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10/12/2025

Today’s blog

Lynn Murphy Mark

What price peace?

On October 10, 2025, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded. The recipient must fit the description written in 1895 in the will of Albert Nobel. The prize will go to, “who has done the most or best to advance fellowship among nations, the abolition or reduction of standing armies, and the establishment and promotion of peace congresses.” There are many different people who can promote a candidate for the prize, people in government, current heads of state, university professors and former Nobel Peace Prize Laureates.

This year there were 338 nominees. It is of some comfort to me that there are that many illustrious people working for peace in the world. The Norwegian Nobel Committee of five members decides, after much deliberation. Kristian Berg Harpviken, the committee’s secretary, said this to Reuters: “The prize needs to be placed in the current context…They will look at the world, see what is happening, what are the global trends, what are the main concerns, what are the most promising processes that we see.”

Our president, 47, was nominated by leaders of Cambodia, Israel, and Pakistan. Since the nomination was made after the January 31 deadline, 47 couldn’t have won this year anyway. Also from the Reuters article: 47 could win “only if he changes his policies, according to Nobel experts, who argue that he is at present dismantling the international world order the award committee cherishes.”

“Dismantling the international world order…” sounds like a criminal act to me. But 47 insists that he has ended eight wars in his 9 months in office. Steven Cheung, the White House communications director said the Nobel committee, “proved they place politics over peace” by not recognizing 47. Sounds like sour grapes to me.

Maria Corina Machado is this year’s recipient. A Venezuelan citizen, she is currently living in hiding from Venezuela’s president, Nicolas Maduro. She is the leader of the biggest opposition movement in her country. The Nobel committee chose her for her efforts to advance democracy in the face of increasing authoritarianism in her country. The New York Times says she was praised” for her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.”

What confuses me is that she did make mention of 47 as having been a worthy candidate for the award. This, despite his clear efforts to orchestrate a forceful transition from democracy to dictatorship in the United States – the very opposite of what Ms. Machado is pursuing. I guess she made the politically correct move by acknowledging that 47 has supported her efforts to bring democracy to Venezuela.  Still, she can’t be unaware of his administration’s blatant disregard for human and civil rights of anyone who might present a “threat” to 47 and his minions. And what about the deadly attacks on at least four boats in the Caribbean? 47 alleges that these boats originated from Venezuela and were terrorist vessels. At least 21 people have been killed, supposedly Venezuelan citizens. No proof has been forthcoming as to the real purpose of the boats. 

Only three sitting US presidents have been awarded the peace prize. The last time this happened was in 2009, when Barack Obama won the prize. He was cited for his “extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples.” On the other hand, 47 recently delivered a blistering, random, and insulting address to the United Nations – hardly an effort to promote cooperation among peoples.

I rest my case.