Take a Bow, Mr. President!
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"I left respect for Amerkia on the floor let me pick it up."
Well, actually he did (to the Saudis and to the Japanese). Even though it’s against protocol and makes him and our country look like the laughing stock of a nation, Obama bowed twice. This fits in nicely with the typical Liberal view that Amerika is a bad place, not exceptional in any way (except for the suffering it has inflicted upon others), and that we should be tied down by international treaties and laws, do whatever other cultures seem to think we should, and stop being independent in any way.
Seeing a man bow to the Emperor of Japan was pretty disgusting to me. The U.S. president is not a subject of this man… why do it? All I can think is it must be reflexive. After all, Obama caved in to Russia (selling Eastern Europe out in the process), snubbed the French and the Germans by skipping the Berlin Wall anniversary (yet spoke in Berlin when he was running for president), is caving into his base regarding Afghanistan, essentially ignored the protesters in Iran as they were being shot for objecting to a crooked election (funny how Democrats didn’t do that in 2000), and turned away the Dali Lama so as not to “offend” China prior to his meeting with their Communist leaders.
I guess in the context of Obama’s short time in office his bowing to the Emperor of Japan makes sense… it’s his character.
LOTHIAN: When the President met with King Abdullah, there was something that took place which I believe the White House explained was just the president being taller than the king. We took a look at the video, and it does appear that the president actually bowed to King Abdullah. Did he bow or didn’t he?
GIBBS: No, I think he bent over with both, to shake — with both hands to shake his hand, so I don’t–
LOTHIAN: — one hand –
GIBBS: Well I… [laughter]
LOTHIAN: Did he bow or didn’t he?
GIBBS: No. But I think this meeting was like a week ago, right?
LOTHIAN: That’s right but this is something a lot of people are talking about today.
GIBBS: I can only imagine it is of great cause and concern for many people struggling with the economy.
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1:46 PM
I really don’t understand the big deal about him bowing.
It’s just a sign of respect. You’d expect him to shake your hand when you met him. It’s all just cultural differences. Kind of ridiculous how his bow garners more attention than his policies.
.-= Golden Arple´s last blog ..War, Peace, and Obama’s Nobel – Noam Chomsky =-.
8:20 PM
The bow is emblematic of his policies.
7:50 PM
Golden Arple -
Obama is lucky if (as you say) people pay more attention to his bow than his policies. When I read and hear of his decisions since he was elected, we (some very astute old ladies in Canada) are wondering how USA will survive Obama’s presidency. You can dismiss our evaluation with a shrug, if you wish. We’re not easily offended. But we’re very objective. We have nothing to win, and (thank God) nothing to lose.
BTW, our Canadian Prime Minister (and the Premier of Ontario) knew better than to bow to the Japanese Emperor.
8:21 PM
But does he bow to the Québécois?
9:07 PM
Ah! Ah! Ah! I am a Québécoise, Harrison. Prime Minister Harper didn’t bow to us yet. Maybe next election….LOL
10:50 PM
Tu est une Québécoise? Merci pour la note en Anglais!
5:30 AM
Claudia,
You see thats the problem. I encourage and hope people question his policies and his decisions, instead of focusing their time over his bow. The blogosphere is going to get more discussion out of his bowing than out of everything else he did or talked about with whomever he talked too. I wish people would spend more time attacking his policies instead of the actual man.
-Golden Arple
.-= Golden Arple´s last blog ..War, Peace, and Obama’s Nobel – Noam Chomsky =-.
7:26 AM
Golden Arple -
People do analyse and attack his policies very seriously. What about the Tea Parties held by solid, older Americans? What about some (not all) programs on Fox news? How about good, well-thought blogs (like this one)? Those people, who raise their voices and worry about what Obama is doing to America, are treated like traitors by your media. It seems that USA citizens are losing the right to protest against their government.It also seems that your real enemies (Muslim extremists) are given a deferential treatment, in and outside your country.
For heaven’s sake, let the people have a little bit of fun with the excessive bowing of your president. They’ll cry soon enough when his appeasement policies and his faulty economics laws produce real, deep and permanent problems.
With friendship.
7:37 AM
Harrison -
Mais oui, j’écris aussi en Anglais. Mon pays a deux langues officielles. As a Canadian, I felt it my duty to learn both of them. In my country, I insist that my Prime Minister also speak both.
But here I follow the rule: When in Rome, do as Romans do.
All the best. Meilleurs voeux.
7:41 AM
But you see that’s where I disagree with you. Our real enemies aren’t Muslim extremist. Our foreign policies create these Muslim extremists. Osama bin Laden might be a nut, but the people who fight in Al Queda are probably just young men who don’t have a chance at education or family, who watch their relatives and friends die to US bombs. Then they hear the message of bin Laden, and it’s not surprising they attack US. If you had to choose between living in a country that’s always in a war, with corrupt government and or going to paradise with 72 virgins.. which would you choose?
As long as we think that our problems are other cultures, other people we will always be fighting, we will always live under the state of fear.
Our real problems are hunger, pollution, lack of healthcare, poverty, AIDs. Our problems are not Muslims halfway across the world. Our problems are our foreign policies, that create situations where extremism and hate of United States arises.
8:52 AM
Golden Arple – Yes! we have those real problems that you mention. And we should (and do, little by little) find solutions for them.
But presently (and also, in the past, since 700) we’re at war. We don’t want it. It’s imposed upon us. It’s not AGAINST capitalism, USA, bad foreign policies. It’s a religious war. It’s not just against Christianity (as in the past). It’s AGAINST all infidels, all of us. Whether we believe in God or not. If we’re not militant Muslims, we’re the enemies. The soldiers are not uneducated, discontented young men. They’re fervent, enthusiastic extremists who TRULY believe in Allah, and are prepared to kill and die for him.
We (European countries and the New World) are being invaded by those people. Entire families move in. They impose their traditions, their lifestyle on us. They practice the Sharia law among themselves. They want it to become legal. And we often give in. We’re so polite. Small exemples: We can’t even say Christmas Tree anymore. The Lord’s Prayer is not said anymore in the schools.It insult them… If you don’t see what’s happening, you’re blind. We can be as kind as we wish. We can give them all we have. If we do not convert to Allah, one day, we’ll die.
I’m an old experienced lady. I’m not paranoid. I love people. I have friends who are Muslims. They’re not militants. A bit like Christians who don’t go to church. They’re constantly harassed by zealous Muslims. About the way they dress and live. This is the historical perspective that the Western world is missing about the Muslim world. We cannot live side-by-side. Their culture does not allow it.
That’s all I’m going to say. USA hasn’t caused all the problems. Stop feeling guilty. Don’t try to make amends. It will kill our civilisation.