瘋人瘋語

「我離港前到過一間精神科醫院。當時有位病人禮貌地問,一個以作為世上最悠久民主政體而自傲的國家,如何能夠將此地交給一個政治制度非常不同的國家,且既沒諮詢當地公民,又沒給予他們民主的前景,好讓他們捍衞自己的將來。一個隨行同事說,奇怪,香港提出最理智問題的人,竟在精神科醫院。」彭定康 金融時報

“During a visit to a mental hospital before I left Hong Kong, a patient politely asked me how a country that prided itself on being the oldest democracy in the world had come to be handing over his city to another country with a very different system of government, without either consulting the citizens or giving them the prospect of democracy to safeguard their future. Strange, said one of my aides, that the man with the sanest question in Hong Kong is in a mental hospital.”Chris Patten Financial Times

Non Chinese literate friends, please simply switch to English Version provided by LOUSY Google Translation

Please participate in the unregistered demography survey of visitors at the right hand side bar. You are: ?

敬請參與在右下方的不記名訪客分佈調查問卷,你是: ?

Friday, December 11, 2009

2009年度的諾貝爾和平獎

2009年度的諾貝爾和平獎



【Nobelprize.org】The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded by a committee of five, appointed by the Storting (the Norwegain parliament). According to the rules laid down by the Storting, election to the committee is for a six-year term, and members can be re-elected. The committee's composition reflects the relative strengths of the political parties in the Storting. Although this is not a requirement, all committee members have been Norwegian nationals.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee 2009

Thorbjørn Jagland (Chairman)President of the Storting
Geir Lundestad (Secretary)Professor, Director of the Nobel Institute
Kaci Kullmann Five (Deputy Chairman)Adviser Public Affairs
Sissel Rønbeck (Member)Deputy Director, Directorate for Cultural Heritage
Inger-Marie Ytterhorn (Member)Senior political adviser to the Progress Party's Parliamentary Group
Ågot Valle (Member)Member of Parliament



本年度的委員會,把一年一度的諾貝爾和平獎頒予:Barack Obama

委員會的 《註語》是:"for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples"


Time for Hope

【Nobelprize.org】Incumbent Presidents have quite frequently been recipients of the Nobel Peace Prize. US Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson were Laureates while in office, as for instance, were Presidents Mikhail Gorbachev of the USSR and Kim Dae-jung of South Korea.

There have also been current Prime Ministers (Yitzhak Rabin of Israel) and Chancellors (Willy Brandt of the Federal Republic of Germany), but never before has anyone been made a Peace Laureate so early into their term of office.

Barack Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize a little under 10 months after he took up residence in the White House. Nominations for the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize closed just 11 days after he took office.

Barack Obama is the fourth US President to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, the last being Jimmy Carter in 2002. In selecting him, the Norwegian Nobel Committee, which consists of five people appointed by the Norwegian Parliament, or Storting, appear to be endorsing Obama's appeal for greater multilateral cooperation aimed at tackling the thorniest global problems; conflict, nuclear weapons, climate change.

They highlight his efforts to strengthen international diplomacy, and the new climate of dialogue and negotiation that Obama is promoting. Emphasis is also placed on renewed US commitment to international organizations, in particular the United Nations.

The section of Alfred Nobel's will detailing the creation of the Peace Prize states that it should be awarded "to the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses."

In answer to questions during the announcement press conference about how early in Obama's Presidency the award was being made, Thorbjørn Jagland replied that the Committee wanted to demonstrate its support for the approaches he is taking towards global problems.



頒獎禮定于十二月十日在挪威奧斯陸舉行,登文之時應該是當地時間的黃昏,頒獎禮尚還未完成。奧巴馬將會發表講話,但不知會否成為演說,他的說話/演說《文字稿》講在較後時間補登。


要注意:諾貝爾和平獎的頒獎禮和宴會,是和其他的獎項頒獎不同地點的,高錕教授所得的物理學獎,是在瑞典斯德哥爾摩領獎的,而奧巴馬和平獎,是在挪威奧斯陸領獎的。


【Nobelprize.org】The Nobel Prizes in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine and Literature as well as the Economics Prize are awarded on 10 December at the Stockholm Concert Hall in Sweden.

