Earlier this year, Vanessa Redgrave praised Greek islanders for helping refugees arriving en masse in Aegean islands such as Kos. It was suggested that the Nobel peace prize be given to Greek islanders who "since the very beginning of the refugee crisis, fishermen, housewives, pensioners, teachers -- ordinary residents of the Greek islands and other volunteers have opened their homes and hearts to save refugee children, men and women fleeing war and terror."
And now, there is a petition on the internet about this. A petition launched by a Avaaz is asking for the Nobel Peace Prize to be awarded to these unsung heroes
Greece does not have the means to police its borders. It's in a deep financial crisis, instigated by previous corrupt governments in cooperation with the European Union lenders who turned the blind eye when "checking" obviously fake balance sheets. Nevertheless, at the individual level, and despite the rise of neo-Nazis, many Greek islanders are indeed doing as much as they can--and more--to aid the refugees, at least those who arrive alive.
In the opposite direction, EU gives Greece warning to fix border 'neglect'. Easier said than done, of course. There is no money. Greece is cutting down on police forces because they can't pay them.
The Nobel peace prize would be a good gesture but we should keep in mind that this prize is quite controversial: it has been given to people and organizations supporting violence, to others who have been directly responsible for the deaths of hundreds or thousands, to corrupt people, and has been largely politically motivated, i.e., a Nobel peace prize award is often given as a statement of whom the world should consider as proponent of peace, not the one who actually is. Here are some very controversial Nobel peace prizes:
2012: European Union (really?)
2010: Liu Xiaobo (who, basically, is a voice of American-style democracy, including support of US-initiated wars)
2009: Barack Obama (who me? he said, but he accepted it)
2004: Wangari Maathai (who claims that AIDS was invented by first-world scientist in order to depopulate Africa)
1997: Jody Williams (for her work in banning anti-personnel landmines but isn't it Dyno-Nobel who makes landmines?)
1994: Yasser Arafat, Shimon Peres, and Yitzhak Rabin (could that be a political statement? duh!)
1989: The Dalai Lama (paid directly by the CIA in the 60s)
1979: Mother Teresa (who let people die as they would go faster to paradise; read Hitchen's "The Missionary Position")
1973: Henry Kissinger (probably, the most ridulous peace prize ever given; again, read Hitchen's "Trial of Henry Kissinger")
To summarize, Greek islanders will welcome the prize even though it's a controversial thing. At the same time, EU should make up its mind: support the islanders get the prize or punish them for not doing enough. At the minimum, they should be helped. Those people in Kos who risk their lives to help half-dead immigrants are not the ones who stole public money and led to the crisis. Those who did are still enjoying their loot.
And now, there is a petition on the internet about this. A petition launched by a Avaaz is asking for the Nobel Peace Prize to be awarded to these unsung heroes
Greece does not have the means to police its borders. It's in a deep financial crisis, instigated by previous corrupt governments in cooperation with the European Union lenders who turned the blind eye when "checking" obviously fake balance sheets. Nevertheless, at the individual level, and despite the rise of neo-Nazis, many Greek islanders are indeed doing as much as they can--and more--to aid the refugees, at least those who arrive alive.
In the opposite direction, EU gives Greece warning to fix border 'neglect'. Easier said than done, of course. There is no money. Greece is cutting down on police forces because they can't pay them.
The Nobel peace prize would be a good gesture but we should keep in mind that this prize is quite controversial: it has been given to people and organizations supporting violence, to others who have been directly responsible for the deaths of hundreds or thousands, to corrupt people, and has been largely politically motivated, i.e., a Nobel peace prize award is often given as a statement of whom the world should consider as proponent of peace, not the one who actually is. Here are some very controversial Nobel peace prizes:
2012: European Union (really?)
2010: Liu Xiaobo (who, basically, is a voice of American-style democracy, including support of US-initiated wars)
2009: Barack Obama (who me? he said, but he accepted it)
2004: Wangari Maathai (who claims that AIDS was invented by first-world scientist in order to depopulate Africa)
1997: Jody Williams (for her work in banning anti-personnel landmines but isn't it Dyno-Nobel who makes landmines?)
1994: Yasser Arafat, Shimon Peres, and Yitzhak Rabin (could that be a political statement? duh!)
1989: The Dalai Lama (paid directly by the CIA in the 60s)
1979: Mother Teresa (who let people die as they would go faster to paradise; read Hitchen's "The Missionary Position")
1973: Henry Kissinger (probably, the most ridulous peace prize ever given; again, read Hitchen's "Trial of Henry Kissinger")
To summarize, Greek islanders will welcome the prize even though it's a controversial thing. At the same time, EU should make up its mind: support the islanders get the prize or punish them for not doing enough. At the minimum, they should be helped. Those people in Kos who risk their lives to help half-dead immigrants are not the ones who stole public money and led to the crisis. Those who did are still enjoying their loot.
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