Japanese Mortified By Obama's Bow

Originally posted by damwel
Were they "mortified" when Bush kissed the Saudi King?

You'll have to ask the Japanese people.

Were they just as mortified when Nixon bowed even more deeply to the Chinese Chairman?

Again, you'll have to ask the Japanese people.

Just a reminder: The OP's post was about the Japanese people being embarassed, so I don't quite get why you're asking about other peoples cultures.

It's only a big deal when it's Obama.

Oh. That's where you're trying to spin this.

Sorry, but no.
You're dead wrong there.
It's only a big deal when it's the President.

I may be wrong here and am only going on memory here so don't give me too much crap if I'm wrong, but I seem to remember another U.S. President flashing the "V" peace sign while boarding his plane leaving the country.
Turns out that's the same as "flipping the bird" in our country.

Maybe it also happened in Japan and that's why I remembered it.

Or maybe it also got a whole helluva lot of attention and that's why I remembered it. I don't know.

If you can prove that I'm wrong and that it never happened, then that's all it is here. I'm wrong. It happens sometimes and I have no problem admiting that.

However, if I'm right, then typing that statement was a whole helluva lot of a waste of your time.

I was quite often embarrassed by W when he was the prez. I was hoping we would get a truly smart one this time with decent manners, but alas, looks like Obowma is not as sharp as I thought.

reply to post by tamusan


Yeah and I have a filipina wife and children who were born in the Philippines and I lived there for five years and saw firsthand the horrid exploitation and racial discrimination that they shamelessly commit. Imagine walking down the street and passing a club with an austrailian buddy looking for a place to chill when we think we've found a cool place a man comes out and says no filipinos or white guys welcome- it's a jap only place and we better leave. Funny, it was mostly dirtected at me- a half breed-probably because I don't fit their standard of racial purity- I'm sure a white American would be welcome with open arms.
As far as exploitation goes well, that's not only the japanese- My cousins live and work in Japan as "entertainers" and their johns are Yakuza. I know that Chinese triads have a hand in this form of human trafficking so I don't entirely hold them responisble for that. They just buy them and help facilitate their arrival. The chinese recruit them.
And I don't approve of the actions of my cousins in allowing themselves to be sold but I've also learned to understand that money don't grow on trees
and wicked people sure have a lot of it to spread around.
I'm sorry if you're offended by my opinion but nobody ever comes out and says it so I'll take the flaming and heat upon my own head because your people already hate me and my kin for what we ca't help but be, poor dirty little brown people but I WILL NEVER BOW TO ANY MAN. jAP OR OTHERWISE
And it may sound strange but my "white side" traces back to 1700 and I'm the only end of my family who hasn't served and fought in war so before you assume you're more American than me consider that and that my father is half native American. So there.
AND I NEVER SAID YOU SHOULDN'T/COULDN'T HAVE A JAPANESE WIFE!! I myself am the product of an interracial marriage so if anyone has the right to pronounce a moral judgement on any race it's me and I believe there should be ONLY ONE race.
The human race. Now take that to your Emperor. Oh wait he's God and omnipotent so he's heard.

[edit on 20-11-2009 by R0BCROW75]

[edit on 20-11-2009 by R0BCROW75]

[edit on 20-11-2009 by R0BCROW75]

Originally posted by itguysrule

Originally posted by nixie_nox
reply to post by 317258186

 

People in the US forget the atrocities we have unleashed on the Japanese people killing 200,000. The effects can still be seen today. Both on their country and here. don't forget that we took Japanese Americans and put them into concentration camps, taking away their homes, businesses, and any livilihoods to live in stalls. About 120,000.

We have had so many troops occupying Japan all this time.

We can stand to show a little humility.

You need to read a little history about the atrocities committed by the Japanese during the war before you go getting all "high and mighty" about the US. Don't forget who started the war by attacking Pearl Harbor. You might also read about the Bataan death march. If that doesn't get your attention read about what the Japanese did to the Chinese - it would have made Dr. Mengele proud. (he was a Nazi in case you don't know).

To equate the US actions to those of the Japanese in WWII is an insult. You should be ashamed.

You know you can't really argue with uneducated people, all you can do is point them in the right direction.

Most of these people here were apparently too young to remember Pearl Harbor, and they obviously were asleep in History class. And the gaul to mention concentration camps. Americans lived a horror among horrors in Jap concentration camps. The Japanese Americans did have an injustice done to them, but I am quite sure their conditions were like comparing the Trump Hotel to skid row.