In early December, the Nobel Laureates and the Laureates in Economics arrive in Stockholm, Sweden, to present their Nobel Lectures and to prepare for the Nobel Prize Award Ceremony, traditionally held on 10 December, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel's death.

On the same day, the Nobel Peace Prize Laureates deliver their Nobel Lectures during the Nobel Peace Prize Award Ceremony at the Oslo City Hall in Norway.



就在領獎前的一週,奧巴馬發表的增兵三萬,進駐阿庫汗演說,和建議二零一一年即是十八個月後,開始撤兵,但究竟撤兵的進度是一刀切全撤,還是續小續少撤呢?卻被大選時的對手麥凱恩,在翌日的參議院聽證會中,向國防部長先生和國務卿女士,作出提問,兩人推推拉拉,沒有說清楚。


跟著國防部長先生去到阿庫汗見傀儡總統,一番會談之後,傀儡總統在記者會上,提出最快十五年,才有能力支付防衛費用之說,令到國防部長先生,要出口術補鑊。究竟阿庫汗打敗當年的蘇聯,間接把蘇聯拖垮的塔里班,今次能否把大美國照版煮碗呢?

很想聽聽,奧巴馬在奧斯陸頒獎禮上的演說,他又怎樣自圓其說呢?


後記:報章摘要
【明報即時新問】美國總統周四領取諾貝和平獎後發表演說,他對於得獎佷是感謝,同時亦抱著很謙卑的心情去領獎。

他說,雖然他得到和平獎,但戰爭有時是必須和合理的。他承認,許多人認為他做得不夠,不值得領取和平獎;他也知道自己最近下令增兵三萬人到阿富汗。但人們必須承認,暴力不能根除,國家必須打仗去保衛國民,對付邪惡的政權或恐怖主義組織。

奧巴馬認為,非暴力行動不能阻止希特勒的軍隊;談判不能說服蓋達組織放下武器。他說,承認這點並非等於鼓吹犬儒主義,但必須承認人類並不完美。

美國總統奧巴馬領取諾貝爾和平獎後發表演說,他呼籲要強硬對付像朝鮮和伊朗等違反國際法的國家。

奧巴馬承認,作為一個戰時總統獲得和平獎備受爭議,但他表示,有時必須運用權力,採取行動保衛美國。

他指出,在某種情況下使用武力是必須的和合理的,特別是基於人道的原因。他又提到蓋達組織,他認為談判不能使他們放下武器。

奧巴馬又呼籲採取強硬行動對付違反國際法的國家。以朝鮮和伊朗為例,兩國在核問題與西方對抗,不能再容忍它們玩弄制度。



奧巴馬祇是在內政上,與共和黨血拼,卻沒有 "Change" 美國在外交、政治、軍事,根本政策,祇是重新包裝『大美國主義』,合理化以暴易暴,利用軍事優勢,去欺壓不服從美國國策的國家。就如我在答覆網友的留言所說的,在讀完奧巴馬的領獎演說後,我也沒有需要更改。

Quoting:
『美國總統祇是美國國內不同利益集團的代理人,在初選大選中的競選經費籌款,錢從何來呢?登其大寶之後,主要是拼內政,得益者就是有份輔選,有份捐款的利益集團。

至于外交政治軍事行動,兩黨的總統大同少異。民主共和兩黨背後的利益集團,都是大美國主義,祇是包裝手法不同,都是為美國利益,而威嚇冷戰熱戰,維護美國在全球利益。』


記得曾讀過這一句子,出處我不知道,但想在這裡與各位分享:

"Rome did not create a great empire

by having meetings, they did it by killing

all those who opposed them."



幾千年來的人類歷史是用鮮血寫成的,哀哉!


New York Daily News ~ Barack Obama Nobel Peace Prize speech: Full transcript

【The speech】Your Majesties, Your Royal Highnesses, Distinguished Members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, citizens of America, and citizens of the world:

I receive this honor with deep gratitude and great humility. It is an award that speaks to our highest aspirations — that for all the cruelty and hardship of our world, we are not mere prisoners of fate. Our actions matter, and can bend history in the direction of justice.

