This is the Cato Daily Podcast for Friday, October 9, 2009. I'm Caleb Brown.

President Obama has won the Nobel Peace Prize, but what actions has he taken that promote peace?

Ted Galen Carpenter, the Cato Institute's Vice President for Defense and Foreign Policy

Studies comments. There's no question that President Obama has changed the tone and the image of U.S. foreign policy,

much to the relief of people around the world and particularly in Europe.

I think the awarding of this prize though is more a measurement of

just how upset the Europeans were with the Bush administration and the depth of the relief

that there was a much more conciliatory president in office following the Bush administration, then it is any judgment about the

substance of President Obama's policies.

Well let's talk about the substance of his policies then.

He was credited with having done a great deal

toward fostering international cooperation, but has put a 35% tariff on Chinese tires, which free trade

is arguably one of the most clear examples of international cooperation and then having upset the Chinese

somewhat over this chooses not to meet with the Dalai Lama who, by the way,

also won a Nobel Peace Prize,

but is also a head of state and one of the most well-liked

world leaders around the world.

Well, President Obama's actions certainly have not

soothed relations with China. In fact one could argue they've had the opposite

effect, but I think his actions elsewhere are even a bit more inconsistent

with the spirit of the Nobel Peace Prize. For example, he has pushed for rigorous economic sanctions against North Korea

over the objections of both China and Russia.

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