DECIPHERING THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE

Barrack Hussin Obama , the 43rd President of the United States only achievement before the October 9, 2009 the day the Nobel peace prize was announced is to have been emerged successful in the us presidential race. Which was why the world was stunned to learn he had been conferred with the nobel. There must be a big mistake. It just couldn’t be .winning the us presidential election is not enough to be conferred with a nobel . no way even george bush managed to win it. So why then has been conferred the nobel ? has the nobel committee gone beserk? Or maybe has the nobel committee just got wiser?

Perhaps the best way to elucidate the nobel committee’s ploy is to recapitulate Einsteint’s famous dig on the Nobels
“The Nobel is a life raft thrown to a drowning man after he has reached the shore”
Einstein here hits a home run. For the nobels acclaimed and coveted they are, so far have only been a mere Hall of Fame. The nobel committee has always been there to embrace and to exhibit to the world anyone who has brought forth hope and change to thousands barring fierce struggle .But the nobels cant claim any credit for actually bringing about a change . their role have only been passive -to watch from the sidlines as the harbingers of hope and change waddle through the troubled waters and quagmires and to key in on those who make it across and to confer upon them the honour. Never to actually go into the muddy water and help the messiahs across.

So that brings us to Obama’s case. Because for once we have an American president who at the least atleast speaks about change. He hasn’t done anything yet to make this world a better place to live in. but the truth is he had made a beginning- a beginning in his call for an arms reduction treaty with the USSR; a beginning by his passionate speeches reaching out to the west; a beginning by his proposed policy on climate change. But his task is Herculean. For he faces two formidable foes in his quest – mistrust and fear. One mistrust in the minds of the people hes reaching out to. His predecessor George W bush has been around for too long too seriously tarnish the US’s image. And hence today the middle east looks upon the US as the Great Satan and the USSR looks upon it as a threat to its integrity. So even if he rolls out well meaning policies and overtures aimed at building good will and overture his efforts will be marred by mistrust and suspicion for the wounds of the Bush era legacy of deceit and lies run deep . and two deep paranoia in the minds of the people he himself represents. Any concession to the middle east is looked upon an act of fomenting terror and any overture to the Russians is equaled to submission.

And it is in this context the nobel committees decision is a shrewd ploy. Because the nobel adds legitimacy and integrity to his effort. It will go a long way in reducing the suspicion of the middle east and make them less reluctant to come back to the negotiating table. And it will also help Obama tide over the paronia and help him garner public support for his policies. For once the nobel has decided to wade into the muddy waters and to help the supposed deliverer.
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So in a nutshell the nobel peace committee ,abandoning its traditions play safe policy , has for once decided to take a heavy bet by backing obama . and if the bet pays off and Obama delivers then this will go down in history as the best nobel peace prize ever awarded . on the other hand he doesn’t then it will beat the nobels committees folly of not conferring the nobel on Mahatma Gandhi to become the nobel peace committees biggest folly . watever be the result , it is a shrewd move by the nobel committee.