How low will he go? Obama gives Japan's Emperor Akihito a wow bow

How low will he go? Obama gives Japan's Emperor Akihito a wow bow

latimesblogs.latimes.com

This photo will get Democrat President Obama a lot of approving nods in Japan this weekend, especially among the older generation of Japanese who still pay attention to the royal family living in its downtown castle. Very low bows like this are a sign of great respect and deference to a superior.
To some in the United States, however, an upright handshake might have looked better.

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I know there are going to be many who will say that "I'm nit picking" the President here. I am not disturbed by his willingness to show "respect" but I am troubled by his "naive" understanding of protocol here on the world stage.

We all know that he has exerted great effort in his campaign to restore relationship with the world, and in that process he has apologized repeatedly for the United States over and over again. In September of this year we saw our President once again "bowing low" before the world in his words proclaiming the actions of our nation, presumably under former President Bush, as being insensitive to the world's desires.

According to the New York Times, in his address to the UN our dear leader stated that "America has acted unilaterally, without regard for the interests of others." He then went on to say that, "this has fed an almost reflexive anti-Americanism..." Ironically he then stated that, "my responsibility is to act in the interest of my nation and my people, and I will never apologize for defending those interests." Didn't you just do that Mr. President?

link: www.nytimes.com...

Have any of you ever heard of the term "Double Speak" before? According to Webster's dictionary "Double Speak" is defined as, " language constructed to disguise or distort its actual meaning, often resulting in a communication bypass." Our President has made it his personal life goal to destroy and distort history in order to build up his own image as the leader who will change the world.

There are numerous examples of Obama speaking in such a way throughout the world...always apologizing for the United States...many times in the very heart of the world where terrorists are trained to attack us. A wonderful example is his speech in Turkey this past year where he passionately stated that, "I know there have been difficulties these last few years. I know that the trust that binds us has been strained, and I know that strain is shared in many places where the Muslim faith is practiced. Let me say this as clearly as I can: the United States is not at war with Islam."

link: enduringamerica.com...

So understanding our President's mind, his desire to "atone" for the "sins" of the past, to make things "right" with the world, correcting all the "evils" done by the previous administration...is it really a huge surprise to see him bow so low to other world leaders as he has done both in this current example an in others.

When are we as Americans going to wake up to the understanding that we are being removed as the world leader in the preservation of freedom, we are being removed as the world economic leader with the "once" supremacy of our currency, and we are being removed as the world military power...all so that our President can be the messiah? Make things right again?

God help us all in these dark days ahead...


latimesblogs.latimes.com
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I think he was trying to show respect but it came back to bite him on his butt! Everything is watched and "graded" now in this 21st Century and our leaders have to THINK before they act. Such a shame for all. You can please some of the people.........ect.

I am troubled by his "naive" understanding of protocol here on the world stage.

And I am troubled by your naive and complete ignorance of cultural differences and traditional protocol.

Just another "nit-picking" hatchet job based on nothing more than a total and complete ignorance of how the rest ofthe world conducts itself.

reply to post by PammyK


I can understand your point about showing respect, but his manner is such that he repeatedly displays a "submissive" approach to other world leaders who in the past have looked to us for leadership and strength. Our enemies view this as signs of weakness and will eventually move against us when they feel the time is right...our president should know this.

reply to post by Rhetoric


You can see this as a hatchet job, or you can open your eyes to something that is a well crafted attempt at reducing the United States standing in the world.

Originally posted by Rockstrongo37
I can understand your point about showing respect, but his manner is such that he repeatedly displays a "submissive" approach to other world leaders who in the past have looked to us for leadership and strength.

What? You can't have leadership, strength AND give respect? It been the unilateral actions in the world that have created the problems in America right now. How much is being spent on this winless war? Those funds could be put to much better use.

I am not a USAmerican, and even I know that what Obama did is simply not done by an USAmerican president.

Is there no one to school Obama in proper USA Presidential behaviour?

There may be some happy Japanese, but this it s terrible blow to the USA.

