Al Gore wins Nobel Peace Prize (sadly not a joke)

[Daniel]

http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=9256

WTF? Must have been a slow year for peace! :mark:

[A.F.F.]

Little respect for the guy Daniel. After all, he did invent the internet.

[Daniel]

Little respect for the guy Daniel. After all, he did invent the internet.
True :rotflmao:

[Dave B]

Could have been worse, I hear George W was in the running at one point :s

[Daniel]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2007/10/12/do1202.xml

So true it aint funny.

[BDunnell]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2007/10/12/do1202.xml

So true it aint funny.

And a link to a column by a journalist who seems to be a less-than-impartial observer and probably knows bugger all about the issues he writes about.

I have no particular liking for Al Gore, but the bile he seems to provoke from a lot of people who seem in some way threatened by his views is unnecessary, in my opinion.

[Drew]

I don't see how the 2 connect, am I missing something here?

[Daniel]

And a link to a column by a journalist who seems to be a less-than-impartial observer and probably knows bugger all about the issues he writes about.

I have no particular liking for Al Gore, but the bile he seems to provoke from a lot of people who seem in some way threatened by his views is unnecessary, in my opinion.
But what HAS Al Gore done for peace? :mark:

As has been discussed to the point of causing sickness I don't agree with the scientific methods used to "prove" man made global warming but accept that they could be right. BUT a lot of people who are staunch supporters of scientists who thing global warming is caused by man don't agree with the guy. Yes he's highlighted issues but at the same time he's done so as many would claim by misrepresenting the facts and if this whole thing is our fault he's simply harming the scientific effort to prove it by making the GW is man made argument seem less credible.

Plus there's the fact that he's hardly the epitome of efficiency himself. Huge mansion, 10 SUV's to take him to functions and uses his Gulfstream 5 instead of the more efficient method of using a commercial service. Hardly a shining star of how it's meant to be done. Think of David Attenborough picking up a rifle and going hunting for white Rhino's and Elephant's inbetween filming and you're on the right track to seeing how much of a hypocrite Gore is.

But he does the whole carbon credit thing? Well that's good! Perhaps I should make myself carbon neutral by buying carbon credits too. Funnily enough Al Gore seems to have shares in a company involved in carbon credits. Can you say possibly conflict of interests? :) Anyhoo I'm off post a thread (perhaps I should make a movie instead and get an Oscar and a Nobel Peace Prize?) about how people should compare their insurance quotes as spending too much on your insurance will harm mankind. Oops forgot to mention I have shares in the company I work for and that's what they do.....

[Azumanga Davo]

Golly gee, I would have given to the first person to defuse the Belgium situation. :D

[jim mcglinchey]

In that case Michael Moore shouldve got a mention for his anti gun stance in Bowling for Columbine, or in view of the Planetary Portliness threat (Copyright me ) Morgan Spurlock should've been shortlisted for Supersize Me.

[Mark]

I thought the peace prize was for those who have done work to promote 'peace'.. now think what you like about climate change campaigners, positive or negative, but what's Al Gore has done has not promoted peace that I can see :s

[Daniel]

I thought the peace prize was for those who have done work to promote 'peace'.. now think what you like about climate change campaigners, positive or negative, but what's Al Gore has done has not promoted peace that I can see :s
Like I said :) Slow year for peace :dozey:

[Eki]

Could have been worse, I hear George W was in the running at one point :s
On Finnish TV news they said that George W had about as much chance as the Burmese military junta.

[Eki]

Forum of a Finnish science magazine has a poll that asks if Al Gore should be the next President of the US:

http://www.tiede.fi/keskustelut/viewtopic.php?t=23204

Currently 77% have voted Yes and 22% No.

Can we have a similar poll here, please?

[Mark in Oshawa]

Forum of a Finnish science magazine has a poll that asks if Al Gore should be the next President of the US:

http://www.tiede.fi/keskustelut/viewtopic.php?t=23204

Currently 77% have voted Yes and 22% No.

Can we have a similar poll here, please?

Eki, Finn's are NOT Americans, and thank god for that.

Al Gore didn't do one damned thing for peace. Not one.....