And yet I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the considerable controversy that your generous decision has generated. In part, this is because I am at the beginning, and not the end, of my labors on the world stage. Compared to some of the giants of history who have received this prize — Schweitzer and King; Marshall and Mandela — my accomplishments are slight. And then there are the men and women around the world who have been jailed and beaten in the pursuit of justice; those who toil in humanitarian organizations to relieve suffering; the unrecognized millions whose quiet acts of courage and compassion inspire even the most hardened of cynics. I cannot argue with those who find these men and women — some known, some obscure to all but those they help — to be far more deserving of this honor than I.

But perhaps the most profound issue surrounding my receipt of this prize is the fact that I am the Commander-in-Chief of a nation in the midst of two wars. One of these wars is winding down. The other is a conflict that America did not seek; one in which we are joined by 43 other countries — including Norway — in an effort to defend ourselves and all nations from further attacks.

Still, we are at war, and I am responsible for the deployment of thousands of young Americans to battle in a distant land. Some will kill. Some will be killed. And so I come here with an acute sense of the cost of armed conflict — filled with difficult questions about the relationship between war and peace, and our effort to replace one with the other.

These questions are not new. War, in one form or another, appeared with the first man. At the dawn of history, its morality was not questioned; it was simply a fact, like drought or disease — the manner in which tribes and then civilizations sought power and settled their differences.

Over time, as codes of law sought to control violence within groups, so did philosophers, clerics and statesmen seek to regulate the destructive power of war. The concept of a "just war" emerged, suggesting that war is justified only when it meets certain preconditions: if it is waged as a last resort or in self-defense; if the forced used is proportional; and if, whenever possible, civilians are spared from violence.

For most of history, this concept of just war was rarely observed. The capacity of human beings to think up new ways to kill one another proved inexhaustible, as did our capacity to exempt from mercy those who look different or pray to a different God. Wars between armies gave way to wars between nations — total wars in which the distinction between combatant and civilian became blurred. In the span of 30 years, such carnage would twice engulf this continent. And while it is hard to conceive of a cause more just than the defeat of the Third Reich and the Axis powers, World War II was a conflict in which the total number of civilians who died exceeded the number of soldiers who perished.

In the wake of such destruction, and with the advent of the nuclear age, it became clear to victor and vanquished alike that the world needed institutions to prevent another World War. And so, a quarter century after the United States Senate rejected the League of Nations — an idea for which Woodrow Wilson received this Prize — America led the world in constructing an architecture to keep the peace: a Marshall Plan and a United Nations, mechanisms to govern the waging of war, treaties to protect human rights, prevent genocide and restrict the most dangerous weapons.

In many ways, these efforts succeeded. Yes, terrible wars have been fought, and atrocities committed. But there has been no Third World War. The Cold War ended with jubilant crowds dismantling a wall. Commerce has stitched much of the world together. Billions have been lifted from poverty. The ideals of liberty, self-determination, equality and the rule of law have haltingly advanced. We are the heirs of the fortitude and foresight of generations past, and it is a legacy for which my own country is rightfully proud.

A decade into a new century, this old architecture is buckling under the weight of new threats. The world may no longer shudder at the prospect of war between two nuclear superpowers, but proliferation may increase the risk of catastrophe. Terrorism has long been a tactic, but modern technology allows a few small men with outsized rage to murder innocents on a horrific scale.

Moreover, wars between nations have increasingly given way to wars within nations. The resurgence of ethnic or sectarian conflicts, the growth of secessionist movements, insurgencies and failed states have increasingly trapped civilians in unending chaos. In today’s wars, many more civilians are killed than soldiers; the seeds of future conflict are sown, economies are wrecked, civil societies torn asunder, refugees amassed and children scarred.

I do not bring with me today a definitive solution to the problems of war. What I do know is that meeting these challenges will require the same vision, hard work and persistence of those men and women who acted so boldly decades ago. And it will require us to think in new ways about the notions of just war and the imperatives of a just peace.

