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Friday 9 October 2009

Harsher punishment for parole violators, Stan ... and World Peace

Perhaps it is a consolation prize for not winning the Olympic Games after next, but I fail to see the achievements that justify the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to the current President of the United States. Maybe he hasn't started or provoked any new wars, which is an improvement over his predecessor and the one before that who was apt to whip out a cruise missile to lob at suitably remote targets.

It is worth remembering that Mr. Obama was inaugurated into office on 20 January 2009, and nominations for the Peace Prize closed on 27 February 2009. That must have been one heck of a first 38 days, but sadly none of it seems particularly memorable. Still, Mr. President gets to trouser a cool $1.4 million, or $50,000 for each of his first 28 working days in office.

For all Mr. Obama's fine words, one can't help thinking that others with equal claims to aspirations in this field have been overlooked.

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