I am so sick of reading this cowardly comments from stupid people who don't even know recent history.

reply to post by Bombeni


you guys are awesome and you're right. I'm tired of people bowing to monsters. Why is it that the younger generation (mine included) INSIST on worshipping the likes of hirohito or hitler. I'm tired of people crying about how us "nasty Americans" are the most horrible people on the Earth and I'm tired of Americans who don't want to be Americans.
OBAMA SHOULD NOT HAVE BOWED! It's not the way he did it- it's the fact he did it. That is disturbing.
Maybe The Japanese empire and the Nazis really did win the war. There sure seem to be a lot of them around still.

Originally posted by R0BCROW75
reply to post by Bombeni

 

you guys are awesome and you're right. I'm tired of people bowing to monsters. Why is it that the younger generation (mine included) INSIST on worshipping the likes of hirohito or hitler. I'm tired of people crying about how us "nasty Americans" are the most horrible people on the Earth and I'm tired of Americans who don't want to be Americans.
OBAMA SHOULD NOT HAVE BOWED! It's not the way he did it- it's the fact he did it. That is disturbing.
Maybe The Japanese empire and the Nazis really did win the war. There sure seem to be a lot of them around still.

I guess we should have expected the squirrely guy to bow, remember in his European tour he proclaimed himself a citizen of the world, not of the USA. And to think Americans freely elected this, this __________ (censored) into the White House. We deserve what we get now.

reply to post by SLAYER69


I'm sure Obama has placed himself on such a high pedestal, the very thought of bowing to another human being must be extremely revolting to him. It's obvious to me that he's simply showing the little guy and his wife, just how well his new anti-dandruff shampoo is working. Look at the huge height difference, and it becomes clear why Obama had to bend over as low as he did, in order to do so. My own country's Prime Minister Harper did a lot of low bending also, but in his case it was always in front of G.W. Bush, whilst facing away from him

reply to post by R0BCROW75


My father is half Native American, too. My ex-wife is Chinese, from the PRC, so believe when I say I have heard the full extent of how evil the Japanese are. At the end of the day, as I said before, I really don't care about you or your opinion. I didn't even read 3/4 of your post. It started looking like blah, blah, blah.

Edit to add: Yeah, I do care about you. It's your attitude I could do without.

[edit on 21-11-2009 by tamusan]

For the record here, I do not believe that I have said that people should bow to anyone. I don't care about the emperor, and I never bow to anyone. All I have said is that no one in Japan cares. This is an American issue. I also said that it is good that Obama is kissing rear around the world. We need to fix things in our country, and I think we need help from the rest of the world.

I'm Japanese. I think the media in the US is making a big deal out of something that you shouldn't require so much of your time or energy on.

Look, I travel back and fourth to Japan and back. I have family and watch the news...etc. The general consensus among the Japanese is that it's not a big deal. A lot of non-Japanese make mistakes all the time. It's very common for foreigners to do something a little off because they simply don't know any better and most Japanese are aware of that fact. It's going to be OKAY. Don't worry so much. Not like he destroyed all relations or something.

Now if Obama was Japanese...all hell would break loose because he should of known better. But he's not. So it's pretty forgivable.

It must be a really slow week for news or something...

Originally posted by itguysrule
I am American but I lived in Japan for two years. I can tell you that it matters a lot how you bow to another person. I was always instructed to bow to the same level as the person I was meeting. Like others have said, to bow deeply is a sign of submission - not respect.

Word. I've spoken to others that have been in Japan, and they said the bow Obama did is one of apology. Figures.

Originally posted by itguysrule
The real problem I see here isn't just that the bow was mishandled, it is that the incident makes Obama look like an amateure. The President of a country should have competent people in place to make sure they don't mess up protocol issues. If a person can't even get the protocol right for meeting the leader of another country, how can he be expected to be competent enough to be an effective leader.

Obama's cabinet have been stepping on their collective junk with golf spikes since he took office. If it's not one thing they screw up, it's another. The cheap gifts, the iPod, and now this. He should fire them all and hire people that actually have a freakin' clue.

