THE PRIZE

It is at a time like this that this amateur historian, this retired professional history teacher, etc., etc., wishes especially that he knew more and had forgotten less.

I/we read, see, and hear that b.o. has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

Questions at once present themselves: historically, what are the requirements for the prize; what are the purposes of the founder and the foundation that administers the prize; what changes have occurred in those purposes; and what has the current recipient done to deserve the prize?
Doubtless, there are other questions.

I could Google the questions.
I am not going to do so.
We are too involved with other things.

But a few observations may still be made.
A few impressions of yonder days when we knew more of such details survive:

the founder was an explosives manufacturer. At least, he had something to do with such stuff and there was a connection to war materiel’ [French word?].
He founded his prize to ameliorate the horrors of war, to promote the cause of peace by rewarding achievements in said pursuit.

Operate word here is achievements – not expressions of hope.

Over the years, very wise awards, consistent with the promotion of peace have been made.
Again, without research, we recall that Teddy Roosevelt was granted the honor in recognition of his work in halting the Russo-Japanese War.

jimmy carter received it, we think, honoring his work in the Camp David Accords [again, no research done].

Now, we don’t regard jimmy as really worthy of much, but at least he had done something. His prize was not awarded in advance.

So, b.o. has the prize.
He has done nothing.
He has won the prize for something else than that for which it was intended.

The Nobel Foundation is become a prostitute, selling/granting its charms for purposes other than that for which they were intended.

Adjectives come to mind: pathetic; obscene; and dishonest.

And finally, those who participate in such prostitution, those who bestow and those who receive, are in turn pathetic, obscene, and dishonest.

The Nobel Foundation and our President are all of those things.