We must begin by acknowledging the hard truth that we will not eradicate violent conflict in our lifetimes. There will be times when nations — acting individually or in concert — will find the use of force not only necessary but morally justified.

I make this statement mindful of what Martin Luther King said in this same ceremony years ago: "Violence never brings permanent peace. It solves no social problem: It merely creates new and more complicated ones." As someone who stands here as a direct consequence of Dr. King’s life’s work, I am living testimony to the moral force of non-violence. I know there is nothing weak, nothing passive, nothing naive in the creed and lives of Gandhi and King.

But as a head of state sworn to protect and defend my nation, I cannot be guided by their examples alone. I face the world as it is, and cannot stand idle in the face of threats to the American people. For make no mistake: Evil does exist in the world. A nonviolent movement could not have halted Hitler’s armies. Negotiations cannot convince al-Qaida’s leaders to lay down their arms. To say that force is sometimes necessary is not a call to cynicism — it is a recognition of history, the imperfections of man and the limits of reason.

I raise this point because in many countries there is a deep ambivalence about military action today, no matter the cause. At times, this is joined by a reflexive suspicion of America, the world’s sole military superpower.

Yet the world must remember that it was not simply international institutions — not just treaties and declarations — that brought stability to a post-World War II world. Whatever mistakes we have made, the plain fact is this: The United States of America has helped underwrite global security for more than six decades with the blood of our citizens and the strength of our arms. The service and sacrifice of our men and women in uniform has promoted peace and prosperity from Germany to Korea, and enabled democracy to take hold in places like the Balkans. We have borne this burden not because we seek to impose our will. We have done so out of enlightened self-interest — because we seek a better future for our children and grandchildren, and we believe that their lives will be better if other people's children and grandchildren can live in freedom and prosperity.

So yes, the instruments of war do have a role to play in preserving the peace. And yet this truth must coexist with another — that no matter how justified, war promises human tragedy. The soldier’s courage and sacrifice is full of glory, expressing devotion to country, to cause and to comrades in arms. But war itself is never glorious, and we must never trumpet it as such.

So part of our challenge is reconciling these two seemingly irreconcilable truths — that war is sometimes necessary, and war is at some level an expression of human feelings. Concretely, we must direct our effort to the task that President Kennedy called for long ago. "Let us focus," he said, "on a more practical, more attainable peace, based not on a sudden revolution in human nature but on a gradual evolution in human institutions."

What might this evolution look like? What might these practical steps be?

To begin with, I believe that all nations — strong and weak alike — must adhere to standards that govern the use of force. I — like any head of state — reserve the right to act unilaterally if necessary to defend my nation. Nevertheless, I am convinced that adhering to standards strengthens those who do, and isolates — and weakens — those who don’t.

The world rallied around America after the 9/11 attacks, and continues to support our efforts in Afghanistan, because of the horror of those senseless attacks and the recognized principle of self-defense. Likewise, the world recognized the need to confront Saddam Hussein when he invaded Kuwait — a consensus that sent a clear message to all about the cost of aggression.

Furthermore, America cannot insist that others follow the rules of the road if we refuse to follow them ourselves. For when we don’t, our action can appear arbitrary, and undercut the legitimacy of future intervention — no matter how justified.

This becomes particularly important when the purpose of military action extends beyond self-defense or the defense of one nation against an aggressor. More and more, we all confront difficult questions about how to prevent the slaughter of civilians by their own government, or to stop a civil war whose violence and suffering can engulf an entire region.

I believe that force can be justified on humanitarian grounds, as it was in the Balkans, or in other places that have been scarred by war. Inaction tears at our conscience and can lead to more costly intervention later. That is why all responsible nations must embrace the role that militaries with a clear mandate can play to keep the peace.

America’s commitment to global security will never waver. But in a world in which threats are more diffuse, and missions more complex, America cannot act alone. This is true in Afghanistan. This is true in failed states like Somalia, where terrorism and piracy is joined by famine and human suffering. And sadly, it will continue to be true in unstable regions for years to come.

