Bill Kristol is right (the only time in my life I expect ever to type that sentence): the Nobel Peace Prize is indeed decided by five Norwegians ?? four of them women, yet ?? and awarded on behalf of the Norwegian Nobel Institute. The Norwegian Nobel Institute is a private foundation, accountable only to itself.
The Nobel Institute gives the Peace Prize annually to whoever, in the sole and unfettered discretion of those five Norwegians, best carries forth the spirit of Alfred Nobel's Last Will and Testament: to recognize the person or organization that ??shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity among nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses. ?
Imagine that, from the man who invented dynamite. Nobel wanted to be remembered for promoting peace, not for blowing things up and killing people. What more proof does the far right need that poor Al Nobel must have gone completely insane?
Notwithstanding the far right's opinion, it is the Norwegian Nobel Institute's perfect right to make such an award. In so doing, the Institute is doing nothing more than exercising its own right of free speech ?? a right, it seems, that right-wing extremists in the US would reserve for only themselves.
All of this leaves the wingnut right with just one time-honored option: if you don't like the way the Norwegian Nobel Institute makes its decisions, then make your own decisions and awards.
That's right: do it yourself. You ?? Limbaugh, Hannity, Beck, Will, Kristol, Malkin, and all the rest of your ilk ?? you establish your own competing prize.
You endow that foundation with the capital to make annual awards of at least $1.4 million in whatever categories and according to whatever criteria you consider important in a 21st century world. About $200 million should get you started with five annual prizes of $1.5 million each.
You hire the staff that will handle inquiries and process nominations. You meet the payroll and pay the rent. You select the Board members who will make the decisions. You announce the awards.
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