History is a strange beast. Our contemporaries, unlike Abel's, consider his European journey a great success. Our contemporaries, unlike Abel's, believe he left a huge legacy. That is why in 2001 Norwegian Academy of Sciences began awarding an annual Abel Prize in Mathematics of about a million US dollars.
There is only one problem, the prize is given to mathematicians who have already been recognized in the mathematical community. On behalf of Abel who spent his life in obscurity and poverty, a huge award is given to well-known and financially successful mathematicians. If he could learn that young, poor and unknown mathematicians were still being ignored and his name was used as an excuse, Abel would turn in his grave.
Abel is not alone, he is in good company. How uncomfortable would God, Son, Motherland, Democracy and Humanity feel if they knew what is being done in their name?