The leaders and soldiers of NATO countries — and other friends and allies — demonstrate this truth through the capacity and courage they have shown in Afghanistan. But in many countries, there is a disconnect between the efforts of those who serve and the ambivalence of the broader public. I understand why war is not popular. But I also know this: The belief that peace is desirable is rarely enough to achieve it. Peace requires responsibility. Peace entails sacrifice. That is why NATO continues to be indispensable. That is why we must strengthen U.N. and regional peacekeeping, and not leave the task to a few countries. That is why we honor those who return home from peacekeeping and training abroad to Oslo and Rome; to Ottawa and Sydney; to Dhaka and Kigali — we honor them not as makers of war, but as wagers of peace.

Let me make one final point about the use of force. Even as we make difficult decisions about going to war, we must also think clearly about how we fight it. The Nobel Committee recognized this truth in awarding its first prize for peace to Henry Dunant — the founder of the Red Cross, and a driving force behind the Geneva Conventions.

Where force is necessary, we have a moral and strategic interest in binding ourselves to certain rules of conduct. And even as we confront a vicious adversary that abides by no rules, I believe that the United States of America must remain a standard bearer in the conduct of war. That is what makes us different from those whom we fight. That is a source of our strength. That is why I prohibited torture. That is why I ordered the prison at Guantanamo Bay closed. And that is why I have reaffirmed America’s commitment to abide by the Geneva Conventions. We lose ourselves when we compromise the very ideals that we fight to defend. And we honor those ideals by upholding them not just when it is easy, but when it is hard.

I have spoken to the questions that must weigh on our minds and our hearts as we choose to wage war. But let me turn now to our effort to avoid such tragic choices, and speak of three ways that we can build a just and lasting peace.

First, in dealing with those nations that break rules and laws, I believe that we must develop alternatives to violence that are tough enough to change behavior — for if we want a lasting peace, then the words of the international community must mean something. Those regimes that break the rules must be held accountable. Sanctions must exact a real price. Intransigence must be met with increased pressure — and such pressure exists only when the world stands together as one.

One urgent example is the effort to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons, and to seek a world without them. In the middle of the last century, nations agreed to be bound by a treaty whose bargain is clear: All will have access to peaceful nuclear power; those without nuclear weapons will forsake them; and those with nuclear weapons will work toward disarmament. I am committed to upholding this treaty. It is a centerpiece of my foreign policy. And I am working with President Medvedev to reduce America and Russia’s nuclear stockpiles.

But it is also incumbent upon all of us to insist that nations like Iran and North Korea do not game the system. Those who claim to respect international law cannot avert their eyes when those laws are flouted. Those who care for their own security cannot ignore the danger of an arms race in the Middle East or East Asia. Those who seek peace cannot stand idly by as nations arm themselves for nuclear war.

The same principle applies to those who violate international law by brutalizing their own people. When there is genocide in Darfur, systematic rape in Congo or repression in Burma — there must be consequences. And the closer we stand together, the less likely we will be faced with the choice between armed intervention and complicity in oppression.

This brings me to a second point — the nature of the peace that we seek. For peace is not merely the absence of visible conflict. Only a just peace based upon the inherent rights and dignity of every individual can truly be lasting.

It was this insight that drove drafters of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights after the Second World War. In the wake of devastation, they recognized that if human rights are not protected, peace is a hollow promise.

And yet all too often, these words are ignored. In some countries, the failure to uphold human rights is excused by the false suggestion that these are Western principles, foreign to local cultures or stages of a nation’s development. And within America, there has long been a tension between those who describe themselves as realists or idealists — a tension that suggests a stark choice between the narrow pursuit of interests or an endless campaign to impose our values.

I reject this choice. I believe that peace is unstable where citizens are denied the right to speak freely or worship as they please, choose their own leaders or assemble without fear. Pent up grievances fester, and the suppression of tribal and religious identity can lead to violence. We also know that the opposite is true. Only when Europe became free did it finally find peace. America has never fought a war against a democracy, and our closest friends are governments that protect the rights of their citizens. No matter how callously defined, neither America’s interests — nor the world’s — are served by the denial of human aspirations.

