European Union wins Nobel Peace Prize

[Franzl]

http://www.npr.org/2012/10/12/162769156/european-union-wins-nobel-peace-prize

[minionofmidas]

Joke Prize.

[Franzl]

Joke Prize.

Well it seems slightly more warranted than giving it to Barack Obama.

[dead0man]

Joke Prize.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

lolwut

[hawkeye59]

Wait. Does their definition of the EU include the former European Economic Community? Even if not, I can see their reason for the EU. They have brought countries that were at war together. Also, remember that this prize is not just for actions in 2011-12.

EDIT: After looking at the award, it says "for SIX DECADES contributed to the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe" This means it counts the European Economic Community, and the European Coal and Steel Community. Therefore, I think it is not a bad choice.

[minionofmidas]

Joke Prize.

Well it seems slightly more warranted than giving it to Barack Obama.

That's when and how the Nobel Peace Prize jumped the shark and joined the ranks of the Swedish State Bank Prize for Bad Economics Created Specifically to Insult the Memory of Alfred Nobel in the realm of "prizes you'd want to avoid for the life of you if the prize money wasn't so good".

[danny]

Joke Prize.

This, and this isn't even the worst winner.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

Joke Prize.

This, and this isn't even the worst winner.

I know right?

[SPQR]

60 years of peace...
oh,but I'm sure some obscure blogger from Pakistan would have been a worthier candidate.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

60 years of peace...
oh,but I'm sure some obscure blogger from Pakistan would have been a worthier candidate.

I understand your point, but this is fallacious. Obscurity is no indication of lack of value.

[minionofmidas]

I would probably have given it to the Tunisian People.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Wait. Does their definition of the EU include the former European Economic Community? Even if not, I can see their reason for the EU. They have brought countries that were at war together. Also, remember that this prize is not just for actions in 2011-12.

EDIT: After looking at the award, it says "for SIX DECADES contributed to the advancement of peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights in Europe" This means it counts the European Economic Community, and the European Coal and Steel Community. Therefore, I think it is not a bad choice.

Indeed. A lot of people here seems to forget what was the main objective driving the founding fathers of the European integration. Regardless of what we think about current EU project and what direction it should take (for one, I personally would love to see a depper integration), the EU's direct predecessors (European Coal and Steel Community, European Economic Community) did a lot to bring together and reconcile the European countries after a disaster what was the WWII. 60 years of peace indeed.

60 years of peace...
oh,but I'm sure some obscure blogger from Pakistan would have been a worthier candidate.

I understand your point, but this is fallacious. Obscurity is no indication of lack of value.

Good point. The only problem is that there's only one Nobel Peace Prize.

[TNF]

I wonder how the Greeks feel about it, especially as the European Union's austerity push has fatally wounded Greek democracy and caused open rioting in the streets.

[SPQR]

60 years of peace...
oh,but I'm sure some obscure blogger from Pakistan would have been a worthier candidate.

I understand your point, but this is fallacious. Obscurity is no indication of lack of value.

I know,but just like their efforts are often appreciated and aknowledged through the Nobel Peace Prize,I think it's anything but a scandal to award the Prize to the EU given how it has provided an unexperienced period of peace to a whole continet.

[DC Al Fine]

The Peace Prize has always been about mindless optimism.  But it used to concern itself with actual deeds and accomplishments.  Now, with the recent awards to President Barack "Many Wars" Obama and the European Union, it looks more like the triumph of deranged wishful thinking than anything else.

[opebo]

Joke Prize.

Well it seems slightly more warranted than giving it to Barack Obama.

That's absurd!  At least he was a 'person'.  This is just an enormous octopus of neoliberal oppression.

[SPC]

By a conservative estimate, I can estimate at least a dozen less worthy people who have won the prize. On a positive note, at least this year's Nobel laureate has only committed fraud and financial terrorism, as opposed to the actual terrorism of several past laureates.

[GMantis]

The ironic thing is that while this decision makes the price even more of a joke, at least they abandoned their principle of awarding it as a reaction to world events, giving instead to someone who has stood the test of time.
And now for a more important question - who gets the prize money?

[Yelnoc]

lol

[hawkeye59]

You realize this is the Nobel Peace Prize, not the Economics Prize, right?

[GMantis]

You realize this is the Nobel Peace Prize, not the Economics Prize, right?

And?

[The Mikado]

Wait, what?

I thought it was a prize for individuals, not organizations.

[ingemann]

I wonder how the Greeks feel about it, especially as the European Union's austerity push has fatally wounded Greek democracy and caused open rioting in the streets.

The last 39 years is the longest time Greece has gone without wars, coups or civil wars since Greece was founded in 1822.

[Niemeyerite]

I approve of this prize. The EU was a great organization which helped bring peace to Europe till 2008.