# One Nobel Prize Winner to Another **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 9, 2013, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-nobel-prize-winner-to-another/668382 "2013-09-09T02:22:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![newcomer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e5b9ba/32.png) [@newcomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcomer)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-nobel-prize-winner-to-another/668382/1 "2013-09-09T02:22:21Z")
From Adolfo Perez Esquivel to Barack Obama: > [@](#): > > The situation in Syria is worrying and once again the U.S., setting themselves up as policeman of the world, seeks to invade Syria in the name of “freedom” and “human rights” . > > Your predecessor, George W. Bush, in his messianic madness knew how to implement religious fundamentalism to perform messianic wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. When stated that he talked to God and God told him that he had to attack Iraq, he did because it was God’s ruling to export “freedom” to the world . > > You have spoken , on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the death of Rev. Luther King, also a Nobel Peace Prize , of the need to complete the “Dream ” of a shared table , of whom was the most significant expression of struggle for civil rights racism in the world’s first slave democracy. Luther King was a man who gave his life to give life, and as such he is a martyr of our time. He was killed after the March over Washington, because he threatened with civil disobedience to remain accomplices of the imperialist war against the people of Vietnam. Do you really think that to militarily invade another people is to contribute to that dream? [http://www.adolfoperezesquivel.org/?p=3324](http://www.adolfoperezesquivel.org/?p=3324) What I wonder is, are people, 50 or 100 years from now, look back at this moment ini history and recall a turning point of a US decline? ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-nobel-prize-winner-to-another/668382/2 "2013-09-09T13:33:18Z")
He calls him “Obama”? Not Mr. Obama, not President Obama, not even Barack? Also the general tone of ‘You’re doing everything wrong!’ signed, “Receive the Greeting of Peace and Good.” I think this guy is off his meds, and I agree with his position of staying out of Syria. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-nobel-prize-winner-to-another/668382/3 "2013-09-09T13:39:02Z")
I realize that English is not Mr. Esquiviel’s first language, which might explain some of it, but the errors of fact in his letter are embarrassing. He could have had the damn thing proofread. Winning a Nobel Peace Prize doesn’t mean you’re right about everything for the rest of your life. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-nobel-prize-winner-to-another/668382/4 "2013-09-09T14:05:41Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Winning a Nobel Peace Prize doesn’t mean you’re right about everything for the rest of your life. It doesn’t even mean you were right about what you won the Prize for. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-nobel-prize-winner-to-another/668382/5 "2013-09-09T14:11:01Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > It doesn’t even mean you were right about what you won the Prize for. I’d test Mr. Esquiviel for doping. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-nobel-prize-winner-to-another/668382/6 "2013-09-09T14:28:58Z")
I think it might be a case of writing from the heart, and a cultural mindset, in a way that does not translate well to English, and he did not care to have someone else rewrite this any more than one of us might have a teacher spell-check a love letter. The unadorned last name usage in particular sounds Latin American. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-nobel-prize-winner-to-another/668382/7 "2013-09-09T14:32:16Z")
Is the quote from Jimmy Carter legit? It appears from a quick Google that [Mr. Esquivel](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adolfo_P%C3%A9rez_Esquivel) has some rather avant-garde opinions - > [@](#): > > In the aftermath of the Death of Osama bin Laden, he sent a letter to President Barack Obama suggesting the United States killed rather than tried bin Laden because he could have revealed unsettling information about 9/11. He argued, "You know that there are people who have investigated the tragic events of 9/11/2001 and claim there is evidence that this was a self-coup (self-inflicted attack). You don’t have to be a complete crackpot to win a Nobel Peace Prize, but it apparently helps. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-nobel-prize-winner-to-another/668382/8 "2013-09-09T14:39:54Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > I think it might be a case of writing from the heart, and a cultural mindset, in a way that does not translate well to English, and he did not care to have someone else rewrite this any more than one of us might have a teacher spell-check a love letter. The unadorned last name usage in particular sounds Latin American. Indeed. His “open letter” is of course not really for Obama but IMO it’s not even really for the English-speaking world to read, it’s for Latin American consumption and not even really with the intent to persuade anyone but to reaffirm the position of the Latin American Left. ---
**Author:** ![Uber\_the\_Goober](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/58956e/32.png) [@Uber\_the\_Goober](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uber_the_Goober)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-nobel-prize-winner-to-another/668382/9 "2013-09-09T14:44:15Z")
Crazy people say crazy things, yet still convince the masses that they’re brilliant peacemakers. This is not news, this is status quo. My bets are that Obama will not be swayed by such a poorly crafted argument. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-nobel-prize-winner-to-another/668382/10 "2013-09-09T14:49:06Z")
Nobel Peace Prize? Don’t they give those out in Crackerjack boxes? ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2013, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-nobel-prize-winner-to-another/668382/11 "2013-09-09T15:17:40Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Nobel Peace Prize? Don’t they give those out in Crackerjack boxes? Rigoberta Menchu, Le Duc Tho and Yassir Arafat had them, so… yeah. More seriously, I AGREE that attacking Syria is a bad idea, and still find that letter embarrassing. ---
