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Paul Krugman gets a Nobel Prize

You have seen this name very frequently in the pages of the New York Times. You would always connect him with Bush bashing. Paul Krugman, the very famous columnist, Professor of Economics and International Affairs at the Princeton University and author/co-author of a dozen books in the same respect, received the Nobel Prize in Economics (2008) for his “analysis of trade patterns and location of economic activity”. Krugman also predicted that a global economic crisis would occur before the Bush administration cleared the White House.

It is quite rare that a Nobel prize is awarded to a single person rather than a group of intellectuals. Krugman has performed such a feat. John Nash the mathematician (reminds you of “A Beautiful Mind”?) if you remember shared the Nobel in 1994 with two others.

Not to stain the work done by the well-deserving Krugman, its rumoured that he received it just so that the Bush administration and its pathetic state of economic affairs get twitted. If the rumours were to be confirmed by the Nobel committee to be true, it reflects in ill light, the integrity and intellectual rigor of the latter. Nevertheless, Krugman’s dedicated works in the field of economics is profoundly laudable and well deserving the Nobel Prize.

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George Bernard Shaw

In all history, among all men born and buried, George Bernard Shaw is the only person to have received an Oscar and a Nobel Prize in Literature. As a noted novelist, play wright, critic and socialist, Shaw was instrumental in mocking at the pretentiousness and farce behind the Victorian era of theatrics. Being an active member of the Fabian society that aims at gradually bringing in reforms, his plays are generally centered around a cardinal social theme that is intended to create awareness among the masses, needless to cite his humongous sarcasm and wit, if not sometimes cynicism. He is perhaps the most sardonic person who had ever lived if i could also count in the unborn.

Shaw who was born in Ireland on 26th July 1856, was in his later years, of the view that the only time when his education was hampered was his period of formal education! Having influenced by his mother’s interest in music, Shaw’s career in art started as a musical critic who rendered unbiased opinions to magazines. His initial days as a novelist were futile and demoralizing with none of his works being published. As he gained popularity thanks to his sneer, wit and biting comments, acceptance for his works grew, as a result of which he ended up writing 63 plays.

His superior language and powerful delivery of views would probably make an atheist become an archbishop! His highly acclaimed plays like the Apple cart, Man and superman, Saint John, The Doctor’s Dilemma, Heartbreak House, Pygmalion and many more reveal a relentless mockery at the callous society, governance and medicine. Such powerful works aimed at social reforms were the paramount reasons for awarding him the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1925. He received an Oscar for his works in making the movie Pygmalion (based on his own play).

I would love to share a few of his thought provoking quotes if not for copy content! Yet I succumb to the temptation and quote a couple. Just to give you a clear idea, he could be so acute as to say “Observation is commonly mistaken for cynicism by those who don’t possess it”; or could be so cynical as to say “Martyrdom is the only way a man can become famous without ability” !!

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