Obama Bows To Some By Choice

If one looks over Obama's entire range of international interactions during his first year in office, there seems to be a pattern emerging, including to whom he does and doesn't bow. But it goes well beyond that, too.

While co-hosting Rob Port of Say Anything blog's radio show with him last night, I made the point that Obama knows precisely whom he chooses to bow to and whom he doesn't. You may recall that on about his first day in office Obama returned a famous bust of Winston Churchill to Britain. That was seen as something of an insult to Britain by many. He gave the British Prime Minister tapes of his own hopey changey speeches, which many saw as egotistical but was also a statement of sorts, saying, you aren't really so special, sport. Perhaps it's the message in his speeches he actually wanted the PM to get?

In the video below you'll find that for Obama there was no bow to the Queen of England. His wife even broke protocol by reaching out to give her a pat at some point, as I recall. Yet, he has bowed to a king in Saudi Arabia and now the Japanese emperor, despite the fact it isn't usually done. Not even Naval officers bow to an emperor and certainly Reagan never did.

Compare that to his international political rhetoric. Obama appears intent on teaching Western Civilization a lesson. You ain't so special, pals! Meanwhile, he's telling the rest of the mult-cultural world America and her democracy should be seen as nothing special to them. Obama may not be the genuis some have portrayed him to be but neither is he dumb. I believe Obama is well aware of the precise images he is creating as he interacts with the rest of the world as chief exec. And it matches perfectly with the apologetic rhetoric he reserves for some and the lectures he seems to want to deliver to others.

This is a man who, unlike most Americans, doesn't view Western Civilization as all that. And I believe he's going to do everything he can to change that impression when given the chance. From giving speeches to photo ops and bows, Obama's message is consistent. Get over yourself America, you're no better than any other country in this world or the third world when it comes right down to it. But then, he's a Leftist. What else should we expect?

Comments

[Joe]

I get he hates the British, but why love the Japanese? Perhaps he was just practicing his bowing for our Chinese Lending Overlords?

[Dan Riehl]

I think the answer has to do with race, more than anything else.

[Huey]

Nothing wrong with bowing in Japan. It's a handshake, generally.

But, a handshake which is fraught with MEANING. When you bow. (Just who is bowing and who is returning a bow...) How you bow. (The superior in society's ranks bows less deeply than a social inferior.)

The more I watch the Obama bowing video, the less I like it. Obama CLEARLY knows the meaning of how deeply one bows. Compare the depth of his bow to the Emperor and the Emperor's wife. (Wifey clearly understands the importance of the depth of Obama's bow as she's having difficulty keeping a straight face as Obama bends over more deeply than a Japanese peasant to his Emperor-God...)

But, then, he just keeps bobbing up and down for no sensible or cultural reason as if he's feeling out of his depth and his body just goes off on its own.

I can see the distinction between bowing to an English Monarch (after all, we have HISTORY with English Monarchs) and an EXCHANGE of bows with a Japanese Emperor in Japan, so I don't have a fundamental problem with Obama (or any President) bowing while in Japan -- so long as it's done in accordance with Japanese custom in which the FRAPPING PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES assumes the societal role of the superior, i.e., THEY bow to HIM and he RETURNS the bow (but less deeply as is fitting of his higher social status as the President of the most powerful nation in the history of the world...)

I'm not sure that Obama COULD be unaware of the significance of both the timing of his bow (he appears to have gone first) and the depth of his bow.

So, your post hits the nail on the head. Obama is attempting to fundamentally transform this nation in the "family of nations" from being the head of the family into but one among many equals.

Included in this transformation is the necessity to diminish American culture and that of Western Civilization in general. And, nothing Obama has done is inconsistent with that goal.

[Fred Beloit]

"Hey, Moma, I've always liked you. I'm going to send you an autographed photo of me leading the world."

