Why did Barack Obama win a Nobel Prize? Maureen Dowd writes that it’s because he was a “cool dude.” That’s as good an explanation as any, as there is no substantive explanation for why Obama, after only eight months in office, deserved the prize. But he got it nonetheless and it infuriates Trump, who desperately needs validation.
His longing is partly inspired by his jealousy of Barack Obama, who absurdly got a Nobel Peace Prize after only eight months in office for just being a cool dude. Our 79-year-old president admitted recently that he also envies Obama for the way he airily bopped down the stairs of Air Force One, while he himself has to slowly creep down, grasping the railing, worried that he’ll fall and look as unsteady as Joe Biden.
But being an insufferable narcissistic braggart, as well as waging war upon his own people, doesn’t mean that ending conflict in the middle east isn’t Nobel worthy. Not yet, of course. As of this writing, not a single hostage has been released and not a single weapon in the hands of Hamas has been laid down. Indeed, with Israel withdrawing from Gaza City, Hamas has taken to the streets to murder and maim those Palestinians whom it considers enemies, whether as collaborators or merely inadequately supportive of Hamas.
The plan requires Hamas to release the hostages, dead or alive, within 72 hours of its approval, which would mean that they should be freed within the next day. If it happens, that will be a monumental achievement. Israel has waited for two years for their people to be returned. It won’t be sufficient, as too many, like the Bibas children, were murdered, but it will be better than the alternative of remaining in captivity. Israelis are thrilled at this prospect, and with Trump for making this possibility happen.
But for the moment, it remains a possibility. I hope it happens. I want to believe it will and that Hamas will do as it has promised. At least this part.
As for peace, and the prospect of Palestinians and Israelis living next to each other peacefully, there is no real plan. At best, there is the concept of a plan, dependent on a great many moving parts, none of which have ever worked together in a way that proved viable.
Two points of the plan involve Hamas laying down its weapons and relinquishing control of Gaza. The chances of that happening are slim. Even if it did, there is no entity to manage Gaza. The Palestinian Authority is neither trusted nor competent.
And then there’s the fan fic of a two-state solution, which would not only require that Palestinians let go of their dream of destroying Israel and killing Jews, but connecting the West Bank to Gaza by Israel giving up the land in between for the benefit of Palestinians.
But rather than dwell on the negatives, the hope that the hostages will be returned and Gaza will return to the ceasefire that existed until the day when Hamas decides to murder, rape, burn and kidnap Israeli citizens on October 7th, looms large.
There were many hands in making this happen. The confluence of Arab states pushing for the end of war. The influence of Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, doing what Trump’s shadow Secretary of State Steve Witkoff could not. But these things happened under Trump’s rule, whether you (or I) like it or not. The way it works is that the president in office when such accomplishments happen gets the credit. No matter how many other things, bad things, corrupt things, terrible things, Trump has done and will do, if this peace comes, it will be Trump’s.
It’s disgraceful how Trump openly seeks a Nobel Prize, even to the point of driving a wedge with India because of Modi’s refusal to nominate Trump. Trump claims to have stopped seven wars. The parties involved tend to differ, and laugh at his ludicrous self-aggrandizing claims. But being shameless about his desire for recognition doesn’t mean he didn’t achieve anything worthy of recognition.
We are not yet at the point where any of Trump’s middle east peace claims have come to fruition. And assuming the hostages are released, there will still be a great deal left to be done before peace will be achieved. But if he manages to pull it off, despite the monumental obstacles in his way, he will have earned serious consideration for the prize that was given to Obama for merely being a “cool dude” and despite the vast array of bad things Trump has done. No, it won’t turn Trump into Gandhi, nor make his conduct in office any less corrupt or unlawful, but it is the peace prize, not the “cool dude” prize. If Trump can make peace happen, then he deserves the credit, as painful as that may be.
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“No, it won’t turn Trump into Gandhi, nor make his conduct in office any less corrupt or unlawful, but it is the peace prize, not the “cool dude” prize. If Trump can make peace happen, then he deserves the credit, as painful as that may be.”
OT1H, I admire your being able to give Trump credit, something I struggle to do.
OTOH, I think this is really premature. Both Netanyahu and HAMAS have their own, very selfish, reasons for undermining the process. It’s very likely that one or the other will do a Lucy Van Pelt and snatch the ball away at the last moment.
I hope I’m wrong, but I doubt we’ll see peace in the Middle East during my lifetime.
OT3H, I foresee the peace between Albania and Azerbaijan as lasting and Trump deserves credit for this… as much as anyone.
Eh, even a blind squirrel gets a nut every so often.
If he actually succeeds with this good for him, give him the prize – he will have actually earned it for the first time in his life.
Insufferable narcissistic braggart? They didn’t give him the Nobel Peace Prize. So what? He is now eyeing the construction of an Arc de Triumphe across from the Lincoln Memorial. It was recently seen on a table near his desk in the White House. But his Arc de Triumphe, will be bigger than the Lincoln Memorial. It will even be bigger than the Arc de Triumphe (Am I spelling it right?—no matter, not important-this arch will be called the arch of Trump’s Triumph). in Paris. Tell me, is that the act of an insufferable narcissistic braggart? After all, Lincoln started the Civil War, Our Augustus, (Hail Caesar!), has now ended eight wars, soon to be nine when Putin comes crawling back to the negotiating table. It was highly impertinent from Putin to leave in the first place, but no matter, Caesar will be magnanimous. Then they will have to give him the prize.
An “Arc de Trumpf”?!? Vraiment?
In a gesture of bipartisanship, I propose a monument to Biden, to be called the “I Fell Tower”.
The prize is a a joke. They gave one to Yasser Arafat.
Until Hamas, the Palestinian Authority, and other Muslim terror groups are wiped from the face of the earth, Jews will have no peace.
I lost relatives on October 7th. I’ll forgive the bastards when hell freezes over.
Is the prize given for a specific instance only? Any reasonable progress towards Middle East peace seems deserving of the Peace prize. But should this effort be considered alone or should Trump’s other activities be included? It is not an instance of cancelling him for behavior/beliefs unrelated to the subject matter (as many professors etc have been cancelled for holding “unacceptable” beliefs outside their field of study). Trump has directly contributed to the deaths and misery of millions of people through selfish, inconsiderate actions. On the whole, has he improved or worsened conditions?
Israel is announcing the release of hostages.
Still hard to believe.