Nobel Committee snubs bush?
 

El Baradei wins Peace Prize

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"It is very encouraging and fortunate," Blix said. "I see it as an endorsement of the professional and independent role of the IAEA and of international verification in the field of nuclear power and non-proliferation."

He declined to comment on whether the award should be seen as a message that the United States should have listened more to the IAEA before invading Iraq.

However he said the IAEA is best-equipped to deal with nuclear situations such as those in Iran and North Korea.



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Re: Nobel Committee snubs bush?
 

They have a tradition of never directly snubbing anyone, thus it is hard sometimes to get their underlying message. I think this was meant as a snub primarily to Iran but also secondarily a snub to US for not being more active in downsizing the nuclear arsenal. I really don't think it was related to the Iraq war, but I don't know.

Re: Nobel Committee snubs bush?
 

Not sure why its a snub. It is hard for me to imagine that anyone would consider a man who has waged 2 on-going wars with no end in sight... to be a candidate for the nobel peace prize?

Re: Nobel Committee snubs bush?
 

I'm not a Bushie, but what if it was a snub? Who really cares what the Nobel committee thinks?

Re: Nobel Committee snubs bush?
 

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I'm not a Bushie, but what if it was a snub? Who really cares what the Nobel committee thinks?

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Apparently this guy.

Re: Nobel Committee snubs bush?
 

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Not sure why its a snub. It is hard for me to imagine that anyone would consider a man who has waged 2 on-going wars with no end in sight... to be a candidate for the nobel peace prize?

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The reason it's a snub is that the agency that won it uses reasoning and comes to conclusions and has an agenda that is starkly in contrast to Bush. So by saying these people win the award, and these people are polar opposites of Bush...some people may take that as an anti-Bush stance by the Nobel people. Here are some quotes from the NY Times article about it.

"The prize recognizes the role of multilateralism in resolving all of the challenges we are facing today," Mr. ElBaradei told a televised press conference at the agency's headquarters in Vienna.

"Mr. ElBaradei, 63, has championed the peaceful use of nuclear energy while emphasizing quiet diplomacy in trying to dissuade countries from using the technology to develop weapons. He has been at the center of nonproliferation crises involving all three states that President Bush once labeled the axis of evil, Iraq under Saddam Hussein, Iran and North Korea."

"More recently, Mr. ElBaradei has resisted American pressure to ask the United Nations Security Council to consider sanctions against Iran for its past breaches of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, preferring to coax Iran into compliance."

Quiet diplomacy definitely doesn't jibe with Bush.

Re: Nobel Committee snubs bush?
 

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I'm not a Bushie, but what if it was a snub? Who really cares what the Nobel committee thinks?

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If you had known about the enourmous amount of lobbying and political pressure from a large number of countries (often involving your country) and organisations going on towards Norwegian diplomats and politicians to try to influence the decision, you would not make such a senseless statement.

Lech Walesa says it was a major factor in bringing down communism since they were on the verge of giving up, but when they got the price they got renewed energy to fight.

Re: Nobel Committee snubs bush?
 

My point is, who they pick doesn't have to have anything to do with Bush. Who says Bush is any part of the equation? Maybe the guy they picked is just the best candidate regardless of how he compares to Bush.

I kind of thought at first the OP was implying it should have gone to Bush. Which kind of made me laugh.

Re: Nobel Committee snubs bush?
 

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Lech Walesa says it was a major factor in bringing down communism since they were on the verge of giving up, but when they got the price they got renewed energy to fight.

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My bad folks, apparently the Nobel committee ended communism. The inflated self-importance of left-leaning intellectuals knows no bounds.

2+2 snubs T. J. Cloutier
 

It has come to pass that whoever speaks the truth, shall be condemned as politically motivated and petty.

Why not just say that those in the Nobel Peace Price Committee are a bunch of commies and be done with any substantive argument.

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COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Ole Danbolt Mjøs (chairman) (born 1939), Professor dr. medicine. Member of the Committee since 2003. Chairman since 2003.
Berge Furre (deputy chairman) (born 1937), professor dr. theology, former member of parliament and leader of the socialist party. Member of the Committee since 2003, Deputy Chairman since 2003.
Sissel Marie Rønbeck (born 1950), Deputy Director, Directorate for Cultural Heritage (Riksantikvaren), former member of parliament and Cabinet Minister. Member of the Committee since 1994.
Inger-Marie Ytterhorn (born 1941), Senior political adviser to the Progress Party's parliamentary group, former member of parliament. Member of the Committee since 2000.
Kaci Kullmann Five (born 1951), former chairman of the Conservative Party, member of parliament and Cabinet Minister for Trade, Shipping and European Affairs. Member of the Committee since 2003.