You want an idea on who should have won? OH lets nominate the democratic activists in Burma. How about the Uigher's that China has in prison without trial. How about the group of Doctors (Medieciens sans Frontieres) that daily work in the refugee camps in the hell that is Darfur? How about giving this award to just about anyone who isn't constantly running about the world in his private jet telling everyone how to live?

I am so tired of Al Gore. He is reinventing himself through this global warming cult he is building around himself and he is so damned phoney that he is doing more harm than good to the cause. Actress Daryl Hannah is a good example of how to be famous and NOT be a GW hypocrite. She lives in a house less than 1500 square feet, it is powered by solar and wind, as well as the "Grid". She drives a diesel car powered by recycled cooking oil. She flies commericial or has taken the train. She will not take private jets ANYWHERE. IN short, she is walking the walk, and while I think a lot of the GW madness is just that, I can respect being lectured to by it by someone like her, who at least walks the walk. Al Gore is the biggest distributer of BS going since Bill Clinton told us he didn't have sexual relations with that woman......and the really sad part is that the Nobel Peace Prize used to mean something. The last 20 years though they have made some really dumb calls, such as rewarding Arafat and Al Gore......


This just proves how political this prize has become, and how much people who should know better are being sucked in by the star system of Hollywood.....Al Gore is just using this to make another run at the presidency, and he will fail again. He will fail because when you get past all of this crap, in the end Al Gore is a one trick pony and has no personality in a political sense. OH, and Hillary Clinton will dirty trick his sorry @ss right into obscurity....she wants the top job and ole fatso from Tennessee with the private jet and 20000 square foot mansion is not going to be much of a problem for the likes of Lady MacBeth...

[schmenke]

...I am so tired of Al Gore. He is reinventing himself through this global warming cult he is building around himself and he is so damned phoney that he is doing more harm than good to the cause. ...
Al Gore is the biggest distributer of BS going since Bill Clinton told us he didn't have sexual relations with that woman....

Couldn't agree more.

[RaceFanStan]

Forum of a Finnish science magazine has a poll that asks if Al Gore should be the next President of the US:

http://www.tiede.fi/keskustelut/viewtopic.php?t=23204

Currently 77% have voted Yes and 22% No.

Can we have a similar poll here, please?
I added a new thread here in Chit Chat with the requested poll. Enjoy.
I hope http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g202/gr8link/orn/sf.gif doesn't occur ... :eek:

[Eki]

I added a new thread here in Chit Chat with the requested poll. Enjoy.
I hope http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g202/gr8link/orn/sf.gif doesn't occur ... :eek:
Thanks, Stan.

[Daniel]

Cool smilie stan :laugh:

[A.F.F.]

Eki, Finn's are NOT Americans, and thank god for that.


In a good way or....?


:angel:

[Crypt]

It's just all a big competition. Al Gore was picked on as a little kid, so now he had to have the biggest E-P*nis on the planet...now that the Interent isn't new anymore, he has moved onto trying to have the largest Green-P*nis on the planet.

Al, I hope it justs falls off so the world can be rid of your vomitus.

[BDunnell]

But what HAS Al Gore done for peace? :mark:


Nothing, and I agree that he does come across as hypocritical. But neither do I think that he should live in isolationist penury, just as I believe it's possible to be a rich socialist.

[BDunnell]

Al Gore is the biggest distributer of BS going since Bill Clinton told us he didn't have sexual relations with that woman......

Hardly the most important thing a US President of any political colour has ever said that has turned out to be misguided or untrue.

[TOgoFASTER]

^ Some just can't seem to get a grasp on that idea, BDunnell.

[TOgoFASTER]

BTW, I think Nick Fry should have gotten at least a mention. ;)

[Eki]

But what HAS Al Gore done for peace? :mark:

If some areas become uninhabitable due to climate change, people WILL go elsewhere to find a place to live. That could mean wars. Bit like the Scandinavian mythology about the end of the world tells about Fimbulwinter:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fimbul_Winter


In Norse mythology, Fimbulwinter (Old Norse Fimbulvetr) is the immediate prelude to the end of the world, Ragnarök. Fimbulwinter is three successive winters where snow comes in from all directions, without any intervening summer. During this time, there will be innumerable wars and brothers will kill brothers.

