Nobel Prize No Longer the Honor It Once Was

The Nobel Peace Prize was once considered the gold standard of global honor — a shining beacon of moral authority bestowed upon those who bent the arc of history toward peace. Today, it is more like a participation trophy for left-wingers — handed out by a committee that seems increasingly confused about its own mission.

And yes, President Trump covets it. He’s hardly subtle about that. But can you blame him? The Prize may have lost its luster, but it still sparkles enough to tempt any would-be peacemaker with a lust for legacy.

Unfortunately, the Nobel Peace Prize is not what it used to be. And that is largely because the committee that awards it has drifted from recognizing genuine peacemaking to indulging in political gamesmanship. The Prize has become less about peace and more about making a statement—usually a controversial one.

President Obama received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009, barely months into his presidency. His “achievement” at the time? Inspiring hope. That’s not a joke—that’s essentially what the committee said. Meanwhile, he was preparing a troop surge in Afghanistan. Nothing says “peace” quite like escalating a war. Even Obama himself seemed baffled by the award, which tells you everything you need to know.

But Obama wasn’t the first head‑scratcher, nor the last.

One of the most infamous recipients was Yasser Arafat, the longtime head of the Palestine Liberation Organization—an organization widely recognized as a terrorist group for decades. Arafat shared the Prize in 1994 for the Oslo Accords, which unraveled almost as quickly as they were signed. Awarding a peace prize to a man whose résumé included hijackings and bombings was, to put it mildly, a bold choice. The committee defended it as a gesture of hope. (Again, hope). Critics called it moral confusion. History has not been kind to that decision.

Then there’s former Senator Al Gore, who won the Prize in 2007—not for negotiating any peace agreement, but for raising awareness about climate change. The fact that Gore’s Draconian predictions fell short did not matter. Whether one agrees with Gore’s environmental crusade or not, it’s hard to argue that it fits neatly into the category of “peacemaker.” But is was another effort by the Nobel committee to please the left-wing establishment.

And who could forget Greta Thunberg, the teenage climate activist (and obnoxious brat) who was nominated multiple times and was widely expected to win? Alas, she did not. But she did win the Right Livelihood Award in 2019 – often seen as the alternative to the Nobel.

A Nobel Peace Prize also went to Le Duc Tho, a Vietnamese revolutionary general. His claim to fame was leading the North Vietnamese military against both the French and the United States. He was less than appreciative and refused the Prize altogether.

And then there are the omissions. The Nobel Committee has snubbed some of the most consequential peacemakers of the modern era. President Ronald Reagan, who played a central role in ending the Cold War, never received the Prize. Ironically, Mikhail Gorbachev – who lost the Cold War to Reagan – was awarded the Peace Prize. Apparently, the Berlin Wall fell because Gorbachev woke up one morning and decided freedom sounded nice. Reagan’s pressure, diplomacy, and resolve? Not worth a mention.

Winston Churchill, who saved Western civilization from Nazi tyranny, never received the Peace Prize either. But he did get the Nobel Prize in Literature—because nothing says “peace” like a well‑crafted sentence.

So, when Trump says he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize—whether for the Abraham Accords, settling a number of regional conflicts or simply because he wants it—he is up against a long tradition of the Nobel committee snubbing those on the right. The committee continues pretending it is above politics while handing out awards that are increasingly … political.

The Nobel Peace Prize is still an honor—but a tarnished one. It has become a mirror reflecting the biases, aspirations, and contradictions of the committee more than the achievements of its recipients. And until the committee rediscovers its purpose, the Prize will remain what it has become, a global conversation starter, a political Rorschach test, and occasionally, a punchline.

The world still needs genuine peacemakers. It would be nice if the Nobel committee remembered that.

So, there ‘tis.