[unseen]

We use to call people like Obama manchurian candidates

[Lonni]

One thing after another shows America that Obama does not have our best interests at heart in spite of his rhetoric but my questions are (1)why did he get voted into office in the first place if there aren't people who actually want this and (2)what is the bigger picture here? One man, even the President of the US, is not as powerful as given in all the publicity. He still has to submit to Congress before He can get anything done internationally. Czars and Executive orders won't work there. So, what is it about our society that has allowed this to happen? I think it is what I call the "strangle effect". With the financial situation out of control, the "war on terror" wrecking havoc with so many people without end and a general malaise leading us into the direction of "isolationism", I think Obama was/is the perfect foil to bring us into a socialist society in order to, at some point, submit our sovereignty to the UN and bring in the coming New World Order that his financiers have been working on for years and years. We are reaching a culmination point that will make America just one of the many instead of an outstanding and free Nation. Every bow and every submissive movement that Obama makes is telling the world that America is ready to be brought into the fold and be like France, Germany, Britain, etc....a harbinger of mediocrity and demise. I think, before it's all said and done, that middle America will rise up, even in arms if necessary, to protest this coming atrocity but that too will only empower those movers and shakers who are selling us out in that they will have the perfect excuse to call for martial law. Let us make all the use we can of our rights to free speech and free assembly because, I suspect, those rights will no longer be ours after the first serious backlash towards the Government from the American public. We only have one shot....lets make it work and peacefully. We are still a Nation of ideas and far stronger than baseless rhetoric...so far.

[mark l.]

if your country is dumb enough to buy american debt, you get the bow.

[David R. Graham]

"I think the answer has to do with race, more than anything else."

Roger.

Implications, deductions?

[Reaganite Republican]

He hates the British because Kenya was their colony- that's most of it IMO, regardless that his grandfather actually had it pretty good.

He probably grooves on the idea of an emperor, too- because he fancies himself one. But the Japanese attacked the western preeminence that Obama finds so unpalatable, and they did it 60 years ago... the only non-Caucasian nation to have any conquest of this scale against Europe and America.

I like and admire the Japanese... but not for the weird reasons that Obama would.

[mark l.]

"He probably grooves on the idea of an emperor, too- because he fancies himself one."

i tend to think he sees them as members of the long line of victims of "white folk".

[Bob]

Oh, you poor victimized white people. When will your suffering end? If someone's not dissing you for your Christian faith (ALL white people are Christian, right?), then they're dissing you for being a proud conservative, and if it's not that, then they hate you for your freedoms. And if it's not THAT, then they hate you because you have a good job and make a good living and pay your taxes. Oh, booh-hoo!!! It's soooo hard being a white Americannnnwaaaahhhhh. And Obama is so meannnnn. He hates white people too!!! He wants America to fail even though he and his family live here waaaahhhh. So just leave Carrie Prejean alone!!! Leave her ALONE!!!! Waaahhhhh.

Poor, poor, white conservatives . . .

[templar knight]

Bob, you must have had that nonsense ready for use, just waiting to spring it at the appropriate moment. As usual you screwed it up as it hardly fits the narrative. You're a moron.

[O!]

Bob, thank you for that additional helping of Journolist/Axelturf talking point spam.

2010.

[Bob]

"As usual you screwed it up as it hardly fits the narrative."

But that IS the lame wing nut narrative: that Obama -- even though he's half white himself -- supposedly hates white people and disdains American culture -- even though he's born and raised an American himself. Conservatives are at great pains to portray themselves as victims all of a sudden. We went from arrogant strutting around about how "we" were going to forcibly bring western values to the Middle East and beyond during the Bush administration, but then as soon as an Africa-American Democrat beat them in the election, all of a sudden it's the passion of the white Christian martyrs. The people who run the conservative movement play your dumb rube asses like a dime store banjo. People like you get so caught up in the phony rhetoric that you start wishing for fellow Americans and their families to be killed by terrorists just because you don't agree with their politics, don't you templar knight, you stupid pawn. You'd probably sell your soul for a pat on the head from Sarah Palin. What a putz.