[BrentJackson]

Eki, global warming might just make more people go to Finland. Is that your concern? ;)

Al Gore doesn't deserve the Nobel Peace Prize. What has he done to earn it?

I think the Doctors Without Borders guys in Darfur are the ones who have earned it.

[Daniel]

Eki wtf does Norse mythology have to do with global warming. With the current rate at which sea levels are rising it's going to be a long time before the pacific islands are under! I think I'm going to go down to London this weekend to kill my brother before if kills me just to be safe though :)

[Dave B]

Eki wtf does Norse mythology have to do with global warming.
The ice caps might Thor.

Anybody?

No?

[Eki]

Eki wtf does Norse mythology have to do with global warming. With the current rate at which sea levels are rising it's going to be a long time before the pacific islands are under!
There might be droughts, famine and lack of clean water elsewhere long before the pacific islands are under. There already are, and global warming may make them worse.

[Sleeper]

There might be droughts, famine and lack of clean water elsewhere long before the pacific islands are under. There already are, and global warming may make them worse.
That sill doesnt explain what Al Gore has done for peace, which I think is a big fat nothing.

[Eki]

That sill doesnt explain what Al Gore has done for peace, which I think is a big fat nothing.
He's done some preemptive peace-fare. IMO that's better than the preemptive warfare of George W Bush.

[Erki]

Being in peace with our planet is peace too.

[BDunnell]

Being in peace with our planet is peace too.

:up:

Still think the peace prize is a bit uncalled-for, though. Mind you, it was first discredited the day it was given to Henry Kissinger.

[Camelopard]

:up:

Still think the peace prize is a bit uncalled-for, though. Mind you, it was first discredited the day it was given to Henry Kissinger.

Which brings me to the famaous quote of American singer-songwriter, satirist, pianist and mathematician Tom Lehrer:

"Political satire became obsolete when Henry Kissinger was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. "

[BDunnell]

Which brings me to the famaous quote of American singer-songwriter, satirist, pianist and mathematician Tom Lehrer:

"Political satire became obsolete when Henry Kissinger was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. "

Absolutely!

[Eki]

For the past few years Finnish media have expected Martti Ahtisaari to win the Nobel Prize, but no. I know Finns aren't Americans, thank God, but I wonder if Ahtisaari were American, would he win it.

Before becoming the Finnish president, he helped Namibia to gain independence. After his presidency, he helped Northern Ireland and Aceh to achieve peace and is now trying Kosovo do the same:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martti_Ahtisaari


In 1973, President Urho Kekkonen appointed Ahtisaari as Finland's ambassador to Tanzania, and accredited him also to Zambia, Somalia and Mozambique. During his term (1973-1977) he formed contacts with the Namibian independence group SWAPO in Dar Es Salaam. In 1977, he was appointed United Nations Commissioner for Namibia, based in New York, and served until 1981. However, apartheid South Africa, which occupied South-West Africa (Namibia) in defiance of the Security Council, refused to recognise Ahtisaari or any of his UNCN predecessors. He stayed at the UN, as Under Secretary-General for Administration and Management – first with Kurt Waldheim, and then with Javier Pérez de Cuéllar.

Following the death of UN Commissioner for Namibia, Bernt Carlsson, on Pan Am Flight 103 on December 21, 1988 – on the eve of the signing of the Namibian independence agreement at UN headquarters – Ahtisaari was sent to Namibia in April 1989 as the UN Special Representative to head the United Nations Transition Assistance Group (UNTAG). Because of an alleged incursion of SWAPO troops from Angola, the South African appointed Administrator-General (AG), Louis Pienaar, sought Ahtisaari's agreement to the deployment of SADF troops to stabilize the situation. Ahtisaari took advice from British prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, who was visiting the region at the time, and approved the SADF deployment. A period of intense fighting ensued when at least 375 SWAPO insurgents were killed.[2]

Perhaps because of his reluctance to authorise this SADF deployment, Ahtisaari was alleged to have been targeted by the South African Civil Cooperation Bureau (CCB). According to a hearing in September 2000 of the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission, two CCB operatives (Kobus le Roux and Ferdinand Barnard) were tasked not to kill Ahtisaari, but to give him "a good hiding". To carry out the assault, Barnard had planned to use the grip handle of a metal saw as a knuckleduster. In the event, Ahtisaari did not attend the meeting at the Keetmanshoop Hotel, where Le Roux and Barnard lay in wait for him, and thus escaped injury.[3]

