Do you seriously think Obama's bowing is that big a deal?

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What do you think of Obama bowing?

  • It's a sign of weakness

  • It's nothing more than simple respect.

  • We got bigger problems/I don't friggin' care/I don't friggin' know

Results are only viewable after voting.
N

nageov3t

Lifer
Feb 18, 2004
42,808
83
91
retrospooty said:
Clearly he must be. He STILL seems to think its submission even when explained its greetings.
Click to expand...
so, for the past 200 years US presidents simply didn't greet Asian leaders? because Obama's the first one to do a full bow like that as far as I know.

I don't think it's a big deal and I certainly don't think there was anything intentional behind it, but I think it was a minor gaff that highlight's our president's lack of foreign policy experience and is a little disrespectful towards the office itself.
 
retrospooty

retrospooty

Platinum Member
Apr 3, 2002
2,031
74
86
loki8481 said:
so, for the past 200 years US presidents simply didn't greet Asian leaders? because Obama's the first one to do a full bow like that as far as I know.

I don't think it's a big deal and I certainly don't think there was anything intentional behind it, but I think it was a minor gaff that highlight's our president's lack of foreign policy experience and is a little disrespectful towards the office itself.
Click to expand...

Well, fortunateley, the vast majority of our country disagree's with you and is able to understand the difference.
 
UberNeuman

UberNeuman

Lifer
Nov 4, 1999
16,937
3,087
126
loki8481 said:
I don't think it's a big deal and I certainly don't think there was anything intentional behind it, but I think it was a minor gaff that highlight's our president's lack of foreign policy experience and is a little disrespectful towards the office itself.
Click to expand...

bush_massage_350.jpg


Who wants a body massage?

/body massage.....
 
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M

Moonbeam

Elite Member
Nov 24, 1999
74,953
6,796
126
Dari said:
Did you see the bow? His upper body did a 90 degree bow. If we went down any further he'd be an ostrich. Most people just do 45 degrees at the most.

EDIT: He did the same 90 degree with the Saudi king.
Click to expand...

Ah, now we have gone, not to the fact that he bowed like other Presidents have, but to how far down he bowed. Yes, yes, now we are getting somewhere.

But I learned in Advanced Bowing 301A that a 90 degree bow is just fine so long as it isn't accompanied by any flexing of the knees.
 
C

CanOWorms

Lifer
Jul 3, 2001
12,404
2
0
No American president should even be having a meeting with any kind of royalty. Support for inbreeding barbarism isn't something that the President of the United States should be associated with.
 
blackangst1

blackangst1

Lifer
Feb 23, 2005
22,902
2,360
126
retrospooty said:
Of course, your born again christian dimwit mentality cant tell the difference between bowing submission and bowing as a sign of respect.

Serious question... Can you at least understand that people much smarter than you CAN tell the difference?
Click to expand...

You arent getting it. It doesnt matter AT ALL what WE think., What matters is what his actions mean in the country he is visiting.
 
blackangst1

blackangst1

Lifer
Feb 23, 2005
22,902
2,360
126
Dari said:
Did you see the bow? His upper body did a 90 degree bow. If we went down any further he'd be an ostrich. Most people just do 45 degrees at the most.

EDIT: He did the same 90 degree with the Saudi king.
Click to expand...


AND he lost eye contact. As I stated above, it doesnt matter what we think. Most of know he did it as a sign of respect; however, thats not how the Japanese see this kind of bow. Culture is everything, and he has zero. Im sure the Japanese know he fucked up, and dont really think he's submitting to Emperor Akihito. But at best he embarrased himself something terrible.

edit: here: http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalp...at-both-the-left-and-the-right-are-wrong.html

An old friend -- an academic with expertise about the Japanese Empire, and in general a supporter of President Obama -- sends me the following note, relating to photographs of President Obama bowing to Emperor Akihito of Japan.

