Barack Obama appears to have achieved a great deal on the 'home front' in a relatively short time but the announcement that he has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize took me completely by surprise because I was unaware he had made any significant contribution to 'World Peace'.
Correct me if I am wrong but isn't the US is still at war in Afghanistan? Troops are still in Iraq are they not? Sabre rattling continues towards Iran and North Korea. There is still chaos in the Middle East? Or did I miss something?
Obama has been concentrating on domestic issues since his inauguration. He has given many hopeful speeches, visited a number of countries and even found time to pop to Europe and give his support for an Olympic bid. Hard-working as he is, and even though his speeches inspire hope in many people around the world, my understanding has always been that a Nobel Prize has always been a mark of great contribution in a particular sphere. For actions - not just words.
As far as I am aware there isn't a Nobel Prize for Hope (although perhaps there should be). In the absence of such an award, I think those who decide these matters have opted to give him the Peace Prize as the next best thing. Trouble is, it puts enormous pressure on one man to achieve 'greatness'. He is actually going to have to do something now, other than just deliver a cool speech.
As Shakespeare once wrote: 'Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them'. My concern for Obama is that in having greatness thrust upon him in this way he will mistakenly present himself cross-gartered to the world and end up as foolish as Malvolio.




So has the first Cyber War begun?
Back in 2006, when I first stumbled on the film 'V for Vendetta' you would have been hard pressed to find anyone who would go along with the conspiracy theories that fuelled the plot. After all, they would say, nothing like that could possibly happen in this day and age - we're much too smart. And besides, ordinary folk just don't get off the benches and do that sort of thing. Interesting then that the Anonymous group, alleged to be behind the attacks, has adopted the Guy Fawkes mask from the film as their collective avatar as they ostensibly stand up against the demise of the WikiLeaks site and arrest of Assange. But are they the 'ordinary folk' behind the mask that they purport to be? Elsewhere the hackers have been described as ordinary people rising up to 'right the wrongs' they perceive to have occurred. There are definitely some serious wrongs going on in this sorry saga, but I do wonder if these 'ordinary hackers' are sincere in their stand for 'the people's rights' , whether they have stopped to consider the consequences of their actions or whether they are merely keen to exercise a little anarchistic muscle.
It might seem inconsequential for most of us - something happening beyond our control out there in cyberspace - where, let's face it, many mostly go to check Facebook, chat on Twitter or email out some Christmas greetings. Truth is, even if claims of the first global cyber war have been exaggerated, the implications of the online actions of all those involved - from WikiLeaks, to Governments, hackers to downloaders - are considerable.
I am sure I am not alone in thinking that the players who withdrew services from the WikiLeaks site did so to maintain their political licence to operate, rather than to ensure everyone toed the line when it came to site terms and conditions. Shame should rest on the political masters who may have engineered such reactions. I am also convinced that at least some of the hackers currently dealing out 'payback' are doing it because the WikiLeaks affair provides a useful sandbox environment that allows them to see just how far they can get. Now, as always, two wrongs don't make a right.
As with all wars, the innocent are the ones caught in the middle and even a cyber war will see casualties mounting. Sadly, I suspect the first great loss will be the opportunity the web provides for Freedom of Speech. Another bleakly Orwellian view I can glimpse is that Freedom of Thought would be the next human right to bite the dust as first the governments, then the web giants, then the hackers seek to control - from behind their respective and particular masks - what we say and do online and off, as well as what we are allowed to hear and see.
Posted at 05:05 PM in Action required, Comment, Communication, Culture, Current Affairs, Cyber wars, Debate, digital life, economy, global, Internet, politics, Thinking, Warnings | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)
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