The Nobel Peace Prize Joke

Thank goodness the Nobel Peace Prize is not a British affair as one can imagine the jokes at our expense that would be bandied around for awarding this much debased leaden award to the EU. There have been one or two awards of this decoration that have been appropriate but in recent years I cannot recall one where I have felt this was so. Prior to this year's award to the EU the most inappropriate was the award to Obama who should have had the grace to refuse it but being the vain person he is decided to accept it. The prize has been given to the EU for keeping the peace in Europe. They couldn't be that ignorant surely? They must know that peace in Europe has been kept by Nato? Surely the Prize committee must be having another of its little jokes like the award to Bummer before he'd even been President for more than 5 minutes. With the euro crisis tearing any goodwill between nations apart the Peace Prize award to the EU is truly surreal. This spotlight on the EU brings back to us all its grotesque failings. Its huge cost, its corruption, its democratic deficit and the arrogance of its bureaucrats. Who in their right minds would have set up a currency union before having a political union? Who in their right minds would have set up the common agricultural policy? Who in their right minds would have introduced the carbon emission restriction policy that is not only unnecessary but is going to cost us billions? Funny too that the Norwegians voted against joining the EU. Clearly Norwegian voters are more savvy than those on the Nobel Peace Prize committee who have demonstrated a romantic view of the world. They wouldn't be socialists would they? It is thrilling to know though that I am in good company  with many distinguished commentators who also see the award as a farce. See Ambrose Evans-Pritchard's piece on this here, Iain Martin's piece here, Daniel Hannan's piece here and The Commentator's blog here. It is not only the Nobel Peace Prize committee that needs its collective head examined but also the Nobel Literature Prize committee. How could it possibly have given the literature prize to Mo Yan? From what I have read about him I understand that he is a vociferous supporter of the Chinese regime. This may be somewhat exaggerated as his books have somtimes been banned by the authorities.