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2009-11-15 Home Front: Culture Wars

President Obama vs. The Rest of the World Greeting The Emperor of Japan (Photos)

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Posted by tipper 2009-11-15 02:16|| || Front Page|| [1 views ] Top

#1 There was still slavery in Mexico during the reign of Porfirio Diaz, and one revolutionary who had been educated in the US, made a very memorable observation, when he angrily chastised peons who bowed to him, to the effect of:

"Don't you dare bow to me, ever! Those that bow before the powerful, will demand that others bow before them when they are powerful!"

Too bad they didn't listen to him.

Posted by Anonymoose 2009-11-15 07:37|| 2009-11-15 07:37|| Front Page Top

#2 A possible explanation for why President Obama bowed to the Emperor: He drew fire for bowing to the Saudi King, as some people took it to signify a display of deep respect. Bowing to the Japanese Emperor may ironically be meant to signal: "Hey, this bowing stuff doesn't mean anything. Its just a formal ritual, that signifies nothing. Its Mikado and King and I comic opera stuff, for show. No deep symbolism" If he had only bowed before the Saudi King, that would be a different matter. But he went out of his way to bow extra deeply to the genial and insignificant Japanese Emperor, as if to subtly mock the entire business of bowing. At the same time, he knows that his Muslim audience still sees the original bow to the Saudi king as a display of extra respect to Muslims.

Posted by Dan 2009-11-15 08:08|| 2009-11-15 08:08|| Front Page Top

#3 Just keep a list of who he bows to and who holds or could potentially hold large amounts of Treasury Bills. Then it starts to make sense when you're going to run astronomical deficits.

Posted by Procopius2k 2009-11-15 08:21|| 2009-11-15 08:21|| Front Page Top

#4
It doesn't matter. No excuses. Americans don't bow.

Posted by Parabellum 2009-11-15 08:27|| http://sidemeat.wordpress.com/]">[http://sidemeat.wordpress.com/] 2009-11-15 08:27|| Front Page Top

#5 Americans don't bow.

Which really answers the point, if you think about it, by definition a transnational progressive doesn't have a state identity.

Posted by Procopius2k 2009-11-15 08:58|| 2009-11-15 08:58|| Front Page Top

#6 Indeed, such a person wishes to erode away state distinctions entirely, especially a state the considers itself exceptional.

Posted by lotp 2009-11-15 09:41|| 2009-11-15 09:41|| Front Page Top

#7 This American did a lot of bowing when he lived in Japan, but I'd never dip more than 15 degrees or so. It's not really that difficult to respect the customs of other people while maintaining a modicum of dignity for yourself.

Posted by Scooter McGruder 2009-11-15 10:54|| 2009-11-15 10:54|| Front Page Top

#8 Citizen Of The World

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2009-11-15 11:38|| 2009-11-15 11:38|| Front Page Top

#9 maybe he forgot to take off his medal.

Posted by tipper 2009-11-15 11:51|| 2009-11-15 11:51|| Front Page Top

#10 Individuals can bow if they want to. When a head of state does it he does it on behalf of his nation. Not good.

Posted by Iblis 2009-11-15 15:50|| 2009-11-15 15:50|| Front Page Top

#11 Americans don't bow.

What does that have to do with "President" O'Bumble?

Posted by Old Patriot">Old Patriot 2009-11-15 17:17|| http://oldpatriot.blogspot.com/]">[http://oldpatriot.blogspot.com/] 2009-11-15 17:17|| Front Page Top

#12 This American did a lot of bowing when he lived in Japan

Same here.

But I wasn't the President conducting affairs of state.

Posted by Pappy 2009-11-15 23:20|| 2009-11-15 23:20|| Front Page Top

#13 Isn't this a breach of US diplomatic protocol? IIUC, any US diplomat who bowed to a foreign monarch would be disciplined for such a breach. WTF is POTUS doing here?

Posted by lex 2009-11-15 23:28|| 2009-11-15 23:28|| Front Page Top

23:59 JosephMendiola
23:50 ed
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