[Old Trooper]

Hey Bob, are you a racist or a moron or both. Attempting to play the race card is your high water mark and incredibly assine to say the least. Mr. Soetero is not a Democrat. He is a Socialist and about as phony as your talking points. If your idea of Politics is character assassination and making an ass of yourself, you exceeded your goal. I am not Party affiliated because neither Party represents me or my values so I am not insulted by your rant here. You are the rube here and your comments make my point better than anything else.

[xerocky]

"even though he's born and raised an American himself."

Nope. He, by his own admission, was raised in Indonesia.

"We went from arrogant strutting around about how "we" were going to forcibly bring western values to the Middle East and beyond during the Bush administration,"

So, what are you saying Bob? That democracy is a bad idea?
You don't like Western values? You would rather see the middle east stay the way it was/is? You don't think much of those people do you?

"but then as soon as an Africa-American Democrat beat them in the election, all of a sudden it's the passion of the white Christian martyrs."

Read the Cairo speech. It's all there. He lied about the accomplishments of the Arabs so that he could play down the accomplishments of the West. Did you not hear that? Michelle was never proud of the United States before those morons voted for her husband.

In his books about himself, Obama admits that he gravitated toward the “Marxists…” when does he tell everyone about a)how he found Jesus, or b) how he found capitalism? When did he see the light Bob? I only bring up religion because he claimed to be a Christian just like people claim he’s not anti capitalist.

[joyMc]

Obama bowed to the Japanese emperor like a woman, shoulders slumped forward, facing downward. He did not even bow like a man of equal stature; subtle differences in the stance, facing the person to whom you bow and not as low. What an ass.

[david r]

I'll bet he bends over 90 degrees for Chavez.

[Elmo]

Nitpickers union/member 28432: "He gave the British Prime Minister tapes of his own hopey changey speeches ..."

I thought he gave the Queen an iPod, loaded with vids of his 'speeches'?

though I could be wrong ....

(Channeling Emily Litella))

[Anon]

There are millions of Americans who were brought up to feel guilty about their country and their heritage, today the evils of "white privilege" are taught in elementary schools.

Again, it has nothing to do with George W. Bush, but it has everything to do with the overall liberal viewpoint of the world...and that view as witnessed by dozens and dozens of laws and regulations is that the world of the Dead White Men was hateful and oppressive and nothing to be proud of...that is why we no longer teach the Western Cannon and why liberals have rewritten history so that the U.S. is not a country that was founded by white protestants overwhelmingly from England, it is the same relatavist mindset that would hold that the pyramids and the parthanon are not "better" than a tribal mask and a hut, only "different".

I absolutely believe Obama is someone who believes in this liberal tradition of denigrating the Dead White Men who founded this country and the traditions of Western civilization in general.

[templar knight]

Bob gets his tiresome and off-subject(we weren't talking about what white people think about Obama, nitwit) responces from the DNC website, and then spams them here when they don't even apply to comments on a particular thread.

Bob, really, you are like a tick one picks up when walking a path. If you aren't flushed down the toilet, you are an annoyance. I'm for flushing you, myself, but this is Dan's blog. He can do what he wants, but morons like you add nothing to the debate.

[joyMc]

Re: I'll bet he bends over 90 degrees for Chavez

Obama's bow was most likely a jelly donut moment for Obama in the eyes of the Japanese. Kennedy's booboo was rediculously funny to the people of Berlin. Obama,with his low female type bow; to the Japanese eye displayed himself looking subserviant, grovling, and of a lesser order than the emperor in Japanese body language.

[Mad Monica]

I just think it's pathetic how silly this man is. The Queen of England, our staunch ally for many decades, gets a crappy gift and a condescending pat on the back. The monarchs of avowed enemies past, present or future? They get bows, subservience and generally drooling.

It truly is sad and embarrassing. The Japanese are mortified on our behalf. You can see how taken aback both the emperor and his wife are by how big grins they wear. And some in the press are refraining from printing the photo at all. They don't want to make him look any weaker than he already is.

