Those handing out the Nobel prizes have outdone themselves.

Those handing out the Nobel prizes have outdone themselves. For literature, we have Harold Pinter, whose main qualification seems to have been his unremitting--and juvenile and specifically anti-American--leftism. He is a worthy successor to Elfriede Jelinek, Dario Fo, and other such giants (whose political credentials are nevertheless impeccable). He is not a worthy successor to V. S. Naipaul--and therein lies a big problem with the Nobel prizes. Just when you are ready to turn your back on them, someone deserving wins. Mother Teresa and other good people have won the Nobel Peace Prize. But so have tyrants, rogues, and fools. This year's co-winners are Mohamed ElBaradei, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and the IAEA itself. The IAEA has been basically useless in preventing nuclear proliferation, and it has perhaps been worse than useless--fostering a sense of security and attentiveness that is misplaced. But the IAEA has accomplished one thing: Like the U.N. under which it operates, it has positioned itself as a bulwark against the United States. That, undoubtedly, is what the Nobel people appreciate. Articles on the prizes for literature and peace appear elsewhere in this issue. The next round of prizes is twelve months away, but you can start cringing now.