Tuesday, June 04, 2024
The Nobel Peace Prize for 2024: A Proposal
In the modern era, it is most likely that the two most warlike peoples in the world were the Germans and the Japanese. Germany was hell-bent on war; for example, Gustav Schmoller, Adolph Wagner, and Merings (first name?) edited a volume published in 1900 that advocated Germany build a massive navy and rule South America. Germany was the instigator of WWI, and Germany and Japan together started WWII. Both countries built militaristic totalitarian regimes that plunged the world into war. But militaristic no longer describes them; now they are arguably the most pacifistic nations in the world. What happened?
In the Second World War both nations were utterly crushed. They were defeated in battle, heavily bombed, and completely occupied. They surrendered unconditionally to avoid total annihilation. The result? Peace! And two previously warlike nations that subsequently became anti-war. Harry S. Truman, Curtis LeMay, Dwight David Eisenhower, Winston Churchill, and the Allied forces should have received the Nobel Peace Prize for what they accomplished, but unfortunately did not.
Those who fight to crush aggressors and predators make peace, freedom, and civilization possible, and they should be recognized for their contributions. Violence demonstrably begets peace, as the utter crushing of Germany and Japan show. In this spirit, we at Unforeseen Contingencies propose that the Nobel Peace Prize for 2024 be awarded to Benjamin Netanyahu and the IDF. It is to be hoped, for the sake of the Palestinian people, that their spirit be so utterly crushed that, like the Germans and Japanese post-World War Two, they completely foreswear war and terror against Israel, and commit to living in peace and being as productive as the Germans and Japanese. If this happens, the credit will go to Netanyahu and the IDF, for bringing peace.