Saturday, October 10, 2009

More Nobel bitching

Sorry, I just can't let this go yet.

The more I read about this shit the more annoyed I get. (So, stop reading about it. Yeah, I'll try.) WTF were they thinking?? Thorbjørn Jagland is a real piece of work. I really want to like that guy, but he's doing everything he can to make that damn near impossible. It's like whenever he opens his mouth some new dumbassery comes out of it, and every time it's stupider than the last. Argh. I really hope it isn't true that a nation gets the politicians it deserves. At least now the EU will be taking him off our hands mostly. I couldn't believe what he was saying on the news tonight about how there's no conceivable conflict whatsoever between being head of the Nobel Committe and Secretary General of the Council of Europe. I mean, seriously ... you've gotta be pretty full of yourself to manage to think that. o_O

Anyway. Next year, I think that I should be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. I feel that I am a worthy candidate, as I also am not George W Bush. As far as I can tell, this seems to be the main criterion on which this year's choice was based, so why not, I ask you. But seriously: What I feel first and foremost about this is anger at the Committee and pity for Obama. I really do pity the guy. Kinda funny: I tweeted that I pitied him because there's no way he could possibly feel that he deserves this ... and like two hours later the guy comes out on the White House lawn and says I don't deserve this. It would be funny if it wasn't so embarrassing.

It's like the Committee is actually actively trying to make the Peace Prize irrelevant. Which is incredibly sad ... but that's what this choice is going to mean. It is so blatantly obvious that Barack Obama does not deserve this award. They're saying that they chose him because of his 'efforts' to strengthen diplomacy and cooperation. But 'effort' isn't the same as 'achievement', and the Peace Prize is set up specifially to award achievement. 'Effort' means 'talk' ... and sure, Obama does talk. But talk is cheap and essentially means nothing. Yes, he's given the world new hope for a new direction and a better US. But isn't that something that even a goldfish could have managed after GWB?? Yes, he talks a lot about wanting to do good things for the US. But he's their president, that's his job!! That's not something he deserves an award for. He talks about wanting to do good things for the world. But so far all he's done is talk. Talk, talk, talk. It sounds good but it does not equate to actual achievement!

The Nobel Committe look like they're sucking up to the American president, don't they? And isn't that embarrassing for both them and him? Yes. Yesterday and today there's been all this talk about how they see him as an obviously worthy candidate and these are the reasons, yada yada. But it all just boils down to this cringe-inducing sycophancy. And it's the Prize that has to suffer for it. So fucking what if they admire his ideas and his visions for the world? This has nothing to do with the terms of Nobel's will. The Committee has chosen strategically this year, they have chosen politically, and that is not their place. The result of this type of candidate selection will be that the Prize will be more and more sidelined. :-( Barack Obama is being awarded on expectations and not achievements ... that is not at all what Nobel wanted and for Norway this is embarrassing and harmful to our standing in the world. Basically this year's choice is Obama because Jagland thinks he's so cool and wants to shake his hand, and it would be so great if they could be buddies. Or to phrase it less flippantly: The Committee want to be an active political force, and that is what they think they will achieve by this choice. But that is, by my interpretation at least, in direct contradiction to the terms of the will. IMO it's nothing short of a disgrace.

Another thing that I really resent is that now he will apparently come here in person to accept the Prize. Argh. I really think that Oslo PD have better things to do with their time and resources than to waste them protecting the American president. The Americans can take care of that themselves if it's so important ... it's not our fault if everyone hates them. >:-( I do realize that I'm sounding rather petty saying this, but I really resent my tax money being spent on security for Obama. (When we ought to spend it on hiring some snipers in Brussels to take out ... no, don't listen to me, it's getting late. Sheesh, what am I saying. >:-)

Nobel's Peace Prize has been a force to be reckoned with on the international stage for many years. Many deserving men and women have been honored with this prestigious award - such as, to name but two, Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King Jr. Awarding it at this point to Barack Obama is an insult to the president ... but worse, it is also an insult to Mandela and Dr King and the other worthy laureates, and not least a tremendous insult to Alfred Nobel, who I'm sure must be spinning in his grave right now.

There were 205 nominees for the Prize this year, 172 individuals and 33 organizations. Jagland claims he can't think of anyone who can be said to have done more to deserve the Prize than Obama. Are you fucking kidding me??! If among 205 nominees they really truly cannot find one single person who is more deserving than Barack Obama, then it's time to close this show down for good. Seriously.

I say call Obama back and say that we've screwed up the paperwork ... then give the Prize to Morgan Tsvangirai. Him we'll be able to keep perfectly safe at a fraction of the cost, and, guess what, he has actually accomplished something. Would you look at that. Sorry, Barack, come back in five years.

Alfred Nobel gave the Peace Prize to Norway because he believed that in our hands it would be safe from political machinations and corruption. Well, we've had a good run, but nothing lasts forever. Mr Nobel, if something of you is out there, I apologize on my country's behalf. Right now I'm ashamed to be Norwegian.

4 comments:

Leisha Camden said...

A perfect example of what I'm talking about: Obama gave a speech to the Human Rights Campaign last night, and said that he is going to overturn 'don't ask, don't tell'. About fucking time. But that's not the point. Some people are really happy that he's doing this. But he hasn't done it!! First of all he should have done it in the first week. I mean, they're fighting two wars, they really can't afford to exclude x number of soldiers because they're a little unorthodox in the sack. But even now he hasn't actually done anything! Why not give a date? Why not say 'by xx this policy will be gone'? Anyone can say that they want to, say, end world hunger. But talk is cheap and you can't eat words.

This is really sad - I'm starting to resent Obama now and he doesn't deserve that. Jagland, boo hiss!!

Paz said...

great post, ITA its like they just gave the award because he is not GWB and that he's a democrat.
But remember this is not the first stupid award,Carter also got a Nobel for basically buying peace in the middle east, and as a result of the money that goes annually to Israel they can afford to treat the Palestinians like second class citizens

Leisha Camden said...

About me starting to resent Obama - check out this story: http://www.philstar.com/article.aspx?articleid=413244#

Aww. Now I like him again. But he still doesn't deserve the Prize.

Paz, yes, there have been other bad choices in the past - if we're going to talk about American laureates, I'd mention Kissinger rather than Carter. But - as I'm sure you agree - that doesn't make it right for the current Committee to make more bad choices now.

Paz said...

agreed there are worse people that got them, I was highlighting Carter as it seemed that they had made a great deal, but history shows otherwise.
I think that he is something good to happen to US, but he does not deserve an award just yet.
Also if you can write a few stirring articles on what you would do if leader of the free world, I will nominate you by feb 11