Friday, October 12, 2012

A deserving winner of the Nobel Peace Prize

The EU gained some well-needed recognition when The Nobel Committee announced that it was giving the Nobel Peace Prize to the European Union.

Critics are already mocking the decision, but rarely based on any knowledge of the EU. Right now the EU is strugling with economic difficulties (obviously!), but one needs to look at the big picture - namely that there haven't been any wars or noteworthy conflicts between EU members since its inception, and that the EU has directly and indirectly spurred democratic movements in Portugal, Spain, and Greece (which were all - not too long ago - military dictatorships) and Eastern Europe. Besides, an economic crisis doesn't say anything about the EU's ability to create - and keep - peace in a troubled region over a period of sixty years.

Below, I have collected some responses to the decision.

http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/10/why-the-european-union-deserves-the-nobel-peace-prize/263560/

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/ezra-klein/wp/2012/10/12/five-reasons-why-the-e-u-deserved-the-nobel-peace-prize/

http://blog.heritage.org/2012/10/12/the-eus-nobel-peace-prize-not-just-a-laughing-matter/

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/12/us-nobel-peace-eu-crisis-idUSBRE89B0YP20121012

http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2012/10/12/european-union-peace-prize-nobel-committee-jumps-the-shark/

http://world.time.com/2012/10/12/nobel-peace-prize-sows-discord-and-laughter/

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/10/12/the-eu-won-what-europe-reacts-to-nobel.html

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/oct/12/european-union-nobel-peace-prize-joy-derision?newsfeed=true