Saturday, October 17, 2009

Victor Davis Hanson on the Nobel Peace Prize


from VDH's column at NRO:
"Prior awards to terrorists like Yasser Arafat, frauds like Rigoberta MenchĂș, the Stalinist Le Duc Tho, etc. had cheapened the prize as a more or less guilt-ridden multicultural nod to non-Western authoritarians. But now the postmodern prize is blatantly disconnected from even purported actions. It is predicated on hope-and-change platitudes, in hopes that they will come true. I think this is unique. Literary prizes do not go to book proposals; athletic awards are not given to preseason favorites; and military medals for planning are not given before the battle takes place. They should rename it the Nobel Dream Prize."

h/t: Palm Tree Pundit
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I think that the accepting the prize is going to do Obama more harm than good. Many Democrats were barely more than luke warm supporters. But, Democrats as is their habit, worry excessively about what everyone in the world thinks about the US. Many of them realize how inappropriate this award was. And many of them are beginning to realize that the award is the cherry on the sundae of Barack Obama's emerging reputation as an international laughingstock. Sure, the followers who would never have deserted him love it. But a lot of voters that might be up for grabs will be mildly nauseated by the whole sordid affair.

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