I’m part of a demographic for whom the Nobel Peace Prize has been tainted goods ever since it was awarded to Henry Kissinger in 1974 for belatedly taking steps to end an obscene conflict he had worked for years to prolong and escalate. From an anti-war perspective, that event seemed to epitomize everything that was wrong about the mainstream Establishment: namely, that it was more interested in symbol than substance.

My generation was raised on narrative accounts praising the heroic individuals throughout American history who had stood up to forces of deceit and tyranny in order to uphold principles such as honesty, integrity and justice. But, during the Vietnam era, when we tried to apply the lessons of history to contemporary events, we too often found that authority figures didn’t universally welcome our insights, regardless of the merits of our arguments.

I think we are incredibly lucky that Barack Obama came along and was willing and able to slug and cajole his way into the presidency. I got caught off guard by our system’s ability to change course so quickly after the fiasco of George W. Bush’s presidency. Bush, to me, represented the nadir of what the Baby Boom had to offer: a spoiled frat boy who took it as his due that family money and connections would buy his way into whatever perks he wanted and out of whatever messes he made. With the election of Obama, we have shown the world that the American ideal of a meritocracy is alive and well. This doesn’t mean, by any stretch of the imagination, that Obama can do no wrong. He’s a fallible human being just like the rest of us, but he’s also a decent, smart, and gifted man. I fully believe he has the humility to understand this. It’s one of his great strengths.

Awarding him the Nobel Peace Prize at this stage of the game, though, doesn’t do him any favors. It seems more a manifestation of a wholesale cheapening and erosion of institutions and awards that has been underway for a long time. Nepotism, patronage, faddishness and such are not hallmarks of quality and endurance. Obama the man has substance and integrity, and I believe he has the potential to accomplish great things. But he has inherited a system that has been badly damaged by years of abuse and neglect, with problems that are deeply entrenched, and he’s not a miracle worker. Obama the symbol is apparently in vogue around the world, which is what this award represents. But, given the complexities of the global situation, having what supposedly is a major, prestigious award tout the idea of one man as a heroic savior is troublingly simplistic in this day and age. Particularly when that award has a less than stellar history of holding individuals to account for the totality of their actions over time.