The Nobel Peace Promise?
October 9, 2009
You should have heard by now that Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. I am not sure what he is winning for. The promise that he will one day be worthy of the prize? The only 9-month act worthy of a Nobel prize is the act of childbirth and the last time I checked Obama didn’t have a baby. Alfred Nobel’s will instructed that the ‘Peace’ prize should be awarded “to the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity among nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.” Has Obama had enough time to “work for fraternity among nations?” Has he abolished our standing army? Has he held a peace congress? What has he done to deserve this honor?
The submission deadline for Obama’s nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize was 12 days after he became president. Prior to those 12 days Obama had not served a single term in the Senate and his biggest accomplishment (admittedly it was pretty big) was getting elected president of the United States. Since being elected Obama has served 9 months in office – his biggest accomplishment was nominating a Supreme Court Justice. Obama’s plans for the United States and the world are very big indeed, but at this point they are just plans. Will Obama eventually be worthy of the Nobel Prize for Peace? Perhaps, but the Committee has cheapened the award, making it all but meaningless when they awarded it to someone with such a limited body of work.
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I was pretty floored by the announcement. He’s willing to engage in dialogs, and maybe that’s what they’re happy about? Not being Bush probably makes everyone look better by comparison.
I agree. He seems an odd choice. But then, there are worse Nobel laureates out there. At least Obama hasn’t done anything that should have precluded him from nomination in the first place, like say Arafat or Kissinger.
Comment by nostrum — October 9, 2009 @ 9:12 am
LOL – “at least obama hasn’t done anythign that should have precluded him from the nomination” Wow, that is a high standard.
Comment by Alexander Muse — October 9, 2009 @ 12:05 pm
Yes. Apparently it’s a very high standard. One the Nobel committee doesn’t always adhere to, as cited in my previous examples.
But it turns out, according to the articles widely circulating, that they really do award the prize to encourage future actions and not necessarily to celebrate past ones. If true, it certainly fits in this case.
Comment by nostrum — October 9, 2009 @ 7:25 pm