Ben Bernanke Winning the Nobel Prize Called ‘The Drunkest Decision of All Time’
The man at the helm during the housing collapse gets a shiny medal for research on banks’ role in financial crises
The awarding of the Nobel Prize has historically been seen as one of the greatest honors that could be bestowed upon a human being. Academics, politicians, and writers brandish that ‘laureate’ status high and proud on their CVs and can leverage it into lucrative opportunities for the rest of their lives.
But the handing out of the illustrious prize has not been without controversy. Often, a closer look reveals that the winner has a history that seems completely anathema to the values that Alfred Nobel laid out in his will, which was to award “those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind.”
The philosophy and idea are laudable, and Nobel Prizes are given in the fields of Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, Peace, and Economics-ish.
The Nobel Peace Prize is said to go “to the person who has done the most or best to advance fellowship among nations, the abolition or reduction of standing armies, and the establishment and promotion of peace congresses.” Notable winners include Nelson…
