Barack Obama, Elinor Ostrom, and the Nobel Prize (PART 1/2)

"War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength." - the Orwellian mantra from 1984

As nominations were submitted before February 1, 2009, much of the world was shocked to find out that freshman President Barack Obama won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize. To his credit, Obama proclaimed he was "surprised and deeply humbled" and did not feel he deserved "to be in the company" of past Peace Prize winners. I must say that, politically-speaking, the former junior senator from Illinois is to be admired in many respects. To prevent and distract the press from analyzing his worthiness for the Peace Prices, the very next day he announced that he would (eventually) end the "don't ask, don't tell" policy of the military – a crafty move that appeals to his base and Americans who champion and respect civil liberties and individual rights, which includes myself.

Per NobelPeacePrize.org, in 1895 Alfred Nobel signed his will to use most of his fortune to fund the Nobel Prizes. The Peace Prize was dedicated to "the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses."

Has the President done the "most or best work for fraternity between nations"? I would say not. Four days after becoming President, he ordered the bombing of a village in Pakistan, which is yet another nation the United States has not declared war on.

Has the President worked for "the abolition or reduction of standing armies"? Certainly not that of the United States. In fact, per his website, he was elected on the promise that he would expand America's standing army by about 100,000 troops.

Has the President done the most or best work for "the holding and promotion of peace congresses"? I would say not. Led by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, America has ignored the advice I gave last year and simply proceeded with the typical Bushian "gunboat diplomacy" and the same old options of bombs or sanctions, sanctions or bombs, as can be seen by the relations with Iran, North Korea, and even Somalian pirates.

Now, it appears the Nobel Committee did infer that this award is payment in advance to 'pressure' Obama's future actions. This logic is downright ridiculous. As a former engineering supervisor, every single award I ever gave was well-earned since to do otherwise would encourage lackadaisical behaviour not only in the awardee, but in the rest of the department and company.

Please do not think I am being overly tough on the President – if McCain was receiving the Peace Prize I would be writing the same article. It is a stark truth that America's foreign policy simply has not changed whatsoever - even if America's image has been polished by the President's well-honed oratory skills and charismatic persona.

It is also noteworthy to review those who, in my humble opinion, have earned a Peace Prize. Gandhi, a hero of mine, never received one - although Martin Luther King, Jr. and Aung San Suu Kyi, both people I admire, did. The 1993 award to Nelson Mandela and F.W. de Klerk was also fitting when apartheid broke apart in South Africa. However, some of the Nobel laureates have been quite undeserving.

American President Woodrow Wilson was one of these. After winning his 1916 re-election on the slogan "He Kept Us Out of War," Wilson promptly plunge us into WWI with the weak justification of the sinking of the British cargo ship Lusitania which was secretly carrying munitions from the USA to England and drowned 128 Americans. WWI would cost America 130,274 dead.

In return for founding the League of Nations (which the USA wisely never joined) and proclaiming to the world that WWI was the "war to end all wars," Wilson received the award in 1920 after one of the most horrific diplomacy efforts in history – the Treaty of Versailles, which in effect lit a 20-year fuse which exploded into WWII.

One of the lesser known Americans to win the Peace Prize was Elihu Root, our Secretary of War from 110 years ago. Root and his cabal restructured the entire disorganized state militia system into the precursor of today's National Guard, which is very submissive to federal influence and control. Thanks in good part to Root, the National Guard now patrols the deserts of Iraq and the mountains of Afghanistan instead of America's sieve-like borders.

The Peace Price was awarded to Root in 1912. When WWI broke out several years later, Root, now a former Secretary of State, opposed Wilson's initial policy of neutrality and helped drive America to war. At the apex of a stellar bureaucratic career, Root became a US Senator and helped pass the infamous "Income Tax" Amendment.

Well, with all the tough words I have for the President, perhaps I should recommend a worthy replacement. Has anyone heard of Malalai Joya, whom I saluted as the Thomas Paine of Afghanistan? Fortunately, she is still alive despite the escalation of the war by the Obama administration this year. You have probably never heard of her – even though she is a Afghan woman who favors peace, justice, democracy and human rights – because she represents her people by being deadset against the American occupation.

Obama stated the award "must be shared" with everyone who strives for "justice and dignity." However, no one should expect a cut of Obama's $10,000,000 SEK prize money anytime soon. Perhaps Obama will donate this to help pay off the national debt or as a down payment on the next stimulus plan? Which brings me to two other lesser-known Americans, Elinor Ostrom, a political scientist, and Oliver Williamson, the "economist most cited by noneconomists," who just won the 2009 Nobel for Economics which I will save for Part 2.

October 13, 2009

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Jake Towne is running for U.S. Congress in Pennsylvania's 15th District in the 2010 election as a citizen unaffiliated with any political parties. Jake also writes at www.LibertyMaven.com and www.CampaignForLiberty.com. A novel campaign website where you can comment on articles and start discussions is available at TowneForCongress.com.  [Reach the Author Here!]

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