Thread: Nobel peace prize

I guess WB was writing at the same time as me... As far as I understand dynamite was used as a killing explosive only after Nobel died. But ballistite was used in wars. Of course the Nobel's foundation website has to preserve his dignity above all else, but he seems like a remarkable person.

Kees - the link is avoiding future wars. I think it's very reasonable and thoughtful, even though seems on the idealistic side.

Originally Posted by Kees

I just wonder what campaigning for climate awareness has to do with making peace. Whether you like Arafat and Georgia's most famous peanut grower or not: they at least tried to negotiate peace in the Middle East with the then P.M. of Isreal (Perez?).

Yeah! my whole point was why Gore! as far as I can see he has done little to earn the reward!
as far as all the other topics that have sprung up out of this subject, lets keep those to a minimum ! It's getting a tad hot, lets cool it down a bit!

Originally Posted by WireBeard

Let's not condemn the prizes or compare them with tawdry popularity or sales contests such magazine contests or the Grammy's (you did know the Grammys are based on record sales?) simply because we may not agree with the awardee...that is puerile.

Grammy's are based on record sales (is this totally true?)which are influenced by popular culture ---- feed people enough crappy music and do not expect much else and let fads run wild and you have it.

I don't think I'm far off here --- there are certain topics which are considered the "it topics" and within the "it topics" there are the "it people" --- Al Gore is one of those people issueing one of those topics. Why Al Gore? I know there has to be someone else who's been fighting for such causes longer than him just as I know there are more talented musicians and artists who never get awarded a Grammy or even noticed.

The baby is stinking ---- out with bath water you go .

Justin

The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to 3 US Presidents...we have named one, Carter, in the thread...who were the other two and for what were they given the prize?

Hint: one is pre-WWI and one is post-WWI.

As for the lobbying for the prize, I can find only one source, consistently repeated, with no corroboration, for that information. Additionally, members of the Nobel committees say that despite actual lobbying campaigns (letters, email, phone calls from supporters, etc.) it can be counterproductive.

Here's another odd fact: Stalin was also nominated....eeek!

Greg

well, as i said before the logic seems
climate change -> scarcer resources -> more conflicts -> less peace
Gore's role:
pre-movie ->people don't care
post-movie -> some hype -> at least people are mindful -> may be politicians start changing policies -> may be avoid too drastic of a climate change

it's a preemptive award if you will

Why Al Gore?

well others didn't seem to have had the impact he had. Like it or not it he seems to have generated enough momentum. At least in the eyes of the Nobel peace committee

Originally Posted by Kees

I just wonder what campaigning for climate awareness has to do with making peace. Whether you like Arafat and Georgia's most famous peanut grower or not: they at least tried to negotiate peace in the Middle East with the then P.M. of Isreal (Perez?).

IMHO there haven't been many people trying successfully to make peace anywhere in the world last year so the Nobel Peace Prize committee must have thought: "Who else is doing a good job in our opinion to deserve a prize?"

That could very well be...there have been years when no one got the prize and the money was dumped back into the fund. Now that's a sad statement on humanity!

Greg

i thought one of the us presidents to win the prize was Wilson - he did the UN, or it's predecessor, may be that? I don't want to look it up - that'll be cheating.

Originally Posted by WireBeard

there have been years when no one got the prize and the money was dumped back into the fund. Now that's a sad statement on humanity!

but at least gives more credibility to the committee and the award... that was during the wars I believe

Originally Posted by gugi

i thought one of the us presidents to win the prize was Wilson - he did the UN, or it's predecessor, may be that? I don't want to look it up - that'll be cheating.

Ding ding ding! We have a winner! That's one...one to go.

Woodrow Wilson was awarded the prize for founding the League of Nations after WWI. It turned into the United Nations.

So how about this angle - what do you guys think of the other peace prizes that ware awarded in the last few years.

I know that for some of you they probably just flew under the radar - after all who cares about Africa when peace prize after peace prize, the middle east is still at low intensity conflict/war...

I know everybody loves to see mother Theresa or Martin Luther King Jr awarded the prize, but what about the less known winners. Some are still in jail and the impact of some has reached many times more humans than the more popular recipients.

Just throwing it out there - every year I note the prizes, may because one of them is in my field, but I usually learn more things about the world and I find that the Nobel committee usually does pretty good job recognizing individuals who have contributed significantly to improving human life (sometimes not by ending wars, but by fostering peaceful development)