Nobel Reflections

Nobel Obama

Is World Peace Possible?

"An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind."Mahatma Gandhi. World peace is not possible. I'm sorry to squash every beauty queen's dream but its just not going to happen. Say country A attacks country B then country B attacks country A. Its almost expected! Now according to Gandhi this makes us blind. Every person, group, companies and government has different ideals that they're just not willing to compromise on. Not only are people driven by their beliefs but also less honorable desires such as greed. Almost any person that you will meet will want to further themselves, by any means necessary.

On a lower scale everyone disagrees. Even on playgrounds at elementary schools people have differences. For example Jim tells Joe that Joe is a poopie head. Joe, of course, does not think he is a poopie head so Joe kicks Jim in the shins. Yes this is a trivial degree but that is just where it starts.

Many persons are strongly rooted in their beliefs. Somebody who is part of the Ku Klux Klan will not get along with people who are different from what they believe. This person will go out of their way to harm someone who are not like themselves. Its not just the KKK but even smaller groups with less intense views on subjects can and will go out of their way to hinder an opposing organization.

Finally, on most likely the largest scale, governments. Governments are very arcane about their beliefs. If they weren't we would call them hypocrites. Even though we do. However its not just our government that is secure in their thinking but all other governments are the same. Some governments that are just so different from ours aren't going to suddenly agree with what we say. With Iraq their leader was a madman. He wasn't obviously going to react to peaceful actions. Therefore a war ensued. Or at least that was Bush's excusefor starting a war. Although some countries want peace something will go wrong, maybe not another government but maybe their citizens revolt or terrorism disrupts the peace.

Now for greed. People, groups, companies and governments all want more assets, more land, more money, more of anything. Especially in America were people think the more you have, the better you are. People rob for things they believe that will make them better. Robbing is not at all peaceful. Even if a robber just wanted to rob a person could get in their way. This person more than likely would be harmed. The United States itself has a history of greedy actions.For instance the idea of Manifest Destiny back in the late 1800s somehow gave America the thought that they must and will control all the land from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific. In order to get much of that land they declared war on Mexico in 1846. Peace obviously not on their agenda.

I wish that world peace was a attainable goal, we all do. Nobody would ever be hurt, everyone would be nice. We could even use Gandhi as an example that nonviolence will work in the end. Then again how many people, groups, or governments do you know that will be dedicated as Gandhi? In conclusion, it's a good idea but right now we are all blind.

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Mahatma Gandhi, the Missing Laureate

Mohandas Gandhi (1869-1948) has become the strongest symbol of non-violence in the 20th century. It is widely held in retrospect that the Indian national leader should have been the very man to be selected for the Nobel Peace Prize. He was nominated several times, but was never awarded the prize. Why?

These questions have been asked frequently: Was the horizon of the Norwegian Nobel Committee too narrow? Were the committee members unable to appreciate the struggle for freedom among non-European peoples?" Or were the Norwegian committee members perhaps afraid to make a prize award which might be detrimental to the relationship between their own country and Great Britain?

When still alive, Mohandas Gandhi had many admirers, both in India and abroad. But his martyrdom in 1948 made him an even greater symbol of peace. Twenty-one years later, he was commemorated on this double-sized United Kingdom postage stamp.

Photo: Copyright Scanpix

Gandhi was nominated in 1937, 1938, 1939, 1947 and, finally, a few days before he was murdered in January 1948. The omission has been publicly regretted by later members of the Nobel Committee; when the Dalai Lama was awarded the Peace Prize in 1989, the chairman of the committee said that this was "in part a tribute to the memory of Mahatma Gandhi". However, the committee has never commented on the speculations as to why Gandhi was not awarded the prize, and until recently the sources which might shed some light on the matter were unavailable.

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I hope IMAGINE PEACE TOWER will give light to the strong wishes of World Peace from all corners of the planet and give encouragement, inspiration and a sense of solidarity in a world now filled with fear and confusion. Let us come together to realize a peaceful world.

Yoko Ono, 2007

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A Noble curse!

A redhead, a brunette, and Obama are in the ladies room when the mirror begins to speak. The mirror says that it only comes out once every hundred years and that it grants Nobel wishes. It clarifies, "I will only grant a wish that portrays what you truly believe, if you tell one lie you will be cursed for the rest of your life."

The brunette steps forward and says, "I think that all children should have enough to eat." Because the mirror knew that this is what the girl really believed in., the wish was granted.

The redhead steps forward and says, "I think that there should be world peace." Because the mirror knew that this is what the girl really believed in., the wish was granted.

Lastly, Obama stepped forward and said, "Golly, I guess I think..." Whap!! The Nobel Peace Prize was granted!...

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