ONCE the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to terrorist Yasir Arafat, I knew it was, on some level, utterly meaningless. At the same time, one might argue that Obamas selection was batel bshishim, nullified in 60, as the halachic principle goes when a forbidden substance is outnumbered by a ratio of 60:1.
Because if you look at the long list of distinguished Nobel Prize laureates, many worked tirelessly for decades to make the world a better place.
Well, friends, Romans and countrymen, working for decades on behalf of the poor and disadvantaged, or forging lasting, sustainable, international peace agreements, or any kind of tangible achievement or accomplishment, seem to be the criteria of days gone by. Nowadays, Academy Award star power, or motivational speaking, seem to be the new Nobel Peace Prize criteria.
This week president Barack Obama received the Nobel Peace Prize after just nine months in office for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen national diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.
Did you just say, for efforts?
As laudable as efforts are, Obama just got an A for effort because he certainly has not yet delivered on any of his lofty promises, such as his approach to nuclear disarmament.
In other words, the new criterion for the Nobel Peace Prize is coming up with an idea, not carrying out a tangible reality. For, an effort, not an actual accomplishment.
I AM a teacher by training. I believe in constant acknowledgments of efforts made, as well as small, successive, achievements. Aside from my training, this is how I am by nature. I enjoy being that supportive friend, teacher or aunt, encouraging . . . accentuating the positive . . . but, a Nobel Peace Prize to an American president just for the effort? You have got to be kidding.
This attitude is but a natural consequence and reflection of our societys celebration of mediocrity. As a member of EDOS, Dr. Philip Mehler, once quipped (I dont recall the context): striving for mediocrity and coming up short. Now this witticism seems applicable to our very own president, symbolic of what the standards of our American culture have dwindled to.
I am a big believer in the journey and process of things, not just the destination or tangible accomplishment. This is an important model and philosophy for many aspects of life. But achievements and accomplishments are critical.
And it is important to know the difference.
As well as to have a sense of timing, of when these respective qualities should be recognized.
FRANKLY, I think awarding Obama the Nobel Peace Prize at this juncture is condescending to him. He knows, and we all know, that he has done nothing even close to the scale of earning this honor that he did not merit it.
I would have respected Obama a lot more had he actually had the class, dignity and integrity to decline the prize with a statement to this effect:
I am very appreciative for this supportive gesture and vote of confidence in my abilities to effectuate peaceful change in the world, and will be glad to accept it when I earn it.
Instead, Obama is a laughingstock, a gelechter (as the Yiddish phrase goes) with this award, ironically highlighting that he has accomplished zip so far.
As a friend put it, Obama certainly did accomplish uniting the world uniting it in agreement in how utterly farcical it is for him to receive this award.
If we stop at potential and celebrate intention, achievements of significance will be thwarted or truncated, not seen through to the end. Wanting to, even trying to, discover the cure for cancer is not discovering the cure for cancer. Showing up with good attitude and effort is important, but not enough. But that is what Obama, quite pathetically, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for.
Given all the hundreds of nominees from around the world, since the Nobel committee deemed Obama to be more fit to receive this prize than anyone else, that is a sad commentary.
Let us hope that with time, Obama will, in fact, cultivate a more peaceful world and earn the peace prize retroactively.
Right now, his being awarded it cheapens its meaning for the many who have earned it so deservingly in the past.