**Author:** ![newcomer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e5b9ba/32.png) [@newcomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcomer)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-nobel-prize-winner-to-another/668382/12 "2013-09-10T01:57:04Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > Rigoberta Menchu, Le Duc Tho and Yassir Arafat had them, so… yeah. Do you really think that people outside of US see Obama all that much different that those you listed? > [@astorian](#): > > More seriously, I AGREE that attacking Syria is a bad idea, and still find that letter embarrassing. You may not believe this, but most of people outside of US think like that. Heck, your next door neighbours - Canada & Mexico - think of US in similar terms as expressed in that letter. If I had to guess, the feeling of ‘embarrassment’ comes from a sheer ignorance. ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-nobel-prize-winner-to-another/668382/13 "2013-09-10T02:18:44Z")
Can someone help jog my memory? For what reason did Barack Obama win the Nobel Peace Prize? I can’t remember him having actually done anything to deserve winning. Was it for his expected or future peaceful action? ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-nobel-prize-winner-to-another/668382/14 "2013-09-10T03:35:37Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > Can someone help jog my memory? For what reason did Barack Obama win the Nobel Peace Prize? For establishing the Nairobi-White House accords. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-nobel-prize-winner-to-another/668382/15 "2013-09-10T13:02:37Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > Can someone help jog my memory? For what reason did Barack Obama win the Nobel Peace Prize? I can’t remember him having actually done anything to deserve winning. Was it for his expected or future peaceful action? For being black, and for not being Bush. Although it doesn’t appear that being BFF with the Europeans helps much when it comes time to bomb somebody, but while the honeymoon lasts, it’s magic. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-nobel-prize-winner-to-another/668382/16 "2013-09-10T13:21:53Z")
**Shodan** does make a point – at the time there was much scuttlebutt that the committee would have given it generically to “the American People” for coming to their senses. But that would have been too transparent. As it stood, everyone was left scratching their heads. Sure he represented a leap on the matter of the American race dialog, but that is different from advancing World Peace. But at the time people said “you don’t decline a Nobel Peace Prize” so he didn’t. (What the heck did they expect? That because the Norwegians gave him the Peace Prize he’d be cowed from acting like the CinC of a superpower? He warned them about not expecting it in his acceptance message. Did that mean they believed the GOP propaganda that he was some sort of ultrasocialist? :smack: ) In any case the NPP was long ago transformed into the Prize for Being Against Things the Committee Thinks Are Bad, or for Stopping Doing the Bad Thing. They seem to mix around credibly worthy awards with “message to make a point” awards with no self-consciousness about it. ---
**Author:** ![Debaser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3da27b/32.png) [@Debaser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Debaser)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-nobel-prize-winner-to-another/668382/17 "2013-09-10T13:33:33Z")
I’m another poster who is not in favor of intervention in Syria and not a fan of Obama yet it’s obvious the author of that letter is an idiot. It reads like it’s written by a sixth grader, for one thing. Is it even real? This reminds me of the easily debunked tripe you see on people’s Facebook pages. ---
**Author:** ![newcomer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e5b9ba/32.png) [@newcomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcomer)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-nobel-prize-winner-to-another/668382/18 "2013-09-10T14:01:52Z")
> [@Debaser](#): > > I’m another poster who is not in favor of intervention in Syria and not a fan of Obama yet it’s obvious the author of that letter is an idiot. > > It reads like it’s written by a sixth grader, for one thing. > > Is it even real? This reminds me of the easily debunked tripe you see on people’s Facebook pages. Sure it lacks oratory luster you got hooked up listening to Obama’s speeches but… you did get the gist of the letter, right? I mean, you still can deduce the meaning - even from a letter written by a 6t grader? Or, perhaps, if it was written by a political advertising lab you might get a totally different take on the letter and find it insightful and intuitive? One thing is for sure… Adolfo, his name notwithstanding, did EARN his Prize fair & square and that alone does give him a degree of clout. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-nobel-prize-winner-to-another/668382/19 "2013-09-10T14:14:35Z")
Why does this merit a thread? I’m against the proposed military action but the letter is pointless. Esquivel is hardly a Mother Theresa type who can change minds just by saying so. > [@Debaser](#): > > Is it even real? This reminds me of the easily debunked tripe you see on people’s Facebook pages. Yes. It also appears to be a direct translation from Spanish (it’s posted on the writer’s website in Spanish first, if you check the OP’s link) which explains the odd grammar and syntax. ---
**Author:** ![newcomer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e5b9ba/32.png) [@newcomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newcomer)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2013, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-nobel-prize-winner-to-another/668382/20 "2013-09-10T14:31:11Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Why does this merit a thread? You’re like a radio show caller who calls in and complains that the show should be off the air. Sometimes those screen names … > [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > I’m against the proposed military action but the letter is pointless. What kind of a debate device is this notion where “I am against the military action” therefore I don’t want to know what others – who also oppose the military action – think? Does this even merit a response? > [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Esquivel is hardly a Mother Theresa type who can change minds just by saying so. Now you’re making stuff up. Plus, Mother Theresa was somewhat of a monster so comparison does not convey what you think it does. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/one-nobel-prize-winner-to-another/668382.md?page=2)