Overheard
The award
of this year’s
Nobel peace prize
to President Obama
will be met with widespread incredulity,
consternation in many capitals
and probably deep embarrassment
by the President himself.Rarely has an award
had such an obvious
political and partisan intent.
It was clearly seen
by the Norwegian Nobel committee
as a way of expressing European gratitude
for an end to the Bush Administration,
approval for the election
of America’s first black president
and hope that Washington will honour
its promise to re-engage with the world.Instead, the prize risks
looking preposterous in its claims,
patronising in its intentions
and demeaning in its attempt
to build up a man
who has barely begun
his period in office,
let alone achieved
any tangible outcome for peace.
