Nobel Peace Prize awarded to European Union

[ctru]

Correct, but way too late?

Or completly wrong as the social standard in may EU countries are deteriorating, and the EU stands for politics that reinforces the social problems and weakens the possibilities for democratic governance.

Any thought?

 

[ElQueso]

Almost the only thought I have is that after they awarded Barack Obama the prize within such a short time of being in a position to have actually contributed to peace in the world, I wouldn't think the prize is worth much anyway...

Are they trying to influence world politics via their awardings perhaps?

 

[EdRooney]

Indeed a fitting follow up to Obama. Who else besides the US President has so much invested in arms and weapons of mass destruction? I guess Putin will have to wait for next year...

 

[ctru]

Almost the only thought I have is that after they awarded Barack Obama the prize within such a short time of being in a position to have actually contributed to peace in the world, I wouldn't think the prize is worth much anyway...

Are they trying to influence world politics via their awardings perhaps?

He got it for his strong push and vision of disarmament and a world free of nuclear weapons.

Next year it will go to South America.

 

[Crema Americana]

How does that work? Does everyone in Europe get coin award or what?

Maybe it's a token of "thanks for not breaking out into a full blown revolution... yet."

 

[Boomersic]

Here is a Nobel Peace Prize nominee that is worth the credibility.


http://www.change.org/petitions/the...ok&utm_source=share_petition&utm_term=1556776

 

[PhilinBSAS]

Correct, but way too late?

Or completly wrong as the social standard in may EU countries are deteriorating, and the EU stands for politics that reinforces the social problems and weakens the possibilities for democratic governance.

Any thought?

"The EU was awarded the prize in recognition of "over six decades contributed to the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe", and becomes the 25th institution to receive the prize since its creation in 1901."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2011/oct/07/nobel-peace-prize-winners-list-2011 Listing of all winners - individuals and organisations set out there.

Some strange awards not to say contentious - Obama (for being elected?), Gore, (for inventing the internet?) Kissenger (for a long history of starting wars?) Bet Tony Blair was on the phone (again)!!

The sequence is sometimes curious as well e.g Mandela followed by Arafat. 93/94 then Peres and Rabin. Obviously trying to influence matters there!!

But the strangest omission of all is that Gandhi never received - they say they dont award posthumously! What sort of Peace Prize is this?

I can find two Argentines who won:

1936 Carlos Lamas Saveedra - first Latin American to win peace prize

from Wikipedia

When General Agustín P. Justo [fraudulently] was elected president of Argentina in 1932, he appointed Saavedra Lamas as foreign minister. In this post for six years, Saavedra Lamas brought international prestige to Argentina. He played an important role in every South American diplomatic issue of the middle thirties, induced Argentina to rejoin the League of Nations after an absence of thirteen years, and represented Argentina at virtually every international meeting of consequence during this period. His work in ending the Chaco War between Paraguay and Bolivia (1932–1935) had not only local significance but generalized international importance as well

Adolfo Pérez Esquivel

wikipedia

He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1980 for his efforts in the defence of human rights after the 1976 coup.

 

[Noruega]

As a Norwegian I think giving it to the EU is quite alright. Maybe a little late, but still.

I support Obama and like him but giving him the peace prize was just ridiculous. We all say that it was just because the committee wanted to meet him. (He was only the second sitting US president to visit Norway.) I was totally embarrassed about it and I think it only hurt Obama on the US national level - everyone was like "what did he do??"

So the EU seems much more sensible, although not exactly exciting or inspiring. (The head of the committee is very pro-EU, maybe he thinks this will get us Norwegians more in favor of the EU!)

 

[nicoenarg]

As a Norwegian I think giving it to the EU is quite alright. Maybe a little late, but still.

I support Obama and like him but giving him the peace prize was just ridiculous. We all say that it was just because the committee wanted to meet him. (He was only the second sitting US president to visit Norway.) I was totally embarrassed about it and I think it only hurt Obama on the US national level - everyone was like "what did he do??"

So the EU seems much more sensible, although not exactly exciting or inspiring. (The head of the committee is very pro-EU, maybe he thinks this will get us Norwegians more in favor of the EU!)

With all due respect to you and Norwegians in general, the Nobel peace prize doesn't really matter all that much so it wouldn't inspire people one way or another.

When Arafat was given the peace prize, it already lost credibility in my book. These people seem like they pick people they like and forget about actually doing some fact checking. The well documented fact that Arafat incited people to war and aganist peace (e.g. his references to war and martyrdom in a mosque in South Africa right after he left camp David) was lost on these people. That he said those things in Arabic and not in English does not make it less worse or damaging to the cause of peace.

Nothing they do is exciting or inspiring.

Its a different matter when it comes to prizes in sciences and literature though.

 

[ElQueso]

I reckon I may have been a bit hasty in putting the EU's winning of the prize on a par with Obama's. The truth is, as PhilinBSAS mentioned, they have been around a bit longer than Obama was when he got the prize and the EU certainly deserves it much more than Obama.

However, my statement about the prizes in general kind of holds. Not only the people that were mentioned by Nicoenarg and PhilinBSAS can be questionable (both being awarded and those that were not awarded), but I do have to question even the prizes in science, at least one of them, related to anthropogenic climate change (the one Gore was a part of).

I just don't think the prizes really mean much any more (if they ever did).