The Bow controversy will not stop. Jake Tapper at his blog has some comments by an expert on Japanese cultural norms arguing that Obama’s close inspection of the Emperor’s shoes was neither protocol nor culturally appropriate:
“The bow as he performed did not just display weakness in Red State terms, but evoked weakness in Japanese terms….The last thing the Japanese want or need is a weak looking American president and, again, in all ways, he unintentionally played that part.
This story was picked up at HotAir and elsewhere. Which led to this accusation of racism:
Are Couch Potato Conservatives and the mainstream media complaining when Obama bows to any non-white monarch, but scoring his or First Lady Michelle Obama’s every small move with white royalty, what we should expect in the Age of Obama? It certainly seems that way and that’s a very sad pattern for America to display.
If Couch Potato Conservatives had their way, the kind of cowboy behavior of President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney would be the order of the day: white monarchs would receive the proper greeting protocol and non-white royalty a simple hand shake. It’s no wonder President Obama has to do so much work to do in restoring America’s popularity around the World.
It only was a matter of time before the race card was played. With some Bush Derangement Syndrome thrown in for free.
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Comments
Well considering that Obama bowed to a non white King and a non-white Emperor while not bowing to the white queen of England I would say it is Obama who is the racist or possibly a sexist. Or as Dan Riehl has pointed out, maybe Obama is trying to say western civilization does not deserve respect like eastern and middle eastern civilizations. so from Obama's own actions we either have a racist in chief, a sexist in chief or a hater of western civilization in chief or a complete idiot in chief.
From his own words in his book about "White man's greed running a world in need" I'm leaning towards the racist and hater. But then again from his comments and actions towards females during his campaign and his golf outings the sexist charge is good too. But then again from his total lack of ability over passing laws and governing the country during the last 10 months the idiot charge may expalin it.
Finally it could just be all 4.
Wait, what? Does this make any sense at all?? I swear the (hard) Left is turning into a bunch of drooling idiots because I just can't see how they can turn nearly everything negative about Obama into a racist incident–do these people ever read (or think, even for a few minutes) about what they write?
They don't even pay attention to the Bush-bashing behaviors of their own crowd. I seem to recall them making fun of Bush for holding the Saudi prince's hand – entirely appropriate in his culture… and he's not even a white guy.
I didn't realize that kissing one's shoes in Japan was proper "greeting protocol."
Couch Potato??? If this is going to be the new moonbat add-on adjective, couldn't they at least hyphenate it?
I posted this about everywhere else, so I might as well give Bill the benefit as well:
Obama says: "I can bow lower than any other world leader. Watch me now. Hey. I can even kiss my own arxx."
Just to point out when I was in Japan I bowed as well. The emperor is not just a head of state but a religious figurehead worshipped by 30% of japanese as a blood descendent of the sun goddess.
I see no problem with the japanese bow it's the time he bowed to the Saudi which irked me. In Saudi culture you ony bow to superiors, in Japanese culture you bow to everyone.
@Myahon: No. Americans bow to no one. Ever. We kind of fought a war about that, back in the late 1700's.
Myahon, didn't you hear about the blogs that show photos of numerous leaders of other countries meeting their royal, holy, majestic, highnesses and not bowing? If you were seeking a contract from the Japanese government or corporation, I could see bowing as a business courtesy. But an elected leader bowing to a hereditary leader, bowing to "royal blood" for heaven's sake? Come on.
I see no problem with the japanese bow it's the time he bowed to the Saudi which irked me. In Saudi culture you ony bow to superiors, in Japanese culture you bow to everyone.
True, in Japan, one does bow to show respect and is usually done more freely by many if not all. However, you fail to mention that the type of bow is what is important here. In Japan, the lesser or weaker of the two individuals, bows more deeply and holds the bow longer than the superior or stronger of the two. Obama displayed weakness and subservience with his long and deep bow to the Emperor.
I love "unseen's" analysis which strikes me as quite accurate…
so from Obama's own actions we either have a racist in chief, a sexist in chief or a hater of western civilization in chief or a complete idiot in chief.
I too think it is all 4.
In Western Canada I assure you most of us see your president as a permanent resident of the "on his knees" brand of foreign policy. He's far too sorry to everyone save the Americans he's letting die in the field with that ROE only a president with an defeatist agenda would have even tried to sneak into place. I'll stick with his willingness to hang your soldiery out to dry as also being a sign of his true allegiance to those whom the phrase "There is only one god and Muhammad is his prophet." rings with familiarity.
Comprehend the ROE that is currently being employed in Afghanistan being used in any other war America has fought would have assured defeat. My brother is a soldier's soldier, worked with American military intelligence on their request after 9/11 and is sickened every day by what your current incarnation of POTUS is doing. He and his counterparts in NATO are of the opinion that Obama is waiting for THE catastrophe to pull out altogether and his ROE is there to make that happen.
This bow garbage is all smoke and mirrors to which you are falling for in droves. Its time for America to forever throw off the yoke of gullibility depending on your MSM for information has set upon you all and focus on what's NOT being said. No one else can do it for you and you've already seen what crying "Obama lied!" aloud has gotten you. Time for yourselves to switch the TV off and "go to the mattresses".
Stick to the blogs and online news sources outside of America which are not zealots of progressivism (check their contributors and try to feign surprise) nor any of the myriad UK bloggers swinging from the government teat.
If its allowable, I visit and have for some time now: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn and get to see things like Obama telling the Chinese that the "One China Policy" is something America backs fully. Who knew you guys were into China claiming all that its wanted geographically for so long. So much for Taiwan, Tibet or anyone else on that revised map of China Chairman Mao dreamed of.
Myahon, you are totally wrong about the bow. That particular bow is one of subservience.
I looked at the pictures of the various leaders greeting the emperor, some inclined their head and the emperor did the same thing. The picture of Richard Nixon greeting Hirohito is the same deal, it was a mutual greeting between the two men, inclining their heads and looking at each other in the eyes. When I studied the picture of the subservient bow, not only is Obama not looking at the emperor in the eye, he goes further with his eyes downcast and shaking hands. The hand shake is actually very insulting in this instance.
There is no doubt in my mind that the bow was deliberate and meant to be an apology for the dropping of the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which is ridiculous because without them the rest of the world faced grave danger from the Kamakazi Japanese who thought of their emperor as a god.
Obama is a fool, an idiot, and he is not in the slightest bit intelligent.
As I recall, the humor about Bush was not just that he was holding hands but that a man whose primary campaign strategy in '04 was the stir up gay panic was walking around holiding hands with a dude. At least, that was the joke from Jon Stewart.