Glenn Reynolds has a bit from Teddy Roosevelt that puts the Nobel Peace Prize into proper perspective. It’s definitely worth a read.
As for Carter’s win of this year’s Prize, it’s clear that it was nothing more than a slap to the face for Bush rather than an acknowledgement of Carter’s greatness. I respect the former President for his work with Habitat for Humanity, which is one of the best humanitarian organization in the United States, but his views on foreign policy are next to worthless. When he was President he supported the Shah of Iran, turned a blind eye to Soviet aggression in Angola and Afghanistan, and since then his record has not been much better. His failure to call Fidel Castro to task for human rights abuses in Cuba should alone be enough to disqualify him for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Then again, at least they didn’t give it to another mass murderer like Yassir Arafat…