Of All the Nobel Gestures!

This Friday morning I woke up to the stunning news - Obama had claimed the biggest prize there is, a Nobel for Peace. A joke, many have called it. But I'm not laughing. Call me foolish, but in my book somehow reward follows action. Awarding great intentions and not much else has pretty much taken the shine out of the Nobels for me.

The story in New York Times summed it up best when it said that the decision caught even the White House off guard.

Sure, there are serious problems facing the world that need addressing, by someone with an eye on the big picture. And maybe, given time and the right advisors, Obama might make major strides in forging peace. But equally important, there exist in the world, pockets of massive strife and unrest. Illness and inequality. Hunger and homelessness. Afghanistan is a small country with big problems. Colombia is dealing with a mountain of an issue. The scale of HIV/ AIDS in China is a cause large enough to demand the world's attention, even without the highly recognizable candidatures. And they picked a man with great ideas but little yet to show for them.

But maybe I shouldn't complain. After all, Gandhi and Churchill missed the final cut (for Peace) but Stalin, Hitler and Mussolini were amongst the nominees.

What next? For 2010, I'm thinking Michael Jackson. Peace, maybe Literature - take your pick. After all, the world is Black or White...