Liu Xiaobo wrong man for Nobel Peace Prize, say laureates

[qwerrty]

Liu Xiaobo wrong man for Nobel Peace Prize, say laureates

TWO British scientists awarded the Nobel Physics Prize have caused shock by condemning the decision to give the peace prize to Liu Xiaobo.

Andre Geim, a professor at the University of Manchester, who shares this year's $1.6 million prize with colleague Konstantin Novoselov, said the Nobel committee was out of touch, and dismissed its tribute to the jailed Chinese dissident as patronising.

"Look at the people who give this Nobel prize," Professor Geim said. "They are retired Norwegian politicians who have spent all their careers in a safe environment, in an oil-rich modern country. They try to extend their views of the world, how the world should work and how democracy works in another country. It's very, very patronising -- they have not lived in these countries.

"In the past 10 years, China has developed not only economically, but even the strongest human rights supporter would agree also human rights have improved. Why do we need to distort this?"

Professor Novoselov defended China, insisting Western criticism of the communist regime was misplaced.

"What is a dictatorship? It is not as if people are being constantly killed there," he said.

The scientists' support for China sparked an extraordinary exchange with another laureate, Peruvian writer Mario Vargas Llosa, during the annual Nobel Minds debate.

Vargas Llosa, who expressed solidarity with the dissident Liu, said the scientists "must explain themselves".

Both were born in Russia, one of the 17 countries that boycotted the ceremony, but they have made careers in Britain. They were honoured for their work with graphene, the thinnest known material, which opens huge possibilities in technology.

Although both agreed it was unfair that neither Mr Liu nor his family had been allowed to accept his award, they said it was a myth that every Chinese person was terrified of the regime.

"China is doing a lot for its scientists. So many of our Chinese students want to go back because they see lots of opportunities there. They don't see it as breaching their human rights," Professor Novoselov said.

Professor Geim added: "I have many Chinese colleagues, and they believe that the slow way to Western democracy is better."

The Times
*ttp://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/liu-xiaobo-wrong-man-for-nobel-peace-prize-say-laureates/story-e6frg6so-1225969772275

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[siegecrossbow]

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I have a feeling people will start claiming that the physicists were Russian spies or bribed by the Chinese or something like that...

 

[Vassnti]

I have a feeling people will start claiming that the physicists were Russian spies or bribed by the Chinese or something like that...

Lol more perhaps hopeing to get a nice research position in China one day. Problem is from the point of view of Nobel, they are probably right. Liu Xiaobo may be a wonderfull person but he hasnt really done any thing to promote world peace from what i know.

Just a pity China went so over board about the award.

 

[Chinese-Dragon]

Lol more perhaps hopeing to get a nice research position in China one day. Problem is from the point of view of Nobel, they are probably right. Liu Xiaobo may be a wonderfull person but he hasnt really done any thing to promote world peace from what i know.

Agreed.

Just a pity China went so over board about the award.

That depends on your point of view. Here is my point of view that I posted in the other thread:

http://www.defence.pk/forums/world-...obel-public-affairs-disaster.html#post1330764

 

[Vassnti]

worried about the housing market, student uneployment, inflation, look over there, its a Liu Xiaobo '

It is possible you are even more cynical than i am and also probably right.

 

[Chinese-Dragon]

It is possible you are even more cynical than i am and also probably right.

Cynicism (and skepticism) is a very healthy trait I believe.

I don't claim to be right of course, but if current upsurge of "patriotism" over the Liu Xiaobo issue is just a fluke accident, well then someone up there is very lucky.

 

[applesauce]

"Although both agreed it was unfair that neither Mr Liu nor his family had been allowed to accept his award, they said it was a myth that every Chinese person was terrified of the regime."

^^ thats the problem right there, the west knows nothing about china.
when one has to clarify that "it was a myth that every Chinese person was terrified of the regime." in a country where the vast majority of the people actually is generally happy with the way things are.

 

[ChinaRocks]

By awarding the prize to liu xiaobao the nobel peace price is no longer respectable. This confirm china was right those attending the award are making the mockery out of themself.

 

[Illusive]

The whole thing was a setup to piss off China by the west and nothing else. 1 thing is come out that, China still has a long way to go before it has its influence and by threatening nations of bad consequences in relations have only made it step in the wrong direction.
All i can say is good luck China with your foreign policy.

 

[Pancho]

The whole thing was a setup to piss off China by the west and nothing else. 1 thing is come out that, China still has a long way to go before it has its influence and by threatening nations of bad consequences in relations have only made it step in the wrong direction.
All i can say is good luck China with your foreign policy.

I have to agree. I think the West wanted to see China act crazy and China gave them their wish.

 

[HongWu]

In a showdown with the West, China will prevail. We are not afraid of the West, China is a wiser and stronger civilization. All it takes is a decisive defeat and US military power will unravel. Without the US, the West will decline to the point where it is merely an equal of China.

 

[Pancho]

In a showdown with the West, China will prevail. We are not afraid of the West, China is a wiser and stronger civilization. All it takes is a decisive defeat and US military power will unravel. Without the US, the West will decline to the point where it is merely an equal of China.

All it takes is ten thousand nukes and China's civilization will turn to dust... One decisive defeat or not.

 

[HongWu]

China has been a nuclear power since the 1960's. It has enough nuclear weapons to reduce the US population by 2/3. Just a handful of DF-5A can turn Europe back to 1945!

China is not some poor developing country like India, which hasn't even tested a thermonuclear weapon.

 

[Pancho]

So long as China uses nuclear weapons on any country, be it India, Japan, Chinese Taipei or anybody, the United States would respond in kind. The Chinese arsenal is significantly smaller than the U.S.'s and if China gets caught up fighting a third country, the U.S. could easily take advantage of that and destroy it.
I doubt China would do it though. However that seems to be the opinion of every Chinese blogger on this site!

 

[Pancho]

Oh yes, and having Nobel Prize winners in Chemistry complaining about the Peace Prize is like the Nobel Prize winners in Economics complaining about the Prize in Literature. What is the point?