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October 9, 2009
Obama's Nobel
As best I can figure it, the Norwegians are trying to make up for the rejection Obama must have felt in Denmark. That's the only reason I can think to give him a prize before he's, you know, DONE anything other than be Not Bush in Iraq and Afghanistan. The rationalizations they offer in the New York Times article are stunningly odd:
"We are not awarding the prize for what may happen in the future but for what he has done in the previous year. We would hope this will enhance what he is trying to do."
. . .
Mr. Jagland said the conflict in Afghanistan "concerns us all. We do hope an improvement in the international climate could help resolve that." Mr. Jagland had been asked by a reporter whether Mr. Obama's selection for the award was intended to influence the American debate on troops levels in Afghanistan.
. . .
The full citation read: "The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009 is to be awarded to President Barack Obama for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples. The Committee has attached special importance to Obama's vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons."
Vision of! Work for! What about negotiating an actual treaty, as opposed to giving one big speech about?? They've given plenty of Nobels to Americans for negotiating actual treaties that didn't work out (Kissinger, Carter), and one can respect the efforts or not - but there was a product. But just for the Vision Thing? Oh, well - the long night is falling in Oslo already, they have to have something to talk about for the winter.
Further: Well, it will certainly make for a nice room in any future Obama Presidential Library. By the way - have they started fundraising for that yet?
Posted by CrankyProfessor at October 9, 2009 7:44 AM
Comments
And thus continues the descent of the Nobel Peace Prize into the abyss of irrelevance.
Al Gore? Yasser Arafat?
Posted by: Bruce at October 9, 2009 8:46 AM