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== Controversial Awards ==

== Controversial Awards ==

Equally there have been several instances where prizes were awarded to those whom many felt did not deserve the honor. Controversy in this regard has been especially acute in the award of the Peace Prize. When [[Henry Kissinger]] was awarded the prize in 1973 the American satirist, Tom Lehrer, observed that this had rendered political satire 'obsolete'. Many were outraged by the award to [[Yasir Arafat]] in 1994 and others were equally appalled by the prize being awarded to [[Menachem Begin]] in 1978 especially in the light of his involvement with the terrorist group [[Irgun Zvai Leumi]].  The oddity culminated in 2007 when [[Al Gore]] was given the peace prize for writing about [[Global Warming]], a slap in the face to all other peace activists that year who truly tried to end conflicts to save lives.  

Equally there have been several instances where prizes were awarded to those whom many felt did not deserve the honor. Controversy in this regard has been especially acute in the award of the Peace Prize. When [[Henry Kissinger]] was awarded the prize in 1973 the American satirist, [[Tom Lehrer]], observed that this had rendered political satire 'obsolete'. Many were outraged by the award to [[Yasir Arafat]] in 1994 and others were equally appalled by the prize being awarded to [[Menachem Begin]] in 1978 especially in the light of his involvement with the terrorist group [[Irgun Zvai Leumi]].  The oddity culminated in 2007 when [[Al Gore]] was given the peace prize for writing about [[Global Warming]], a slap in the face to all other peace activists that year who truly tried to end conflicts to save lives.  

One factor that may fan the flames of controversy is the speed of recognition with regard to The Peace Prize in relation to the prizes for science and literature which are often awarded decades after the work that is being recognized. In contrast The Peace Prize has often been awarded only a year or so after the political events that have merited the award, and often well before the long term consequences of those events have become clear (and Arafat's award is particularly controversial in this respect).

One factor that may fan the flames of controversy is the speed of recognition with regard to The Peace Prize in relation to the prizes for science and literature which are often awarded decades after the work that is being recognized. In contrast The Peace Prize has often been awarded only a year or so after the political events that have merited the award, and often well before the long term consequences of those events have become clear (and Arafat's award is particularly controversial in this respect).