|
Alfred Nobel: Controversial Man, Controversial Awards
Ivan
Simic Belgrade, Serbia
The
Nobel Prize is an international award administered by the Nobel Foundation
in Stockholm, Sweden. The Prize was established from Alfred Bernhard
Nobel's will on 27 November 1895.
Every
year, since 1901 the Nobel Prize has been awarded for outstanding
contributions in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine, literature
and for peace. In 1968, Sveriges Riksbank established The Sveriges
Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel, founder of
the Nobel Prize.
All
prizes are presented on December 10, the anniversary of Nobel's death.
Each prize consists of a medal, personal diploma, and cash award (over 1
million Euros). For the past few decades, the Nobel Prize is considered to
be the most prestigious prize in the world.
Alfred
Nobel was the Swedish inventor of dynamite, also, founder of the Nobel
Prize, chemist, scientist, inventor, engineer, entrepreneur, author,
weapons manufacturer, and pacifist. Alfred Nobel invented dynamite in 1866
in Krummel, Germany, and patented it later in 1876. After his death he
left 31 million Swedish Kronor (103,931,888.00 USD in 2007) to fund the
prizes.
Alfred
Nobel was a pacifist, which is highly contradictory, since he invented
dynamite which had enormous use in many wars, but also in industry.
Furthermore, he owned a company named Bofos, which was a major weapons
manufacturer. Bofos was founded in 1873, but it originates from the iron
and steel mill called Boofors, established in 1646.
From
the first Nobel Prize awarding in 1901, this prize had many criticisms and
controversies in the proceedings, nominations, awardees and exclusions.
Many individuals who really had conferred the greatest benefit on mankind
did not win the Prize, for Instance:
Thomas Edison, American inventor and businessmen who developed many
devices such as the phonograph and light bulb. He was the first one to
apply principles of mass production to the process of invention.
Nikola Tesla, Serbian inventor, physicist, electrical and
mechanical engineer. He invented things that marked the modern era; he is
called "the man who invented the 20th century" and "the man
out of his time". He is most known for alternating current (AC),
induction motor, rotating magnetic field, wireless technology, among many
others.
Dmitry Ivanovich Mendeleyev, Russian chemist and inventor. He
was the originator of the periodic table of the elements.
Oswald Theodore Avery, an American physicist who is known for
the discovery (along with his co-workers) that DNA is the material of
which genes and chromosomes are made.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, political and spiritual leader of
India and the Indian Independence Movement. He is well-known to the world
for non-violence and truth advocacy. His birthday October 2 is a national
holiday in India and is the International Day of Non-Violence. He was
nominated five times for the Nobel Prize, but never got it.
Here
are a few individuals who won the Nobel Prize that many believe to be
controversial:
Philipp Eduard Anton von Lenard, Hungarian-German physicist. He is the
winner of the Prize in physics for his research on cathode rays. Later he
was adviser to Adolf Hitler, Chief of Aryan Physics and active proponent
of Nazi ideology.
Alexander Fleming, Scottish biologist and pharmacologist. He
is the winner of the Prize (shared prize) in medicine for his discovery of
penicillin. Many oppose the fact that he was the first to discover
penicillin.
Theodore Roosevelt, Jr. American President and the first American who
received the Nobel Prize. He is the winner of the Peace Prize in 1905.
During his presidency he played an important role in the suppression of a
revolt in the Philippines. Henry Alfred Kissinger (Heinz Alfred
Kissinger), the US Secretary of State and National Security Adviser. He is
the winner of the Peace Prize along with Le Duc Tho, however, Tho declined
the award. There is evidence that he was involved in the secret campaign
of bombing against infiltrating NVA in Cambodia and Operation Condor. He
also supported the invasion of Cyprus. Kissinger is wanted for questioning
by officials in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, France and Spain for war crimes
that he might have committed.
Mohammed Abdel Rahman Abdel Raouf Arafat al-Qudwa al-Husseini
(Yasser Arafat), Shimon Peres and Yitzhak Rabin are winners of the Peace
Prize for the negotiations in Oslo. Arafat was accused of being associated
with many violent acts. On the other hand, Rabin was an Israeli Military
General who ordered the expulsion of Arabs from areas captured by Israel
during the war in 1948.
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr., Vice President of the
United States from 1993-2001. He is the winner of the Peace Prize (shared)
"for their efforts to build up and disseminate greater knowledge
about man-made climate change and to lay the foundations for the measures
that are needed to counteract such change". During his service in the
office under President Clinton, the US was involved in many military
operations. Operations in which many people lost their lives and which had
great impact on climate change, pollution, illness, among others. For
instance: NATO bombing of Bosnian Serbs, US led bombing of Iraq, US led
bombing of Serbia. Al Gore is a fine actor, in fact, Academy awarded
actor, and for his role in "The Inconvenient Truth" he won the
Oscar.
There
are people among us who dedicated their lives to make a valuable
contribution to mankind in areas of physics, economics, chemistry,
physiology or medicine, literature, peace, and it is expected for these
individuals to win the Prize, however, many never got it, nor will get it.
On the other side, many of those with suspicious backgrounds, and those
who gave just a few months of their lives for some cause won the Prize.
If
this trend continues, then in the next five years we will see George W.
Bush (present US President) as a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for his
noble efforts to bring peace to all mankind by creating new wars in order
to prevent wars and terrorism. And maybe as a winner of the Nobel Prize in
Economics, for his efforts in making the highest ever oil price per barrel
in history, and making war industry wealthier than ever, and for
contribution in creating a devastating financial situation in the United
States, and promising recessions.
Ivan Simic
Belgrade, Serbia
Address:
Paloticeva 12, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia Tel: +381/63/7508500
|
