theo|digital

First, the rhetoric on this one has me mad.  One commentator calls the award “wicked and ignorant.”  She asserts that the award is a “great and prestigious award given by liberals to liberals. NCNA–no conservatives need apply. This is the way of the world, and so what? Life isn’t for prizes.”

Good thing this is an Op-Ed and not on the news page–it wouldn’t pass fact check.  Sure, it’s okay if she doesn’t like Al Gore’s prize.  And we wonder too why Reagan never got awarded one.  But she doesn’t mention that many of the candidates are relatively neutral in political affiliation (2006 – an economist  2004 – a zoologist ), but that recipients that are political in modern decades include iconic Republican Henry Kissinger and Conservative Party David Trimble (UK) in 1998.

More importantly:

Beyond the incivility and blithe assumptions of either corruption or idiocy (the ad hominem is always unbecoming), there is a intensely forest-for-the-trees like understanding that is missing from many of the critics.  Maybe we can understand what it is by watching the short interview of Committee Member Geir Lundestad explain the award:

Interview about the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize (8 minutes)

Lundested official’s official Nobel statement includes the following:

“he has produced a new global climate”
“changing the international climate IS a concrete achievement” (emphasis his)
“we have been trying to support these ideals for 118 years”

On the objection that Obama’s award is premature:

“we have gone over these arguments… they are very obvious.” … “there are the obvious counter-arguments” “but he presents this wonderful agenda and we feel we should support him.” ” We have been over these arguments many many times, obviously”

The reality is that discourse, covenant, promise, words with intent… *are* real action. Let’s please stop saying things like “just words.” Words are real action. We believe this daily in big and small things: every time we say a wedding vow or give a hug or sign a form to volunteer at a school. In systems of nations and families and trade networks, speech-acts have a multiplying real effect. The Nobel committee understands this.

What they might have missed is that there is a portion of the public that artificially separates “words” and “action.” They’re missing it.

The surprise at the award is entirely justified. It makes sense that some would be concerned. (Nicholas Kristof represents). Many (but not all) of the awards in the past seem to be given more as “lifetime achievement awards.” But as the committee has explained, this is was not Nobel’s intent for the prize. And I hope maybe their action (which, case in point: was ‘no more’ than words), helps us unite these ideas of communication and action in more thoughtful light.

Cheesy, but I think this is hilarious/great.

Today, Obama held a townhall meeting in Strasbourg, France. He doing his first European tour after attending the G-20 summit in London. I notice that some of this remarks sound like somebody has been paying attention to communication and culture theory:

…
You’ve served as a center of industry and commerce, a seat of government and education, where Goethe studied and Pasteur taught, and Gutenberg imagined his printing press.

So it’s fitting, because we find ourselves at a crossroads as well, all of us, for we’ve arrived at a moment where each nation and every citizen must choose at last how we respond to a world that has grown smaller and more connected than at any time in its existence.

You know, we’ve known — we’ve known for a long time that the revolutions in communications and technology that took place in the 20th century would help hold out enormous promise for the 21st century, the promise of broader prosperity and mobility, of new breakthroughs and discoveries that could help us lead richer and fuller lives. But the same forces that have brought us closer together have also given rise to new dangers that threaten to tear our world apart, dangers that cannot be contained by the nearest border or the furthest ocean.

Full transcript here.

If you live with me on the north side of Chicago, then we’ve got a special election coming up fast: 3 March 2009. We’ve gotta replace Rahm Emmanuael, who moved on to be President Obama’s chief of staff.

There’s a slew of candidates, and I’m just starting to sort them out. Common wisdom would say that the winner of the Democractic primary will win the election itself, but there are a number of active Republican and Green Party candidates having their own contest, so we’ll see.

The Chicago Tribune Editorial board has a list of the candidates, their endorsement, and some video of interviews with each.

Scot McKnight super graciously invited me to share some thoughts on my trip to Washington DC for the Presidential Inauguration.  He’s posted my article today on his Beliefnet blog, Jesus Creed .

Finally had time to post photos.

Presidential Inauguration

I’m sure there are a variety of better thoughts in queue ready for me to post, but I liked the Daily Herald ’s direct and wry take on Blagojevich’s latest press conference explaining why he will refuse to attend his own impeachment in Springfield. (They add the little “Note:” parts, not me).

Watch the actual press conference below, which our favorite Governor . Rod Blagojevich compared himself Friday to an honest, hardworking (wait for it…) cowboy. Also the part where he says that if the state government can treat him this way, they can do it to any Illinois citizen–watch out! Too bad the “impeachment” part of the state constitution maybe doesn’t apply to, say, all of us.

Blagojevich’s talking points
Published: 1/24/2009 12:01 AM
Embattled Gov. Rod Blagojevich talked for more than an hour at a news conference and during a morning radio program, Don Wade & Roma on WLS 890AM. Here are some key points:

On how some of his closest advisers and friends are now cooperating with federal investigators:

“I’m deeply hurt by some friends.”

Blagojevich has been accused of being crazy. Chicago Mayor Richard Daley has called him ‘cuckoo’ twice.

“I feel my mental state is where it always has been … and you can judge whether or not that is a good place or a bad place.”

Federal investigators have been probing Blagojevich’s administration for six years. Didn’t he expect them to tap his phone as they did?

“I think anyone who comes out of Chicago politics should assume things like that … while it is shocking in so many ways that your home phone is tapped.”

On the profanity in the transcripts of the tapped phone conversations:

“I apologize for some of the profanity, but if I would have known they were listening, I wouldn’t have used those words.”

Any regrets?

“Knowing what I know now after the presidential election, I would have taken a two-month vacation and not talked to anybody.”

(Note: Two months was about the time span his phones were tapped)

On his haggling over the Senate appointment, which he was ultimately arrested for:

“At the end of the day, it was all about trying to do the right thing for the people of Illinois.”

(Note: Prosecutors say Blagojevich was taped telling his chief of staff the pick would be based on “the following order of importance: ‘our legal situation, our personal situation, my political situation. This decision, like every other one, needs to be based upon that. Legal. Personal. Political.’ “)

Blagojevich said he is “calling on the major newspapers in Illinois” to write about how the impeachment trial is unfair. He noted how journalism can’t be gagged by the government.

(Note: Prosecutors say they have Blagojevich on tape trying to get editors of the Chicago Tribune fired for writing editorials calling for his impeachment even before his arrest on criminal charges.)

Photos and thoughts will have to come later, but we had the kind of day that you couldn’t have made better.  Incredible opportunity and views of Inauguration Day.  For now… on this overhead photo of the Mall, taken pretty early in the day by Geo-Eye , I’ve marked about where we got to watch the swearing in ceremony.

You”ll prolly have a better view from here than I will, standing in front of the capital steps with 200,000 others (and 4 million others on the Mall). Thought they’ve warned that cell coverage could be spotty, I’ll be trying to live Tweet there on the right –>