It confirms for me that Obama either does not know enough to be US President, or that he is the lackey of other powers -- namedly David Rockefeller and George Soros -- who call the shots making Obama into a tragic Pinocchio marionette figure on the world stage.

reply to post by intrepid


Well I think you and I would have a big disagreement over this "winless" war...I feel it can be won and must be won. Our very future as a nation will be determined on our victory in the middle east. Arguably one of the reasons for the fall of the Soviets was their failure to gain control in the middle east. While I am glad they failed, their stature as a super power was obliterated due to the fact that they could not retain control over Afghanistan. Our final vestiges as a super power are directly related to our ability to establish a stable democracy in the region. We can certainly show respect to world leaders, but we must temper our respect for them by our requirement of recognition of our leadership status...in that kind of relationship true mutual respect can flourish...a respect that is given on both sides, not just from the side of a President who hates the previous administration, and who wants to appease the world at any price.

Originally posted by Rockstrongo37
reply to post by Rhetoric

 

You can see this as a hatchet job, or you can open your eyes to something that is a well crafted attempt at reducing the United States standing in the world.

About time too, but do we really need to see that the royal families, are somehow better than us, lol.

Nice seeing the american president getting down to show he is not superior though to others, like the others usualy did.

reply to post by Rockstrongo37


Alright this is enough, First the Pres bows down to a Saudi King, then he bows down to an Jap Emperor, who If my memory serves me correctly, launched the war that cost Hundreds of Billions of dollars, and American Lives....

Does he not get it? He is the AMERICAN PRESIDENT, An American President bows to no Monarch or other world leader. In all rights he is the Emperor of America, and Emperors do not bow to other Emperors, maybe if someone used that metaphor to him he would get it.

Originally posted by Rhetoric

I am troubled by his "naive" understanding of protocol here on the world stage.

And I am troubled by your naive and complete ignorance of cultural differences and traditional protocol.

Just another "nit-picking" hatchet job based on nothing more than a total and complete ignorance of how the rest ofthe world conducts itself.

I am troubled by your lack of outrage that your President is bowing down to another World Leader, Obama does not have to bow to the Emperor of Japan, nor The King Of Saudi Arabia, He is the President of America, not a Japannese Citizen requesting an Audenice with the Emperor. Get with it .

Originally posted by Rockstrongo37

How low will he go? Obama gives Japan's Emperor Akihito a wow bow

I consider this a good example of statesmanship. I do not agree with Obama very often... but his protocol and respect for Japan's royal family is without flaw.

Again, imo.

reply to post by Rockstrongo37


No, the USSR fell because they tried to keep up to the US in spending on arms. Reagan basically spent them into bankruptcy. This is the road we are going down now.

Originally posted by poedxsoldiervet
Alright this is enough, First the Pres bows down to a Saudi King, then he bows down to an Jap Emperor, who If my memory serves me correctly, launched the war that cost Hundreds of Billions of dollars, and American Lives....

That would have been quite a feat for an 8 year old. He didn't assume the throne until 1989.

Does he not get it? He is the AMERICAN PRESIDENT, An American President bows to no Monarch or other world leader. In all rights he is the Emperor of America, and Emperors do not bow to other Emperors, maybe if someone used that metaphor to him he would get it.

Why is this sign of respect so bad? No, really? When in Rome and all.

reply to post by redoubt


There is no Protocol for the President of America to bow down to any world Leader. Good god our you people Mad around here? He’s AMERICAN not a Jap, He is a World Leader, who does not nor should he ever bow down to any other world leader. I as an American would not bow, to any monarch or President, for gods sake I never kissed the Pontiffs ring, because I bow to no MAN... God people can you not see that this is something he continues to do around the world, show how stupid and spineless he is... Brush up on your Chinese they soon will be our new masters.

reply to post by intrepid


You are partially correct, but that wasnt the only reason they fell, it was also due to the fact that their standing as the "other" world power was destoryed at their failure to complete their mission in Afganistan, sorry but you can't ignore the ramifications of that failure.

reply to post by intrepid


Thank you for pointing out the fact that he was not the reign monarch during the WWII...

Showing respect is one thing, bowing down to A MONARCH is another. Has the Head of the Untied States, he does not have to bow to anyone considering they are both EQUALS.

"Bow before no foreign potentate", or words to that effect were first uttered by an American in the 19th century...

A civil bow along with a handshake would have sufficed, IMHO. Respectful? Yes. Grovel? Never. A bow like that is not on. I wouldn't. Nor should the President...who it may be argued is much more powerful personage then a mere emperor, or even a moderator on ATS...

His protocol tsar needs to brush up on things. Bad form for a President.

Obama will go just as low, as the men behind the curtain tells him to go