The Nobel Peace Prize goes to ...

[Sheilbh]

It's an ok choice.  But I prefer individuals.  Kohl and Delors would have been a better way to honour the EU.

[Admiral Yi]

<mittens>Countries are people my friend.</mittens>

Wait a sec, are you suggesting that the real recipients of the Nobel are the member states?

So the EU members get the Nobel prize because they decided not to start a war every five years?

[Viking]

<mittens>Countries are people my friend.</mittens>

Wait a sec, are you suggesting that the real recipients of the Nobel are the member states?

So the EU members get the Nobel prize because they decided not to start a war every five years?

No, I'm suggesting that an organization with states as members is just as valid a recipient as an organization with people as members.

The mittens quip was yet another failed attempt at humor.

[Martinus]

<mittens>Countries are people my friend.</mittens>

Wait a sec, are you suggesting that the real recipients of the Nobel are the member states?

So the EU members get the Nobel prize because they decided not to start a war every five years?

No, I'm suggesting that an organization with states as members is just as valid a recipient as an organization with people as members.

The mittens quip was yet another failed attempt at humor.

Besides, with the EU citizenship introduced, the EU has a dual nature, being a body composed of states and of individuals.

[garbon]

On a different note - does linked economies actually ensure that war is impossible between member states?

Why are you asking such a dumb question? If by "ensure" you mean completely eliminates the chance of war, then the answer is obviously "no."

I'm glad that such is not what I meant by ensure.

[garbon]

Obviously they should pull a Time Magazine and give the Nobel Prize to "you"

edit- On second thought maybe that's what they were trying to do /pun

I said that earlier.

[merithyn]

No, I'm suggesting that an organization with states as members is just as valid a recipient as an organization with people as members.

The mittens quip was yet another failed attempt at humor.

I got it.

[CountDeMoney]

I've give the EU kudos for managing not to get into the usual generational British-French war, let Germany beat everybody up, or stuff all the continent's Jews into cattle cars, but that whole Balkans thing back in the 90's that nobody wanted to do anything about until the United States (once again) got involved (twice) really makes the concept of a Peace Prize fall a bit flat.

Then again, they gave it to a guy with a Kill List.  So go fig.

Balkans are not part of the EU. 

Ah, so the European Union doesn't have to worry about Europe itself, just the Union.  Gotcha.

So I guess receiving an award from a country outside the Union doesn't really count.

[Viking]

The controversy in norway is that giving the prize to the EU is controversial in a country where the issue of EU membership is still controversial and opinion is opposed to.

All of a sudden the anti-eu advocates have become prize purists arguing that the prize should go to someone doing the most for peace in the last year. IMHO EU doe alot for peace every year.

[CountDeMoney]

Ethnic cleansing irrelevant?

Ethnic cleansing, my ass. So some people got kicked to the other side of the island by the UN.  I don't see anybody calling the UK's policies in Northern Ireland as ethnic cleansing.

Turks are Euros? Since when?
Last but not least, the self-hating euro pinko commie has nationalist tendencies if goofy?

Damn, even the pinkiest of you Euros are some xenophobic motherfuckers when it comes to Turkey.  Stop the hate.

[CountDeMoney]

The controversy in norway is that giving the prize to the EU is controversial in a country where the issue of EU membership is still controversial and opinion is opposed to.

All of a sudden the anti-eu advocates have become prize purists arguing that the prize should go to someone doing the most for peace in the last year.

Greece can probably use the prize money.

IMHO EU doe alot for peace every year.

I don't think trying not to kill each other for the second half of the century really deserves an award.  I mean, you're supposed to not be killing each other anyway. 

But I'm sure Chancellor Merkel appreciated dodging all those molotov cocktails the other week.

[Valmy]

Ah, so the European Union doesn't have to worry about Europe itself, just the Union.  Gotcha.

The European Union is not a military organization.  And the sorta weak ass attempts to make it so happened well after the Yugoslav shit.

but that whole Balkans thing back in the 90's that nobody wanted to do anything about until the United States (once again) got involved (twice) really makes the concept of a Peace Prize fall a bit flat.

Um until the US got involved?  We were involved right from the beginning both times.  In the Bosnian thing we created an international arms embargo right from the beginning.  That assured the Bosniaks would be unarmed when the Serbs came to slaughter them for example.  In Kosovo we announced we were going to be intervening in cases of genocide and ethnic cleansing, leading to radical Kosovars to provoke the Serbs (which granted is not hard).  Still cannot believe Clinton did not see where making an announcement like that was going.

It is just ridiculous that the Euros couldn't move in and take care of shit like that in their backyard, and even if they had I am sure they would have fucked it up far worse than we did.  But that has nothing to do with the EU really.

[Count]

Obviously they should pull a Time Magazine and give the Nobel Prize to "you"

edit- On second thought maybe that's what they were trying to do /pun

I said that earlier.

Ha sorry didn't see it. Great minds.

[Viking]

The controversy in norway is that giving the prize to the EU is controversial in a country where the issue of EU membership is still controversial and opinion is opposed to.

All of a sudden the anti-eu advocates have become prize purists arguing that the prize should go to someone doing the most for peace in the last year.

Greece can probably use the prize money.

That won't even cover the postage of all the letters informing the civilized world of it's default.

IMHO EU doe alot for peace every year.

I don't think trying not to kill each other for the second half of the century really deserves an award.  I mean, you're supposed to not be killing each other anyway. 

But I'm sure Chancellor Merkel appreciated dodging all those molotov cocktails the other week.

Well, yes. When normal behaviour is to invade and occupy then not invading and occupying is a good step. The EU was intended and designed to deal with specific causes of conflict, the imperial and balance of power causes for war. The first step was to pool strategic resources in the Coal and Steel Union in the 1950's.

A pre-EU response to a Greek default would have looked more like Marita-2 than QE-2.

[CountDeMoney]

The European Union is not a military organization.  And the sorta weak ass attempts to make it so happened well after the Yugoslav shit.  So I am not sure what that has to do with the EU.

The EU's not just about finance charges and interest rates;  it's still an organization of nation states with a vested interest in collective security, even before the Berlin conference.

But, since it's not a military organization, it doesn't deserve a peace prize then.  They should endorse the reward check and deposit it to NATO's account to cover the lack of GDP commitment spending most of them still don't meet.

Um until the US got involved?  We were involved right from the beginning both times.  In the Bosnian thing we created an international arms embargo right from the beginning.  That assured the Bosniaks would be unarmed when the Serbs came to slaughter them for example.  In Kosovo we announced we were going to be intervening in cases of genocide and ethnic cleansing, leading to radical Kosovars to provoke the Serbs (which granted is not hard).  Still cannot believe Clinton did not see where making an announcement like that was going.

Ah yes, the arms embargo and other associated platitudes.  Did wonders to stop the shelling of civilians and mass graves.  And none of them were willing to stand next to Tony Blair, who was the only leader over there that had the balls to say this shit doesn't happen in Europe anymore.

Filty Serbs didn't start fucking dying and Europeans wouldn't drop a single bomb until NATO (read: the United States) agreed to come along for the ride.

It is just ridiculous that the Euros couldn't move in and take care of shit like that in their backyard, and even if they had I am sure they would have fucked it up far worse than we did.  But that has nothing to do with the EU really

They have everything to do with it.   I believe the OSCE still prints its own stationery.