So even as we respect the unique culture and traditions of different countries, America will always be a voice for those aspirations that are universal. We will bear witness to the quiet dignity of reformers like Aung Sang Suu Kyi; to the bravery of Zimbabweans who cast their ballots in the face of beatings; to the hundreds of thousands who have marched silently through the streets of Iran. It is telling that the leaders of these governments fear the aspirations of their own people more than the power of any other nation. And it is the responsibility of all free people and free nations to make clear to these movements that hope and history are on their side.

Let me also say this: The promotion of human rights cannot be about exhortation alone. At times, it must be coupled with painstaking diplomacy. I know that engagement with repressive regimes lacks the satisfying purity of indignation. But I also know that sanctions without outreach — and condemnation without discussion — can carry forward a crippling status quo. No repressive regime can move down a new path unless it has the choice of an open door.

In light of the Cultural Revolution’s horrors, Nixon’s meeting with Mao appeared inexcusable — and yet it surely helped set China on a path where millions of its citizens have been lifted from poverty, and connected to open societies. Pope John Paul’s engagement with Poland created space not just for the Catholic Church, but for labor leaders like Lech Walesa. Ronald Reagan’s efforts on arms control and embrace of perestroika not only improved relations with the Soviet Union, but empowered dissidents throughout Eastern Europe. There is no simple formula here. But we must try as best we can to balance isolation and engagement, pressure and incentives, so that human rights and dignity are advanced over time.

Third, a just peace includes not only civil and political rights — it must encompass economic security and opportunity. For true peace is not just freedom from fear, but freedom from want.

It is undoubtedly true that development rarely takes root without security; it is also true that security does not exist where human beings do not have access to enough food, or clean water, or the medicine they need to survive. It does not exist where children cannot aspire to a decent education or a job that supports a family. The absence of hope can rot a society from within.

And that is why helping farmers feed their own people — or nations educate their children and care for the sick — is not mere charity. It is also why the world must come together to confront climate change. There is little scientific dispute that if we do nothing, we will face more drought, famine and mass displacement that will fuel more conflict for decades. For this reason, it is not merely scientists and activists who call for swift and forceful action — it is military leaders in my country and others who understand that our common security hangs in the balance.

Agreements among nations. Strong institutions. Support for human rights. Investments in development. All of these are vital ingredients in bringing about the evolution that President Kennedy spoke about. And yet, I do not believe that we will have the will, or the staying power, to complete this work without something more — and that is the continued expansion of our moral imagination, an insistence that there is something irreducible that we all share.

As the world grows smaller, you might think it would be easier for human beings to recognize how similar we are, to understand that we all basically want the same things, that we all hope for the chance to live out our lives with some measure of happiness and fulfillment for ourselves and our families.

And yet, given the dizzying pace of globalization, and the cultural leveling of modernity, it should come as no surprise that people fear the loss of what they cherish about their particular identities — their race, their tribe and, perhaps most powerfully, their religion. In some places, this fear has led to conflict. At times, it even feels like we are moving backwards. We see it in the Middle East, as the conflict between Arabs and Jews seems to harden. We see it in nations that are torn asunder by tribal lines.

Most dangerously, we see it in the way that religion is used to justify the murder of innocents by those who have distorted and defiled the great religion of Islam, and who attacked my country from Afghanistan. These extremists are not the first to kill in the name of God; the cruelties of the Crusades are amply recorded. But they remind us that no Holy War can ever be a just war. For if you truly believe that you are carrying out divine will, then there is no need for restraint — no need to spare the pregnant mother, or the medic, or even a person of one's own faith. Such a warped view of religion is not just incompatible with the concept of peace, but the purpose of faith — for the one rule that lies at the heart of every major religion is that we do unto others as we would have them do unto us.

Adhering to this law of love has always been the core struggle of human nature. We are fallible. We make mistakes, and fall victim to the temptations of pride, and power, and sometimes evil. Even those of us with the best intentions will at times fail to right the wrongs before us.