"This picture shows two things," my friend writes.
"1) The 'right' is wrong about Obama's bow.
"2) The 'left' is wrong about Obama's bow.
"His bow is neither (1) unprecedented nor (2) a sign of cultural understanding.
"At their 1971 meeting in Alaska, the first visit of a Japanese Emperor to America, President Nixon bowed and referred to Emperor Hirohito and his wife repeatedly as 'Your Imperial Majesties.'"
(See that picture HERE.)
"Yet, (and?) Nixon gets the bow right. Slight arch from the waist hands at his side.
"Obama's handshake/forward lurch was so jarring and inappropriate it recalls Bush's back-rub of Merkel.
"Kyodo News is running his appropriate and reciprocated nod and shake with the Empress, certainly to show the president as dignified, and not in the form of a first year English teacher trying to impress with Karate Kid-level knowledge of Japanese customs.
"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.
"BTW, Obama's bow at Suntory Hall was much better. Correct angle, slight bow. His hands were wrong but the physical tone was correct and appropriate.
 
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L

LumbergTech

Diamond Member
Sep 15, 2005
3,622
1
0
eskimospy said:
Wait, half the time he's a tyrant crushing America under his bootheel and the other half of the time he's a capitulator. Which one is it?

I'm not asking that you stop posting insane and poorly informed rants against Obama, but it would be nice if they were a bit more internally consistent.
Click to expand...

that is sig worthy
 
J

JKing106

Platinum Member
Mar 19, 2009
2,193
0
0
Dari said:
And those nukes saved lives and American money.
Click to expand...

And were completely unnecessary. Ther war was over, and Japan didn't have a chance at a comeback. Hirohito was in the process of producing terms of surrender. The bombs were just posturing for the Soviets. Too bad hundreds of thousands of Japanese civilians had to be nuked the process. But hey, it's saved money, right?
 
yh125d

yh125d

Diamond Member
Dec 23, 2006
6,886
0
76
in romania the custom is to just walk around with your penis hanging out and when someone goes to shake you just plop it in






Also, it's a sign of fking respect people... nothing more



STFU if you have any prolems
 
werepossum

werepossum

Elite Member
Jul 10, 2006
29,873
463
126
blackangst1 said:
AND he lost eye contact. As I stated above, it doesnt matter what we think. Most of know he did it as a sign of respect; however, thats not how the Japanese see this kind of bow. Culture is everything, and he has zero. Im sure the Japanese know he fucked up, and dont really think he's submitting to Emperor Akihito. But at best he embarrased himself something terrible.

edit: here: http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalp...at-both-the-left-and-the-right-are-wrong.html

An old friend -- an academic with expertise about the Japanese Empire, and in general a supporter of President Obama -- sends me the following note, relating to photographs of President Obama bowing to Emperor Akihito of Japan.

"This picture shows two things," my friend writes.
"1) The 'right' is wrong about Obama's bow.
"2) The 'left' is wrong about Obama's bow.
"His bow is neither (1) unprecedented nor (2) a sign of cultural understanding.
"At their 1971 meeting in Alaska, the first visit of a Japanese Emperor to America, President Nixon bowed and referred to Emperor Hirohito and his wife repeatedly as 'Your Imperial Majesties.'"
(See that picture HERE.)
"Yet, (and?) Nixon gets the bow right. Slight arch from the waist hands at his side.
"Obama's handshake/forward lurch was so jarring and inappropriate it recalls Bush's back-rub of Merkel.
"Kyodo News is running his appropriate and reciprocated nod and shake with the Empress, certainly to show the president as dignified, and not in the form of a first year English teacher trying to impress with Karate Kid-level knowledge of Japanese customs.
"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.
"BTW, Obama's bow at Suntory Hall was much better. Correct angle, slight bow. His hands were wrong but the physical tone was correct and appropriate.
Click to expand...

I'm sure the Japanese do think Obama screwed up, but I doubt they mind an excess of respect for their emperor. They probably see him as a well-meaning but uncultured buffoon - in other words, a typical American. The only president we've had recently who really understood Japanese protocol was Bush the Elder, who ended up vomiting on their Prime Minister if I remember correctly.

I'm not Japanese, but I know which I would prefer. LOL
 
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