The Peace Prize? Really?

[jethrien]

I like Obama, I really do. But seriously, what has he done to deserve the Nobel Peace Prize?As far as I can tell, they're giving it to him because he's been nice to some diplomats and has successfully not started any wars in his first year in office. Great. How does that make him different than, say, Belgium? I feel like, if you're going to give the prize to an American president, you at least need to wait until after their term of office has been completed, so you can actually gauge their legacy. Eight years max, folks, it's not that long to wait. I'd prefer it if they refused to give the prize until at least ten years after the action the person gets it for - because honestly, you can't tell whether someone was actually good for "peace" immediately after the fact.

Then again, given some of the other previous winners, it's pretty clear this prize is a joke and kind of cheapens the Nobels in general. Which is a shame.

Comments

[feiran.livejournal.com]

I feel the same. I appreciate the fact that the committee (apparently) wants to endorse Obama's efforts at making peace--but the Nobel is meant to honor lifetime achievement in retrospect, not encourage it to develop.

It seems inappropriate, and a little bizarre.

I do hope it helps his peace efforts, though.

[lithoglyphic.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's objectively waaaaaaaaay too early.

[lithoglyphic.livejournal.com]

Some slightly better rationale:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/10/world/10oslo.html?_r=1&hp

[beastin.livejournal.com]

Agreed.

[chuckro.livejournal.com]

The best guess I have is that this is a "slow peace year" (kinda like a slow news day) and Obama got picked for a NABA-prize. He's Not As Bad As Dubya, so therefore he deserves an award!

It could be worse. They could have posthumously given it to Michael Jackson for "uniting the world in song" or some such bollocks.

[oblvndrgn.livejournal.com]

Obama's accepting it on behalf of America for "Being slightly less racist than we used to be." Hurray!

[chuckro.livejournal.com]

If that's the case, can we give New Jersey an award for "being slightly less corrupt than we used it be"?

[oblvndrgn.livejournal.com]

New Jersey: Setting the bar low since 1787.

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

I dunno--does NJ still deserve it after that organ-selling, I-think-Rabbis-were-involved scandal with mayors and money and stuff a few months ago? Or are we supposed to give it to NJ because they actually managed to stop that scandal?

[chuckro.livejournal.com]

I wasw specifically thinking of that big bust. During an icebreaker, a group of my b-school classmates had to come up with a tagline for Jersey City. Among our best choices was, "Now with less corruption!"

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

That's the sort of slogan you'd expect to see on a cereal box. I like it!

[cubby-t-bear.livejournal.com]

I'm just laughing and going to keep laughing. In my opinion, it was not possible to cheapen the Peace Prize further. A favorite columnist of mine can add "Obama who by the way won a Nobel Peace Prize in 2009" along with his standard reference to Arafat winning the peace prize.

[gagyourmouth.livejournal.com]

http://politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/rulings/promise-kept/

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

Ooh, that's a good site. I'm going to keep an eye on that one...

[mithras03.livejournal.com]

In reference to his NEA promise - I'm guessing you saw the Daily Show bit about how Republicans want an investigation in the NEA because the Obama admin has asked artists to create pieces based on the economic crisis (because OMG PROPAGANDA!), but don't think that torture needs to be investigated... :-P

[trinityvixen.livejournal.com]

I did not see that, actually. Clearly, I need to watch TDS more often.

[mithras03.livejournal.com]

Apologies - health care art, not economic crisis :-P Enjoy - http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-september-28-2009/america--target-america