The Nobel Committee and the Benefit of Not Being George W. Bush

(Doug Bandow) – President Barack Obama has won the Nobel Peace Prize. Apparently for not being George W. Bush.

Even the president’s aides were surprised. Reported ABC News:

Two key White House aides were both convinced they were being punked when they heard the news, reported ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos. “It’s not April 1, is it?” one said.

Uh, right.

It is true that not being President Bush is a good thing. But it doesn’t warrant the Nobel Peace Prize. If it did, I should receive the award!

If the committee hasn’t noticed, President Obama actually hasn’t achieved much of anything. He might eventually enjoy some major successes. But so far he has continued George W. Bush’s policies in Afghanistan and Iraq, continues to threaten war in Iran, and has only marginally changed policy toward North Korea. He has changed policies involving Israel and Russia for the better, but no positive results have yet occurred.

The greatest irony is that the award was given while the administration is considering a major escalation in Afghanistan and is breathing fire against Iran. What will the Nobel committee think if another 40,000 U.S. troops head over to the former and U.S. bombers end up over Tehran?

It has long been evident that the Nobel Peace Prize had become a joke, a political plumb handed out for reasons largely divorced from the reasons it was originally created. Giving the award to President Obama is merely the long culmination of a process that has become a bad joke.