After the independence elections of 1989, Ahtisaari was appointed an honorary Namibian citizen. South Africa gave him the O R Tambo award for "his outstanding achievement as a diplomat and commitment to the cause of freedom in Africa and peace in the world".[4]

President of Finland

Ahtisaari's presidential campaign in Finland began when he was still a member of the council dealing with Bosnia. Recession in Finland had caused established political figures to lose public support, and the presidential elections were now direct, instead of being conducted through an electoral college. In 1993, Ahtisaari accepted the candidacy of the Social Democratic Party. His politically untarnished image was a major factor in the election, as was his vision of Finland as an active participant in international affairs. Ahtisaari narrowly won over his second round opponent, Elisabeth Rehn of the Swedish People's Party.

Ahtisaari began his term with a schism with the Centre Party-led government, because Prime Minister Esko Aho did not approve of his wish to actively participate in foreign political affairs. There was also some controversy over Ahtisaari's speaking out on issues such as unemployment. His mannerism, unsteady walking and overweight were often ridiculed in the media. He travelled extensively over the country and abroad, and got the nickname "Matka-Mara" ("Travel-Mara"). His monthly travels to various towns in Finland and meetings with ordinary citizens (as called maakuntamatkat) still made him very popular among people.

President Ahtisaari supported Finland's entry into the European Union, and in a referendum in 1994, 56% of the Finnish voters were in favour of membership. During Ahtisaari's term as President, Boris Yeltsin and Bill Clinton met in Helsinki. He also negotiated alongside Viktor Chernomyrdin with Slobodan Milošević to end the fighting in the Yugoslav province of Kosovo in 1999.

Often encountering resistance within the Finnish parliament, which preferred a more cautious foreign policy, as well as from his party, Ahtisaari did not seek re-election in 2000. He was succeeded by the foreign minister Tarja Halonen, who became the first female President of Finland.

Post-presidential career

Since leaving office, Ahtisaari has accepted positions in various international organisations. In 2000, the British government appointed him to the team overseeing the inspections of IRA weapons decommissioning in Northern Ireland. Ahtisaari also founded Crisis Management Initiative (CMI), an independent, non-governmental organisation with a goal in developing and sustaining peace in troubled areas.

On 1 December 2000, Ahtisaari was awarded the J. William Fulbright Prize for International Understanding by the Fulbright Association in recognition of his work as peacemaker in some of the world’s most troubled areas.

In 2005, Ahtisaari successfully led peace negotiations between the Free Aceh Movement and the Indonesian government through his non-governmental organization CMI. The negotiations ended on 15 August 2005 with a treaty on withdrawal of the armed Indonesian forces and dropped GAM demands for an independent Aceh.

In November 2005, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan appointed Ahtisaari as Special Envoy for the Kosovo future status process. In this capacity, Ahtisaari was charged with leading a political process to determine Kosovo's political status, i.e., whether it should become independent or remain a part of Serbia (Kosovo has been administered by the United Nations since the 1999 Kosovo War). In early 2006, Ahtisaari opened the UN Office of the Special Envoy for Kosovo (UNOSEK) in Vienna, Austria from where he conducts the Kosovo status negotiations. His role was sometimes controversial, and some Balkan media sources made several badly sourced and speculative allegations of improper conduct against him in order to discredit his efforts. [5][6][7] Ahtisaari was during the entire process publicly supported by the Western countries.[8] During August 2007 Ahtisaari announced that he had done what he could, but due to persistent resistance from Serbia and Russia he had to leave further negotiations to the Kosovo Contact Group, formed by representatives of several western countries and Russia. [9]

[Drew]

Is he the Finnish tea total politician? :p :

[Eki]

Is he the Finnish tea total politician? :p :
???

[Drew]

???

Sorry, I read it wrong (well I skimmed it)

I assumed he was still the President and either the President or Prime Minister of Finland is tea total :p :

[Eki]

Sorry, I read it wrong (well I skimmed it)

I assumed he was still the President and either the President or Prime Minister of Finland is tea total :p :
The current Prime Minister is.