fears and prejudices and electing someone who is an outspoken opponent of the policies that have alienated America from the international community. His race matters, of course, because his skin color reminds the world of both America's shameful history and her efforts to atone for it; but what really makes his race meaningful is that his politics are not those of appeasement but are descended from the civil rights struggle. In other words, we didn't elect a "safe" black man like, say, Colin Powell or Clarence Thomas; we elected someone who openly questioned the system and worked within it for the purpose of achieving social justice. His race also matters to the many nations with majority non-white populations, signaling the hope that their voices will be heeded by the most powerful countries on earth. Electing Obama finally fulfills the promise of the Declaration of Independence by doing something no European country has yet done, which is to recognize that national identity is not tied to a specific ethnicity. Obama has already changed the global dialogue by engaging the world in the kind of discussion no world leader has ever done before, creating a new tone that will be the template for all future leaders and making it possible for nations to cooperate on their shared concerns. I know it seems like we have yet to see "results", but it should be understood that finding the solutions to problems like climate change, trade issues, international law and the Middle East conflicts will evolve over time, not be solved with one gesture, and that this requires an atmosphere in which issues can be discussed rationally and compassionately. Obama has already created this atmosphere, which has not heretofore existed on the world's political stage, and this is indeed a great accomplishment, for which he - and us - richly deserve recognition.

(In fact, just think how the economy would be stimulated if everyone who voted for Obama were given the Nobel Prize...)

"that this requires an atmosphere in which issues can be discussed rationally and compassionately. Obama has already created this atmosphere, which has not heretofore existed on the world's political stage,"

Ahh, someone has forgotten the interwar years, Kellogg-Briand et al.

Great post and to the point! The neocons and Bushitas will pounce on it (see bill's response for a typical reply), but you have posted the true essence of why Obama got the Peace prize.

"no European country has yet done, which is to recognize that national identity is not tied to a specific ethnicity."

Mostly because in a lot of European countries people are not obsessed about ethinicity enough for anybody know, or care, about person's background. I never really cared about my Italian or Austrian roots until showing up in the US one day and everybody making a big deal out of it (I consider myself as Polish and so did everybody else when I was growing up).

Also, lack of big population of people of African descent in a lot of Northen Europe these days happens to be the result of, not rasism, but LACK OF BLACK SLAVERY. Yes, it is extremly annoying to be accused of rasism for the sole reason that your ancestors never owned slaves and never needed a revelation "hey, let's treat the blacks like human beings" and than pretend like it is a greatest achievement in the world.

There's actually quite a bit of racism in Europe, specifically western Europe. Have you ever watched some of the televised soccer matches taking place in Spain? Quite a few Spanish fans throw bananas on the field when their own African players come onto the field. And these incidents aren't isolated to Spain. Italy, France and Germany has it's share of awful public displays of this type of behavior. The sad thing is it's repeated behavior, leading me to believe it's not widely condemned over there. Imagine if that were to happen at a football game over here.

To say they're not obsessed with ethnicity over there is a stretch. In a comparison between the US and Europeans, I'd say we're decades ahead. Don't get me wrong, we have a long ways to go, but we're still way ahead of most of the rest of the world with regards to ethnic tolerance.

And karalesh, great post by the way. Very well said.