DIALECTIC – A satirical dialogue (01)
The characters - Lagom (Swedish for balance, moderation) and Ikigai (Japanese for "reason for being"), are two distinct cultural concepts of balance and purpose used to highlight the imbalance and lack of purpose in the global political sphere they discuss.
NOBEL PEACE PRIZE 2025
Premise
To avoid conceptual contradictions and misunderstandings one has to understand the background logic of this writing. So, I am considering in this dialogue two types of peace. The Nobel Peace Prize is based on the concept of “peace”, which represents the opposite place to wars and conflicts. This type of “peace” is meaningless without conflicts and wars; so, they – peace and conflicts and wars are essentially complementary parts. Thus, they complete each other. Not a great deal!
But suppose that there are no “extremist capitalists” or “destructive capitalists” that enrich themselves by producing and selling weapons to kill human beings, and also hypothetically think that there are no wars and conflicts in the world – consequently, a farmer who produces fruit and vegetables and a chicken and sheep breeder can easily receive the Nobel Peace Prize (?).
Lagom – You know Mr. Ikigai, when I digit “Nobel” price, on the computer the first letter “n” is automatically corrected into “N” capital or else it's signed as wrong as something important. It's like always capitalizing the first letter of certain words to distinguish their utmost importance and authority - but for whom? I don't know!?
Ikigai – I think if it is not a kind of "quid pro quo" reasoning, it should be for “pro bono” which is a good thing that we have something in common — at least forcing them we can keep some sort of order in the world. But why were you thinking about this Nobel Mr. Lagom? Have you been nominated by any chance?
Lagom – No Mr. Ikigai, I was curious about this because I heard someone say that the President of the United States is awaiting a Nobel peace nomination.
Ikigai - I also heard on TV news and in talk-shows that the president who ordered the killing of children, women, adults, journalists and the bombing of hospitals, schools, nurseries, common places in Gaza, whose name cannot be pronounced, has already anticipated this nomination for Nobel peace prize 2025 several times in the U.S.A. and in his country.
Lagom – After signing up the first step of the peace processes, even those in Gaza and many others in the Middle East are saying this same thing – “(soon) Nobel peace prize!”. Interesting!
Ikigai - Even journalists in the U.S. have talked about this months ago. Could you tell me if you know anyone who has refused this Nobel Prize by chance? Don't try to tell me the whole Nobel story. I just want to get a feel for the situation.
Lagom – Yes, there are many, but for me the refusal of the French philosopher and writer Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-1980) is important. He refused the Nobel prize for literature in October 1964 because he always rejected official distinctions and did not want to be “institutionalized”. On the other hand, his philosophy revolves around the concept of radical freedom of man, condemned to exist without a predefined essence and to create himself through his own choices.
Others were instead forced to refuse the Nobel prize like Richard Kuhn (1938, chemistry), Adolf Butenandt (1939, chemistry), and Gerhard Domagk (1939, physiology or medicine). They were forced by Adolf Hitler.
I want to recall also the refusal of the Nobel peace prize of 1973 by Le Duc Tho – it was based on a question of principles. He was to share it with the controversial Henry Kissinger who was at that time the U.S.A. Secretary of State who also proliferated nuclear weapons and was in favour of using nuclear weapons for war. So even this type of person can receive the Nobel peace prize.
Ikigai – Wow! We've been through all sorts of plays! But what about Barack Obama's?
Lagom – Oh! That! A bit of a ridiculous and embarrassing event! But what do we poor common people know about that elite logic! I don’t know what constituted a "greatest benefit on mankind" but within few months of his first term, former U.S.A. President Barack Obama was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009 (it is not clear for what).
Ikigai - This may be the logic that has matured over time, which has given rise to the possibility of seeing the good that a president can accomplish in the future, or something hypothetical good or great can be awarded with the Nobel peace Prize.
Lagom - I think there should be great trust and friendship, or a shared interest, among those people (elites) who handle these high-quality matters. Woe to us!
Ikigai – Today, 10th October a democratic activist woman won the Nobel peace prize of 2025. Long live activism! But according to the news, the White House has not digested this issue.
Lagom- The White House criticized the Nobel prize committee placing “politics over peace” for awarding the peace prize to a Venezuelan pro-democracy activist over US President Donald Trump.
Ikigai - Well! I think the Nobel Prize could have been awarded to the actual president of the United States, given that the history of the Nobel Prize isn't all that clear and distinct. On the other hand, former U.S.A. president Barack Obama received it without doing anything, but actual U.S.A. President Donald Trump at least managed to stop (?) that untouchable gentleman who followed their sacred logic of (“you shall not show pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.”) killing children, women, the elderly, journalists and bombing hospitals, schools, nurseries, and homes relentlessly.
Lagom - I hope at least next year the Nobel Committee will make some exceptions and give President of U.S.A. Donald Trump the Nobel Peace Prize.
Ikigai - Hmm, wait and "hope" for good weather!
(NB: Hope and fear are complementary. They're like two sides of the same coin).