Originally posted by SLAYER69
reply to post by cindymars

 

In many Asian cultures bowing is very important no doubt. However a mutual bow shows respect, one that is very deep as what Obama has done signifies being submissive, inferior or less than.
[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/29d9bf77f5c4.jpg[/atsimg]

[edit on 17-11-2009 by SLAYER69]

I am pretty sure that Obama has less power (though surely has many rights compared to other foreigners) than the ruler of Japan. I think from that perspective, what Obama did was acceptable. Plus, he did manage to avoid ing on the guy - that has to amount to something.

reply to post by tamusan

Looking back, I find myself quite surprised how much offense you took to my post. I was not attacking you- hell, didn't even read your posts. I think it ws something someone said about their "something or other" in japanese being horrified, like as if they were Japanese when they were very clearly not that set me off. I don't appreciate the younger stupider generation trying to come out and make us look like idiots that's all. I was not seeking to offend you or even took notice of you for that matter and if we want to go Chinese now I think I failed to mention that my mother's father escaped the communists during the cultural revolution and that he is....here it comes... CHINESE.
your reaction just exposed you for what you are- another white man living in Asia, taking wives, who thinks they're better than everyone because you got a few dollars under your belt. I noticed this from expats- they don't like me because I'm not white enough for them and the asians don't like me cuz I'm not brown enough for them. I mean, christ, you had to edit your post above to say"i do care about you" because you knew you'd come under fire for saying "idon't care about you" . I doesn't matter you're exposed.

NOthing I said was in any way directed to you or your wife, family, etc. Until you tried to one up me I didn't even know you existed but what you suceeded in doing was opening old wounds that I had thought had long healed. MY COMMENTS WERE DIRECTED AT THE IDIOT BUNCH OF JAPANOPHILES WHO KEEP INSISTING THAT WE ARE STUPID AND UNCULTURED and that Obama destroyed the world by his "uneducated" bow.
As far as you expats are concerned.... Well, you're not impressing anybody. End of argument, say what you will, I don't care you're all big fat BIGOTs.
And as far as Japs go- you make awesome video games- 'nuff said.

[edit on 21-11-2009 by R0BCROW75]

[edit on 21-11-2009 by R0BCROW75]

reply to post by R0BCROW75


You're the one playing the one-up game, and you make too many assumptions. All I said about the Chinese is that I've heard that sad, sad story before. You have no idea why I am in Asia. I did not come here of my own free will at first . And why do you think I am wealthy? And if I do happen to be wealthy now, I can assure you that has not been the case for most of my life.

Edit to add:

they don't like me because I'm not white enough for them and the asians don't like me cuz I'm not brown enough for them.

I have lots of friends in real life that are mixed filipino, my best friend happens to be African-American/Filipino. Why I don't like you is simple. Your closed minded, bigot nature. Yes, you read correctly, you are the BIGOT!!!

[edit on 21-11-2009 by tamusan]

reply to post by tamusan


YOu're right I hate people who hate. If that makes me a bigot then so be it. I don't see race, or culture, or nations, I see what you contribute to mankind. And so far what I see disgusts me.
Ands if you think I've been reserving my hate for Japanese only- well, I got a LOT more coming for EVERY other race out there.
humanity as a whole is messed up- every race is prejudiced in it's own right-
I'm sorry for offending you.
You should start a thread about this elswhere- I'll join.
good fight- made my day.

I guess you win


[edit on 21-11-2009 by R0BCROW75]

reply to post by R0BCROW75

I see what you contribute to mankind

When you say "you", do you mean me? I teach English for FREE during my spare time now in places such as Vietnam, the Philppines, Malaysia, and Indonesia. People like me wherever I go, and not because I am white or have "yellow-fever".

We should move to this to private. We are probably bothering the other members.

reply to post by tamusan


NO NOT YOU
I like you. you're an ATS member.

Isn't it obvious?

Obama is a puppet like many before him, the man doesnt know how to greet a person from this culture properly. Or, he is just naive and really likes the guy.

This is Japan correct? Didnt the Queen of England own Japan up until a few years ago? Who owns Japan now? Who are THEIR secret societies? Lets remember that China has/is bailing out America. Who owns America and Who owns Japan, there lays the reason for Obama's bow.

reply to post by the_denv


To my knowledge no one in England has ever owned Japan. Japan has been it's own country for a very long time. Their known written history starts in the 5th century, but there is evidence they were around much longer than that.

Take a look at:

treasury.gov chart

Do you notice how Japan owns nearly as much U.S. debt as China? So the question could be rephrased as "Who really owns the United States?"



[edit on 21-11-2009 by tamusan]

Now if Obama was Japanese...all hell would break loose because he should of known better. But he's not. So it's pretty forgivable.

I was one of the first of several to post exactly what we noticed could have been incorrect about obamas bow, in light of the above quoted text, it doesn't matter, i.e it is common practice of japanese government to tolerate poorly executed traditional customs, from foreign governments.

In light of that, the holes have been filled in the story, there have been no offences committed, and there is no danger to discuss.

good enough for me

-B.M

[edit on 21/11/09 by B.Morrison]