Well..it was a bit surprise to everyone, including Barack himself, when the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to our 44th Prez after only 9 months in office. Even those who are glad for him are wishing they could point to something and say..ah..yes! That's why...rather than suspecting that this gift is likely meant to pressure him someway... possibly in a way that wouldn't be good for our country. That said, I can't blame the man for being pleased. It will look good on his resume, presuming...well, I will get to that in a minute. Its one of those achievements that people dream of getting. Now all he has to do to win the game is cure cancer, solve world hunger, and send a ship to settle Alpha Centari...no wait, that's Civilization.
After reading a bit online, I have to agree with the political analyst in this video & in this article, the 'Peace' prizes have been awarded (and almost awarded) to enough inappropriate people that it has undermined its worth when given to people who really deserved it like nominee Gandhi, George Marshall (Marshall plan), Jean Henry Dunant (Red Cross founder), Martin Luther King Jr., & Mother Teresa.
http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/
Al Gore is known for his championing of global warming solutions, but what war was he supposed to have prevented? How was he supposed to have increased peace in the world?
How about Yassir Arafat? Why would one of the world's best known troublemakers be on this list?
Teddy Roosevelt was quite a character - not at all bad by any means - but Mr "Walk softly and carry a big stick" wasn't especially known for his peaceableness! He did a good thing in being willing to be an arbiter between Russia & Japan..but a lifetime achievement award for Peace? C'mon!
Even Woodrow Wilson is a doubtful case (despite the lofty goals of his 'League of Nations') given that the peace settlements he agreed to for WWI helped set the stage for WWII... and he broke his electoral promise getting us into WWI in the first place! (Not commenting on whether we should have been there, just the fact that it /was/ breaking his promise.)
One article declares that nominees have included Stalin & Adolph Hitler...
I looked it up and it turns out to be true..also Benito Mussolini & Fidel Castro... Yikes!
http://nobelprize.org/nomination/peace/nomination.php?action=show&showid=2609
http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/shortfacts.html
Even the Nobel Prize Committee knows many of their decisions have seemed politically convenient and/or controversial. They certainly have often had an leftward ideological slant.
So, President Obama, congratulations. I am just sorry the prize isn't worth more.. and that they couldn't wait for you to fulfill your promise so you could feel that you /did/ deserve it. Here's hoping their next choices don't embarrass the heck out of you....
The whole thing reminds me waaayyy too vividly of a small-potatoes version that played out in a tiny chat room long ago...where a very few fans who had done much to organize, maintain & provide for their online community got their only honor...being given a special 'color' on their names in the company's chat... and then the value of even that was undermined by some at the company to satisfy the pride of a young, demanding flirt. Did ssooo much damage to community morale, you can't even imagine. That's long ago...muck under the bridge and all that...
It just concerns me to think the the world has long allowed these Nobel guys to give the world's most coveted prizes for good human behavior & high lifetime achievements. IMHO the Peace Prize Committee has not taken this charge seriously enough. The world has trusted them to encourage the human race, and if the everyday man comes to devalue this process, what or who could take its place?
