In 2002, Jimmy Carter won the Nobel Peace Prize. At the time I believe that most people could at least give Carter the benefit of the doubt in accepting it. I believe Carter actually believes that he was working towards peace and had done quite a few things, although ineffective, to at least foster this belief.
Today, President Barack Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize and I believe that any reasoning person in the United States or around the world would be hard pressed to make a case that Obama has done anything noteworthy to advance the cause of peace. Obama in his own acceptance speech said such, as he claimed to be humbled by the award.
"To be honest, I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures who have won this prize," Obama said.
"The person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses"
- Alfred Nobel, 1895
on the Peace Prize
While Obama gives us a dose of honesty above that he clearly didn't deserve the prize, he failed this test of integrity by accepting a prize which he knows "to be honest" he doesn't deserve. Obama would have garnered much integrity, respect and appeared much more "humble" if he had refused the award with a statement that they should check back in a few years "when I have accomplished the goals I have set for myself in working towards peace".
That did not occur and his acceptance of the award just further damages any potential respect that many may have for him. The award will go on his resume along with all of the other unwarranted prizes he has accepted for work he has not done. Obama has not been around long enough to have accomplished much in his climb to power from state Senate to US Senate to President - other than to actually win elections.
As for the Nobel panel that chooses the winner... Obama was nominated for the prize by the cutoff date of February 1, 2009, just 12 days after being sworn in as president. Apparently those 12 days created peace across the globe according to the Nobel panel. After awarding Al Gore the prize 2 years ago, for global warming (which has little to do with peace), the Nobel name was tarnished. Now it has been utterly destroyed.
Obama's acceptance of this award is just one more thing that makes you question who Obama is working for. The American People or himself? The answer seems to be quite clear by his decision to accept an undeserved Nobel Peace Prize.
