He Doesn't Deserve It Yet

President Barack Obama has just won the Nobel Peace Prize “for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.” The gesture from the Nobel Committee seems to be a symbolic one, meant to serve as international approval towards Obama's stances on nuclear weapons, and willingness to cooperate with the international community, as demonstrated by his speeches in Cairo and the U.N.

But looking at past Nobel laureates, they all have been awarded the Peace Prize based on their accomplishments, not their ambitions. Martti Ahtisaari got it for his tireless global negotiations for peace. Medicins sans Frotieres got it for their fight to bring medical care to the world's poorest.

Why should Obama get it? Afghanistan is still a mess. Iraq is not firmly stable and peaceful yet. The process to close Guantanamo has barely begun. Reforms to provide needed health care to uninsured Americans have not been passed yet, and we're all still waiting for the serious American effort to mitigate global warming and climate change, though maybe President Obama has been inspired by past Nobel winners Al Gore and the IPCC to start doing something about that one soon.

Prizes aren't awarded for ambitions and intentions. They are awarded as recognition of significant accomplishments. Give it to him once he's successfully taken on at least some of the challenges in front of him, but not before.

Posted on October 9, 2009

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