Nobel Prize: Achievement or Effort Award?
Vote for achievement:
“Today’s prize, by the terms of the award itself, was made for President Obama’s ‘extraordinary efforts.’ The Nobel Peace Prize should be for achievement, not effort,” says Bolton. “Just look at the other Nobel prizes awarded this week, from physics to chemistry, they were given to those who have made tangible progress and achieved in their respective fields. Obama’s award is just for effort.” “Contrast Obama’s award with those given to other sitting American presidents,” says Bolton. “President Woodrow Wilson was given the award in 1919, Teddy Roosevelt in 1906. Roosevelt brokered the Treaty of Portsmouth, which brought the Russo-Japanese war to an end. Wilson did the Treaty of Versailles. Though that failed to be ratified in the Senate, Wilson was at least acknowledged as its main architect. Compare that to President Obama. There’s not even a claim that Obama has accomplished anything.” “If the prize is to recognize achievements, well, there are no achievements to recognize,” says Bolton. “There are, however, lots of objectives and efforts, but nothing to compare to something like the Treaty of Portsmouth.”Seconded by Lech Walesa:
The 1983 Laureate, Poland's Lech Walesa, was more blunt. "Who, Obama? So fast? Too fast - he hasn't had the time to do anything yet," Walesa told reporters in Warsaw. "For the time being Obama's just making proposals. But sometimes the Nobel committee awards the prize to encourage responsible action," said Walesa. Neither did key US newspaper The Wall Street Journal mince its words, describing the choice of Obama as "completely bizarre." "It is unclear why. For making peace, of a kind, with Hillary Clinton? For giving up the missile shield and cheering up the Iranians? For preparing a surge of troops and weaponry in Afghanistan?" said the paper in an editorial. "Of course, traditionally it has been standard procedure that winners of the prize do their peacemaking first... But this innovation sweeps aside such old-fashioned notions of reward following effort."Exit Question: Does this make it easier or harder for Obama to follow in the footsteps of Neville Chamberlain and appease our enemies? Easier says Victor Davis Hanson:
Barack Obama's ten days at the helm of the U.S. I don't think quite earned him the nomination for the peace prize. Instead the committee, as in the case with Carter and Gore, is drawing on the former respect that the Nobel once garnered to influence contemporary policy. I think the message is that Obama is now supposed to get out of Afghanistan, leave Iraq, sign cap-and-trade, defer to the U.N., and shun the Israelis—just the sort of thing that is likely to make war much more likely.UPDATE: Instapundit round up. UPDATE II: The Heritage Foundation calls it the "Nobel Intentions Prize."