Blair plus Obama spells opportunity.

American president Barack Obama has been awarded the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize.

  Many argue Obama has not earned the stripes it takes to truly deserve a Nobel prize yet. Others argue Obama has already demonstrated a real and fundamental change in US government philosophy and thinking where communication, understanding and seeking agreements with the opposition whether local or international is preferred on the journey to a better world.

Don't know whether Tony Blair was nominated for the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize or not. While there is a huge debate on Tony Blair vis-a-vis the British involvement in the Iraq and Afghan wars, one has only got to look at what Tony Blair has been doing since leaving his post of Prime Minister.  Both his role as ambassador of peace in the middle east (see: http://tonyblairoffice.org) as well as his work in bringing interfaith harmony to the world (see: http://www.tonyblairfaithfoundation.org/about-us/mission-statement.html) makes Tony Blair an extraordinary man, head and shoulders above the rest of us.

It is not the intent of this post to discuss who is most worthy of the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize nor is it the intent to discuss whether Obama deserves the 2009 Peace Prize or not.

What is suggested though is that Obama and Blair, both major players on the global stage, are not parochial in their thinking.  Both of them more than most understand their country is not isolated from the rest of the world and if their people are to progress it cannot be in isolation from the progress of people of all other nations.

I write this post at a key point in history - a point saturated with opportunity.  Obama is the established head of state - President - of the United States of America. The European Union is close to electing  a new president and Tony Blair is being proposed as that president (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/8307267.stm).  If this happens, with Obama as head of state of the United States and Blair as head of state of the European Union, we will see the dawn of a new era of peace and harmony not only in the United States and Europe but across the whole world.