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The Nobel Prize for Political Gestures

Let us keep in mind the thinking the Nobel Committee expressed when it awarded the Peace Prize to Jimmy Carter in 2002:  The chairman of the Nobel Prize committee, a leftist Norwegian politician named Gunnar Berge, told the media in announcing Carter's prize that "it should be interpreted as a criticism of the line that the current [Bush] administration has taken" in the war on terrorism, and particularly Iraq.  "It's a kick in the leg to all that follow the same line as the United States."  The Nobel Committee's official commendation for Carter used more subtle language to make Berge's point: "In a situation currently marked by threats of the use of power, Carter has stood by the principles that conflicts must as far as possible be resolved through mediation and international cooperation based on international law, respect for human rights and international development."   Message to Obama: Stop the Israelis from defending themselves, don't send more troops to Afghanistan, pull out of Iraq.

UPDATE: John Podhoretz makes a compelling case for why Obama is the perfect Nobel Prize winner.  I take it all back!
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Discussions - 8 Comments

This was a completely foolish thing the Nobel committee had done. It actually diminished the prize in the eyes of many, who saw it given to someone whom even the leftish SNL in their recent skit openly admitted HAD DONE NOTHING. The committee wanted to seed HOPE and CHANGE and wanted to do something to show that BUSH is NO more, which was BTW the whole point of his UN speech. Perhaps this is why he did not want to reveal at the UN what Iran was up to.. and waited to the G20 (annoying the French President who wanted to use the UN event to push hard on Iran).

For a rogue's list of previous Nobel winners, see Powerline: https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2009/10/024667.php

The Nobel Committee should be added to the State Department's list of foreign terrorist organizations.

Utterly outrageous.

And, actually, quite embarassing for our president. What is he supposed to say?

With Carter, the prize was primarily a jibe at Bush, given its timing, but Carter actually had done something in days gone by as Prez to promote peace. And while I generally loathe Carter and agree with everything NRO's Jay Nordlinger ever said about him, his work as ex-president had likewise knotched up accomplishments for peace. Now some of these were of questionable value, and yes, he was largely just a host for Sadat and Begin, but REAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS, you know, signed treaties and monitored elections, were at least plausibly attributable to the man.

Ten months in? (And Powerline reports that nominations for the prize were due back in January!) What the hell is our president supposed to say to this?

What he should say is: "I refuse to accept the prize--the committee is should not nominate an executive leader for campaign promises, nor award one only ten months into his term, except in extraordinary circumstances that permit them to achieve something real for peace. I am grateful for their vote of confidence in my articulated policies so far, and hope the Iranians will vindicate their judgment, but I cannot accept the prize in these circumstances. The committee has failed to live up to its duty."

And through a back channel, perhaps through a Rahm Emanuel type, he should say to the committee, "F*&# you, you collection of idiots, racists, and America-haters, who in fact insult all blacks everywhere, and insult the dignity of America, by giving this prize to the first black president before he has even had an opportunity to actually achieve something tangible. You have degraded me, my race, and America. Again, F*&^ Y&@!!!"

Honestly, I cannot believe the Nobel Committee could be this dense and awful....this must be a false report, and all us angry ones will be the butt of joke ten minutes from now...

Wow...a quick cruise of the web shows that this is for real...lots of great stuff on NRO about how damn absurdly FUNNY this is.

I guess I should have a lighter sort of spirit, but I stand by my initial reaction. F.U., Nobel Com. My president should not be made the butt of absurd jokes. And the racial factor makes it all the more undignified and inexcusable. You have insulted the dignity of our highest office in the way 1,000 Joe Wilson incidents could not.

Leaving the jokes to others, and staying in my very-serious vein, I say Americans should call upon all American newspapers, newsmagazines, etc. to promise to never again report on the Nobel Peace Prize winners, except in the tiniest print on the furthest back of the back pages.

Rush predicts the Nobel in Economics will go to the Prez.

The award for seriousness and sobriety in public affairs will go to Al Franken.

And the award for physical fitness will, of course, go to Michael Moore.

The award for displaying class in an award ceremony goes to Kanye West.

The whole idea of giving Obama a "peace prize," as the world gets increasingly more dangerous, as the world moves to the brink of the mullahs getting their hands on instruments of supreme slaughter, is an absolute joke.

Just the other day the President refuses to meet with the Dalai Lama, yet this is the guy receiving a "peace prize."

It's a sick joke, and I'm pretty sure the American people aren't going to be pleased with their President getting something he didn't remotely deserve. This is affirmative action playing out on the international scene. And it isn't going to end well. Not at all.

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