U.S. President Barack Obama received the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize, his second, at a ceremony in Oslo. As is tradition, the King of Norway was in attendance.
In accepting the award, Mr. Obama said, "As commander-in-chief of the world's most powerful military, I know the temptation to right the world by force. To spin the globe and throw darts at it, knowing the darts could be cruise missiles. To gaze hungrily at the great all-you-can-eat dessert bar of nations, wondering which one to choose first. And as America's first nerd president, the temptation to use physical force nearly overwhelms me.
"And yet I am proud to be one of the only American presidents who hasn't started a war. < Applause. >
"It takes great willpower for a commander-in-chief to stay his hand. It takes yet more willpower to stop the raised hand from striking. And, once you've struck, it's damn near impossible to get your hand out. And if you've struck twice, well, that's all your hands. But the American military is large enough and flexible enough to treat the world like a game of Twister and send a foot to any foreign land.
"And yet I resist the knee-jerk reaction to call all those fighting for their freedom 'freedom fighters' and rashly send them military assistance.
"Though a new and young president, I do not need to prove myself to the world. I won my first Nobel Peace Prize just by being myself, and I intend to continue this tradition throughout my presidency.
"I hope that, when you leave this venerable hall, you will heed my call to inaction and restrain yourselves whenever injustice and suffering tempts you.
"God bless you, and God bless America."
< Applause. >