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Re: Nobel Committee snubs bush?
 

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Lech Walesa says it was a major factor in bringing down communism since they were on the verge of giving up, but when they got the price they got renewed energy to fight.

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My bad folks, apparently the Nobel committee ended communism. The inflated self-importance of left-leaning intellectuals knows no bounds.

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I did not claim so, smartass. I just quoted him. He was a driving force and he gives a lot of credit for that to the Nobel Price.

Re: 2+2 snubs T. J. Cloutier
 

To enlighten further on how this process is going on:

The Norwegian parliament appoints the committee, and thus it would be possible for the parliament to politize it. It also politized in the way that there is a unwritten agreement between the major parties that the committee should represent the whole Norwegian political spectrum (this means it reflects the sentiment in the Norwegian population and not of the worldwide population) regardless of which party controls the Parliament. It is also an unwritten agreement that it should not consist of politically active members, thus typically former politicians are appointed. It is also an unwritten agreement that no parliamentary politicians should try to interfere in the decision process, other than nominating candidates.

Re: 2+2 snubs T. J. Cloutier
 

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It has come to pass that whoever speaks the truth, shall be condemned as politically motivated and petty.

Why not just say that those in the Nobel Peace Price Committee are a bunch of commies and be done with any substantive argument.

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COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Ole Danbolt Mjøs (chairman) (born 1939), Professor dr. medicine. Member of the Committee since 2003. Chairman since 2003.
Berge Furre (deputy chairman) (born 1937), professor dr. theology, former member of parliament and leader of the socialist party. Member of the Committee since 2003, Deputy Chairman since 2003.
Sissel Marie Rønbeck (born 1950), Deputy Director, Directorate for Cultural Heritage (Riksantikvaren), former member of parliament and Cabinet Minister. Member of the Committee since 1994.
Inger-Marie Ytterhorn (born 1941), Senior political adviser to the Progress Party's parliamentary group, former member of parliament. Member of the Committee since 2000.
Kaci Kullmann Five (born 1951), former chairman of the Conservative Party, member of parliament and Cabinet Minister for Trade, Shipping and European Affairs. Member of the Committee since 2003.

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Mjos: I think he is right wing, but I am not sure.
Furre: Former commie actually [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img], he was put under surveillance during the cold war and was at one time suspected of spying for DDR.
Ronbeck: Moderate left wing
Ytterhorn: Extreme right wing
Five: Right wing, very conservative.

Mais, si !
 

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Lech Walesa says it was a major factor in bringing down communism since they were on the verge of giving up, but when they got the price they got renewed energy to fight.

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My bad folks, apparently the Nobel committee ended communism. The inflated self-importance of left-leaning intellectuals knows no bounds.

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Yes, the Nobel Peace Prize and the resulting political and P.R. pressure upon the Soviets helped end communism in Poland. It was not an immediate result, of course (only foolish persons think like that) but it nudged things towards that direction. The Soviets' policy on the West was based on promoting peace - and, in that context, the Soviets could not dismiss the Nobel Peace Prize as irrelevant or "an imperialist tool".

By itself alone, the Solidarity movement did not bring down communism in Poland but it contributed tremendously. As did the other democratic movements in Eastern Europe, along with the stance of lone and courageous individuals. (Such as physicist Andrei Zakharov, who was also awarded the Price.)

To ridicule those episodes in History only shows closed-mindedness and profound ignorance of History's workings.

Re: Mais, si !
 

Just to put a quote too:

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Lech Walesa (1983 laureate)
"The prize saved my life. Without it, I don't know if I would have survived or would have had the career I've enjoyed."


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Re: Nobel Committee snubs bush?.
 

[img]/images/graemlins/confused.gif[/img] but;

gwb presidential medals are still available from u.s. mint

show your support

ty

gl

[img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/spade.gif[/img]

huh?
 

So let me understand this. North Korea goes back on its agreements, enriches uranium, builds half a dozen nuclear weapons, and we see this as a success story for the IAEA.

How about Iran. They are just going to go on doing what they are doing and one day go nuclear. The IAEA hasn't done anything substantial.

As an organization it has accomplished none of its objectives. We are they getting an award?

Re: huh?
 

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As an organization it has accomplished none of its objectives. We are they getting an award?

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It is preemptive [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img].