Once held in the highest regard, the Nobel Peace Prize has seen its prestige erode under the weight of politicized selections in recent times. In 2009, Barack Obama received the accolade just months into his presidency, earning it primarily for his hopeful rhetoric and vision of global diplomacy, such as his Nobel acceptance speech in Oslo and later remarks in Berlin on nuclear disarmament and multilateral cooperation.
Yet, the optimism surrounding his award soon faded. Over his two terms in Washington, Obama oversaw a massive expansion of U.S. air campaigns. In 2016 alone, American forces dropped approximately 26,172 bombs across seven countries, primarily in Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, and Libya, averaging three bombs every hour of every day. Moreover, his administration carried out 563 drone strikes in Pakistan, Somalia, and Yemen, nearly ten times more than under President Bush.
This bombing campaign was part of broader military interventions, such as the 2011 air campaign in Libya, which toppled Muammar Gaddafi but plunged the country into chaos—criticized as a “splendid little war” that “wrecked Libya for a generation” (cato.org).
Despite earning a Nobel for powerful speeches in Berlin and Oslo, Obama’s legacy is now clouded by these extensive military actions. His Peace Prize—a symbol of earnest global aspiration—now seems contradicted by a presidency marked by perpetual war.
Fast forward to today: Donald Trump has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, following an unprovoked bombing of Iran’s nuclear facilities. Once unthinkable, a Trump win now seems within the realm of possibility. During Netanyahu’s recent White House visit, the two leaders proposed expelling thousands of Palestinians from Gaza to make way for a "humanitarian city" in Rafah capable of relocating 600,000 people, an announcement that drew international condemnation and raised profound ethical and legal questions.
The Nobel Peace Prize, once reserved for peacebuilding and humanitarianism, now mirrors global power dynamics and political theater more than ever.
Well, that is the time we are.
Stay blessed and stay curious.
Pal Ronnie
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