But we do not have to think that human nature is perfect for us to still believe that the human condition can be perfected. We do not have to live in an idealized world to still reach for those ideals that will make it a better place. The nonviolence practiced by men like Gandhi and King may not have been practical or possible in every circumstance, but the love that they preached — their faith in human progress — must always be the North Star that guides us on our journey.

For if we lose that faith — if we dismiss it as silly or naive, if we divorce it from the decisions that we make on issues of war and peace — then we lose what is best about humanity. We lose our sense of possibility. We lose our moral compass.

Like generations have before us, we must reject that future. As Dr. King said at this occasion so many years ago: "I refuse to accept despair as the final response to the ambiguities of history. I refuse to accept the idea that the 'isness' of man’s present nature makes him morally incapable of reaching up for the eternal 'oughtness' that forever confronts him."

So let us reach for the world that ought to be — that spark of the divine that still stirs within each of our souls. Somewhere today, in the here and now, a soldier sees he's outgunned but stands firm to keep the peace. Somewhere today, in this world, a young protestor awaits the brutality of her government, but has the courage to march on. Somewhere today, a mother facing punishing poverty still takes the time to teach her child, who believes that a cruel world still has a place for his dreams.

Let us live by their example. We can acknowledge that oppression will always be with us, and still strive for justice. We can admit the intractability of deprivation, and still strive for dignity. We can understand that there will be war, and still strive for peace. We can do that — for that is the story of human progress; that is the hope of all the world; and at this moment of challenge, that must be our work here on Earth.





伸延閱覽:
The Nobel Peace Prize Committee 2009 Nobelprize.org
Barack Obama Nobelprize.org
Time for Hope Nobelprize.org
Nobel Week 2009 Nobelprize.org
The Nobel Prize Award Ceremonies and Banquets Nobelprize.org
Obama sending 30 thousands more troops into Afghanistan 谷歌新聞搜尋
President Hamid Karzai tells US security aid needed for 15-20 years 谷歌新聞搜尋
太太「演活」 高錕如臨諾獎台上 雅虎新聞網
太太代高錕發表的諾貝爾演說:Sand from centuries past; Send future voices fast.(英文原文) 明報網頁
奧巴馬:戰爭有時是必須 雅虎新聞網
奧巴馬促強硬對付朝鮮伊朗 雅虎新聞網
Barack Obama Nobel Peace Prize speech: Full transcript NYdailynews.com
Barack Obama Nobel Peace Prize speech 谷歌新聞搜尋
奧巴馬領和平獎:「戰爭為了公義」 雅虎新聞網
奧巴馬領和平奬﹕ 「義戰」有理 新浪新聞網
阿富汗戰爭 難符義戰條件 雅虎新聞網



16 comments:

新鮮人 said...

我個人是相信奧巴馬是有心做好事的,
可惜當佢一登寶座,
發覺中東內裏所汗及的利益是何等巨大時,
撒兵自己變得無能為力了,
說到底都是維護國家利益為利,
尤其是美國現時經濟不景,
試問有人能夠放棄中東那口肥豬肉呢?

和平獎實在太早了,
有心無力,
受之有愧!

the inner space said...

新鮮兄:美國總統祇是美國國內不同利益集團的代理人,在初選大選中的競選經費籌款,錢從何來呢?

登其大寶之後,主要是拼內政,得益者就是有份輔選,有份捐款的利益集團。

至于外交政治軍事行動,兩黨的總統大同少異。民主共和兩黨背後的利益集團,都是大美國主義,祇是包裝手法不同,都是為美國利益,而威嚇冷戰熱戰,維護美國在全球利益。


今次諾貝爾和平獎的委員會,若不是走了眼,就是期望過高。更或者是國外利益集團的一項長線投資。

新鮮人 said...

此言差已,
要知道伊拉克重建時,
有多少美國公司參予其中,
你話這純是外交方向就太少看美國人找著數的能力了!
當然仲有油的問題,
點解美國油相對平過香港咁多,
你估都估到啦!

the inner space said...

