Japanese Mortified By Obama's Bow

Originally posted by CX
It's not often i feel sorry for a politician, but i think with Obama it's a case of "damned if you do, damned if you don't.

He'd have been slated whatever he did. (And no i'm not a fan)

CX.

So, did you feel the same for Bush?

Just asking ...

Hypocrisy alert, BTW ....

Originally posted by ThaLoccster
I could be wrong but I though the Japanese bowed to each other as a form of greeting the same as Ameicans shaking hands.

If one were in another country I would think it to be normal to try to live or act within their customs.

If the customary greeting in the US were to give me a high five, then on the flip side, now down low...oh you're too slow....I would think the visiting envoy would atleast attempt it, and like Obama probably make an ass out himself doing it.

It seems like people are equivalating him bowing, to him being on his knees groveling for a hand out saying "I got these cheeseburgers...."

Yep, you "could be wrong" since this is what the japanese are saying about obama's grovelling bow - that's how they took it. Read the OP and article.

Same comment to your last paragraph ...

reply to post by TheWalkingFox


Doesn't count.

It would only be comparable to Obama's bending over if Bush had used tounge.

[edit on 17-11-2009 by HotSauce]

Originally posted by centurion1211

Originally posted by CX
It's not often i feel sorry for a politician, but i think with Obama it's a case of "damned if you do, damned if you don't.

He'd have been slated whatever he did. (And no i'm not a fan)

CX.

So, did you feel the same for Bush?

Just asking ...

Hypocrisy alert, BTW ....

Sometimes yes. Granted the guy was a complete tool and deserved much of what he got, however like Obama there were times when it was much ado about nothing and another excuse to bash him.

To me it's kind of like the ignore feature on ATS, i never use it because i've seen some members behave appaulingly in one thread, but admirably in another.

It would of been ignorant of me to miss out on their good posts just because one drove me up the wall and i hit the ignore button.

Same goes for our glorious leaders. Just because they deserve a bashing sometimes, it doesn't mean they should get one all the time.

CX.

[edit on 17/11/09 by CX]

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.

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.

Look at it this way. If someone shows up at your company or meeting to give a speech and they can't remember the name of your organization are you going to listen to them? Of course not - they loose all credibility.

Mr. Obama needs to understand that part of being President is acting the part - he represents all Americans. He needs to take that part of his responsibilities more seriously - so far he isn't doing a very good job in this area.

It may have been too low. Im not really sure how low you should bow at a given situation etc But no doubt he had good intentions behind it. I dont see the problem. As for the japanese thinking this makes America look weak..and hence them also. Get a god damn grip. America is a military and economic giant with it's tentacles embedded all over the world... whether it's obama,bush,tinky winky or Barney the friggin dinosaur in office that won't change.

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

Would you have our President spend 2 weeks in practice before attempting a bow (or wearing a yarmulke to a synagogue), instead of attending to more pressing issues? What bull!

I'm an ethnic Russian and if we party together and you spill half of a glass of vodka when trying to send it down the hatch, I won't make a deal out of it, despite the tremendous importance of this sacral drink to Russian culture.

Don't we have more pressing problems to discuss?

Well, that's okey Japan, most of us here in the US are embarrassed by obama too.

reply to post by HotSauce


There's a hideous mental image that I didn't need. Thanks for that.

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.

That's what I've always heard.

Originally posted by centurion1211

Originally posted by ThaLoccster
I could be wrong but I though the Japanese bowed to each other as a form of greeting the same as Ameicans shaking hands.

If one were in another country I would think it to be normal to try to live or act within their customs.

If the customary greeting in the US were to give me a high five, then on the flip side, now down low...oh you're too slow....I would think the visiting envoy would atleast attempt it, and like Obama probably make an ass out himself doing it.

It seems like people are equivalating him bowing, to him being on his knees groveling for a hand out saying "I got these cheeseburgers...."

Yep, you "could be wrong" since this is what the japanese are saying about obama's grovelling bow - that's how they took it. Read the OP and article.

Same comment to your last paragraph ...

I could be wrong, but I wasn't. It is customary in Japan to bow when you greet or leave someone.

The "Japanese" do not think it was a groveling bow, any more than "Americans" think Obama is the communist anti christ. I believe someone else posted a link applauding him.

Could he have bowed to far...not far enough...sure he could have. The same way a foreign person might err doing some of our customs. If they shook hands too long, or didn't grip firmly would it be front page news? I sure hope not.

Like I said in my first post, I'd expect any visiting envoy to atleast try our customary traditions and would also expect them to not entirely know what they are doing and make a mistake.

Does any of this truly matter to anyone but Obama bashers? Well, I think the proof is in the pudding.

