Are you kidding me?

I couldn't believe it when I heard this announcement on the radio this morning: In a surprise, Obama wins Nobel Peace Prize. He has done nothing to deserve this. What the hell was the Committee thinking? The award to President Wilson made far more sense than this does - it was for starting the League of Nations. Even though the League failed and was replaced by the United Nations, Wilson had actually accomplished something. Obama made some nice speeches but he hasn't done anything.

Someone else, much nicer than I am, said:

"So soon? Too early. He has no contribution so far. He is still at an early stage. He is only beginning to act," said former Polish President Lech Walesa, a 1983 Nobel Peace laureate.

"This is probably an encouragement for him to act. Let's see if he perseveres. Let's give him time to act," Walesa said.

The Peace prize wasn't created to encourage actions but to reward extra-ordinary actions taken by a person to bring about peace. From the Nobel Peace Prize site:

According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize is to go to whoever "shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses". The prize includes a medal, a personal diploma, and a large sum of prize money (currently 10 million Swedish crowns).

Awarding the Peace Prize to Obama at this time actually cheapens it. This is just ludicrous and I'd like to know what the hell the Nobel Committee was thinking when they decided to do this.