嗄!新鮮兄:想你太急沒有讀到我寫甚麼罷!
哈哈哈!》至于外交政治軍事行動,兩黨的總統大同少異。民主共和兩黨背後的利益集團,都是大美國主義,祇是包裝手法不同,都是為美國利益,而威嚇冷戰熱戰,維護美國在全球利益。《 請你再讀多次。

香港的石油產品價貴,一方面是政府抽重稅,另一方面是政府對油商監管無能。

exile said...

I didn't expect him to give such a long speech. I read that he wrote most of it himself.

the inner space said...

Exile, on CNN, I saw the faces the committe members when Obama was giving his speech.

exile said...

What are you trying to say, space? Did the committee members have the "regret" look on their faces or something? :-)

I don't mind criticizing our government on domestic issues but when it comes to international affairs, I really don't know enough to have an informed opinion. Let the rest of the world judge our President. He can take it. For what it's worth, I heard Republicans like his speech. As you know, I am an Obama supporter, you won't hear me say bad things about him here. Please understand that your points are well taken though.

the inner space said...

Exile, Like I said to Freshdesigner the foreign policies of RnD are very much the same just the change of wrappings.

Obama followed the same term "EVIL" used by Bush Jr. surely won some points from the republicans.

I heard that the health reform at the senate is close to conclusion, you have any say about that?

exile said...

They are trying to rush the bill thru before X'mas, yeah right, not a chance. I don't want to see them rush into anything. The poll seems to suggest that ObamaCare is failing. To me, they are losing support because
democrats are making way too much compromises. R&D are playing the American people like fools this time. Everyone appears to be gaining a little at first, then if you read between the lines, they find ways to take something back from you. One step forward, two steps back if you know what I mean.

The way it is heading, looks like we are losing the public option again. No one seems to be able to come up with a bill that will actually lower the premium for
everyone. Universal coverage is meaningless if the cost doesn't come down, right? It's one freakin mess. Some of my friends don't even follow it any more. I am a fool. I know I will end up paying more and getting less. It's the American way.

the inner space said...

Exile, TYVM for your insight report.
After reading what you wrote, I have the difficulties in choosing between "pathetic" and "sympathetic", which one is more appropriate?

exile said...

You should be sympathetic to Americans who have to put up with such a pathetic health care system.

the inner space said...

Exile, you are smart by giving an example. Thank you very much.

新鮮人 said...

想必你是誤解了我的意思了,
你着重的是"美國主義",
我着重是實際利益,
支持政客背後的商人不會看什麼主義,
他們只看錢,
所以美國的外交政策根本着眼點就是利益囉!

你成日話我無睇清你寫乜,
其實係你來來去去都只是企番係自己的角度來看喎,
根本無從別人的觀點去看!

the inner space said...

新鮮兄:仍然都是個句: 想你太急沒有讀到我寫甚麼罷!(記得讀埋最尾尾個句噃 :P)
哈哈哈!》至于外交政治軍事行動,兩黨的總統大同少異。民主共和兩黨背後的利益集團,都是大美國主義,祇是包裝手法不同,都是為美國利益,而威嚇冷戰熱戰,維護美國在全球利益。《

新鮮兄:你的每句沒自我都 take it seriouly 架。

所謂大美國主義咪即是要做大佬,分去最多最大份的利益,the biggest piece of the pie,利益包括權利權力 surely inlcude 錢喇。

我重讀兄臺所寫:『他們只看錢,所以美國的外交政策根本着眼點就是利益囉!』

我們的觀點與角度其實是一致噃,想兄臺太急,沒有讀完我最尾尾個句,就生氣動氣罷。

祝好!Space Orz

新鮮人 said...

我没有生氣,
只是"都係嗰句",
你永遠企係自己角度看東西,
和你很難有良好的溝通!

算吧啦!

the inner space said...

新鮮兄:言過其實了,就今次而論,觀點與角度根本就沒有不同,是你硬要說我不站在你的角度來看。

況且兄臺高大威猛,我是矮仔一名,我祇有仰望著你,要擔張凳仔至夠高,好似你個高角度來看。

溝通是要真誠,和基于平等,互雙尊重,put oneself into the mental shoes of another person,不是硬要站在相同高度角度。

Those are my thoughts!