This thread is about as laughable, and relevant as the one with him and the Ft. Hood shooter in a photo.

Straw grasping by very desperate people. Atleast thats my opinion of all of this. I honestly couldn't care less if he hugged the man and groped his ass in the process. There's far more important and pressing matters to discuss, other than how far someone bent while bowing.

Originally posted by buddhasystem
Would you have our President spend 2 weeks in practice before attempting a bow (or wearing a yarmulke to a synagogue), instead of attending to more pressing issues? What bull!

I hope it wouldn't take Obama 2 weeks to learn the proper way to bow but I wouldn't be surprised if it did.

If we were talking about you and me having a drink and telling stories your statement would be correct - it wouldn't matter. The problem is, for the leader of a country it DOES matter.

Originally posted by buddhasystem

Originally posted by badgerprints
He has surrounded himself with enthusiastic, idealistic, idiots

Oh man, you just graduated my lukewarm appreciation of Obama into a mild respect. We do need enthusiastic and idealistic people to drag this country of of the pit dug by cynical and cold-hearted crowd of the previous administration, who weren't good at anything anyway.

Maybe you misunderstood. I was trying to be nice.
Let me put this another way,

Enthusiastic = no common sense or ability to see what is in front of them.

Idealistic = blind to reality

Idiots = Idiots

As far as your statements....

cynical and cold hearted crowd = congress (always congress)


What I'm trying to say is that Obama is like the king in that story about the invisible clothes. His yes men tell him he looks great. He even believes it but the rest of the world sees him falling on his face over simple things that shouldn't happen because he's not informed.

The people he keeps around him are harming his agenda because they aren't doing their jobs.





[edit on 17-11-2009 by badgerprints]

Here's what a Japanese newspaper is saying. Seems that the U.S. cares alot more than they do. No one is talking about Obama over here. They really don't care as much as some people want you to think. The only real problem they have is that it was a handshake and a bow.

mainichi times

From the article:

"Some American conservative commentators are seizing on President Barack Obama's deep bow to Japan's emperor during the weekend, accusing the U.S. commander in chief of groveling to a foreign leader."

"Obama's awkward encounter with Akihito -- bows are not meant to accompany physical contact -- is not even the first time the president, a Democrat in office less than a year, has been criticized for his greeting of a foreign leader: Critics accused him of genuflecting to Saudi King Abdullah at a world economic summit this year."

[edit on 17-11-2009 by tamusan]

Oh my, don't tell me he did it again.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/files/cf5b9862d2289ff5.gif[/atsimg]

Wow! Another `deep bow` by Obama. How low will he go? Day-oh! Day-oh!

At first glance, Obama's bow appeared respectful.

However, Obama should have remained upright and kept his eyes focused at Japan Emperor Akihito, to show he `levels` with his host and other leaders.

reply to post by Wormwood Squirm


What, you think this is a photoshop hoax or something?...

Yes, it shows weakness, not to mention that Obama would crawl for anyone and everyone.

As for the healthcare plan.... Even after Obama himself has been shown on video what his plan would mean and that it won't help most elder Americans, not to mention the rest, and then we have the fact that through Obama's healthcare you MUST have healthcare, and in the healthcare policies you MUST be up tp date in vaccinations which means you MUST also have the H1N1 vaccine injected into your system.... Yet there are Americans who still think this is a great plan?...... WAKE THE HELL UP PEOPLE!!!!!

reply to post by ThaLoccster


Communist?... oh noes, the word now being used is "Progressive Democrat"....and BTW YES there are MILLIONS of Americans who think he is turning the U.S. into a Socialist dictatorship... Only those who are fans of him and believe "he can do no wrong" meanwhile being completely ignorant of what he has done, and said claim "he is great for the Republic"...

Originally posted by badgerprints
What I'm trying to say is that Obama is like the king in that story about the invisible clothes. His yes men tell him he looks great. He even believes it but the rest of the world sees him falling on his face over simple things that shouldn't happen because he's not informed.

The people he keeps around him are harming his agenda because they aren't doing their jobs.

I think this much better describes Obama's predecessor on the job than himself!

Sure a few things now didn't go as well as we'd hoped, but there is at least a semblance of common sense.

What the big issue here?

I really don't get why the fuss.

Respect (even if over done) has nothing to do with power or with one is capable of.

Tigers are impressive but they can die just by touching a frog of the size of your thumb. So this whole relation between appearances and how things really are is just small talk for people that have nothing better to do.

Being pretentious is for people with small dicks. Besides the US once killed thousands of innocent people in Japan and became the first and only country in the world to drop a atomic bomb in another country.

So I applaud Obama for showing a bit of respect and leaving the cock measurement aside for a moment.