Claiming the runner-up position to Ted Cruz at the just-concluded presidential nominee caucuses in Iowa, self-opinionated billionaire Donald Trump might have been a tad upset. Now there is something to cheer him up - a Nobel Peace Prize nomination.
Someone, likely a Republican senator or congressman who is among the thousands of people that are authorized to nominate notable organizations and individuals for the prize, submitted the nomination a few days before the February 1 deadline.
Kristian Berg Harpviken, a well-known Nobel watcher and director of the Peace Research Institute of Oslo, was sent a copy of the nomination letter, which spoke highly of Trump's "vigorous peace through strength ideology, used as a threat weapon of deterrence against radical Islam, ISIS, nuclear Iran and Communist China."
Harpviken described the odds of Trump winning the prize as "entirely unlikely." His competitors include Edward Snowden, Greek island groups welcoming Syrian refugees, and a woman's rights activist who escaped from sexual enslavement by the Islamic State.
The nomination farce could just be a political stunt. The laudatory nomination letter is a satirical reflection of Trump's political statements in the past months. His bellicose, Islamophobic and nationalist remarks are going viral on the Internet, raising a lot of controversies and attracting countless accusations both at home and abroad.
Winning a Nobel prize or not does not matter that much for Trump. A title of "Nobel Peace Prize nominee" is enough to be an asset for him in the following phase of the presidential election. The radical and incendiary Trump being nominated for a prize that calls for peace, stability and the improvement of humanity is like a square peg in a round hole. To some extent, this mirrors how Western politics have evolved during the years, and there are no limits to the tricks used in politics.
The Nobel Peace Prize, since its foundation, has been doubted as unjust, and some winners caused controversies and protests. This prize, in most cases, echoes what Western values advocate, instead of basing itself on the diversity of all humanity and values. It is too close to politics, and cannot avoid being prejudiced.
Now, the prize, as a symbol of Western values, is being abused by politicians and opportunists like Trump for their own benefits. Putting a gloss on Trump's wantonness, it shows the system of Western values is confusingly misused for the benefits of individuals, especially those from vested interest groups, instead of the public. The trend will blind the public, creating a foul atmosphere that will eventually harm the voters' interests.
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