I'm sure we'll have to hear about Bush Sr.'s barf-torium when he was in Japan, but there's a big difference between succumbing to an illness and out and out amateurish behavior.

I mean, wasn't this guy supposed to be the smartest, most wonderfullest president evah? How in hell did we end up with a half-a$$ed Karate Kid reject? Mr. Miyagi would beat his arse!

[xerocky]

I think that the lesson is: if you don't know the proper way to bow, don't. Just shake his hand like everyone else does.

[Bob]

All you wing nuts are just whining about the "outrageous controversy" of the day. It's the usual insincere political melodrama -- manufactured by the Republican National Committee and distributed over their network of hacks like Riehl -- over some trivial or totally fabricated "issue." All wing nuts do is whine and ridicule because they have nothing substantive to talk about. You're like a clique of junior high school girls jealously snarking about some new kid who's more popular than they are. You're being treated like idiots and fools by your own side, and you fall for the B.S. every time. Why don't you find something serious to talk about, you shallow puff-heads.

[mark l.]

"You're like a clique of junior high school girls jealously snarking about some new kid who's more popular than they are."

so... does that kinda makes you a 'wannabe' for hanging around here?

[xerocky]

" -- over some trivial or totally fabricated "issue." "

How is it trivial? The way the president represents the United States is... his job. When Bush gave the odd back rub, there was Jon Stewart making fun of him. In fact Will Ferrell is STILL making fun of Bush.

[joyMc]

Bob must be the resident provocatuer around here. Or maybe just needs some prozac.

[O!]

Bob, thank you for that additional helping of Journolist/Axelturf talking point spam.

2010.

[Bob]

"How is it trivial? The way the president represents the United States is... his job. When Bush gave the odd back rub, there was Jon Stewart making fun of him."

The key word is "making fun." People may have joked about Bush, but I don't recall liberal commentators trying to make serious conclusions about U.S. foreign policy from Bush's shoulder massage of Angela Merkel. Whereas with Riehl and you clowns it's actually supposed to prove that Obama doesn't think too highly of western civilization because he bows or doesn't bow to various foreign dignitaries. The petty stupidity of it is almost beyond belief. Do you ever get embarrassed about yourselves? You should.

[templar knight]

xerocky, you must have not received the memo. No one is allowed to criticize xerxes, or draw any conclusions from his idiocy. I really don't know who is the most pathetic, Obama, or his lunatic cock-suckers like Bob.

[O!]

Bob, thank you for that additional helping of Journolist/Axelturf talking point spam.

2010.

[Bob]

"I really don't know who is the most pathetic, Obama, or his lunatic cock-suckers like Bob."

Way to show off your inability to formulate an intelligent response, templar lightweight. Don't you fools realize that these memes are manufactured and distributed on a daily basis so otherwise vapid wing nuts like you will have something to complain about?

[O!]

Bob, thank you for that additional helping of Journolist/Axelturf talking point spam.

2010.

[templar knight]

"...will have something to complain about?"

Let me tell you, boy, one doesn't have to do anything but wake up in the morning to find something this thug-in-chief has done that merits complaints. The fact that you are here on this blog running your mouth in an effort to deflect criticism from this charletan speaks volumes. Who pays your dumb ass to troll here? Most likely, you are a paid goof of the move.on subspecies of apes.

[xerocky]

"The key word is "making fun." People may have joked about Bush, but I don't recall liberal commentators trying to make serious conclusions about U.S. foreign policy from Bush's shoulder massage of Angela Merkel."

Bob, are you going to make me go back and dig up some lefty deranged Bush crazed nonsense? Do you have no memory?

[Elmo]

Wanna watch boobies brain explode (in realtime)?

All Dan's gotta do is lockout his IP, for a coupla hours. Then just look/watch at Google (we own the whole f*ckin earth), for the mini-shroom cloud. Easy peasy.

P.S. If anyone yanks my chain for even commenting on/about Bob. I'll just say someone stole me I.D. (no really).

[North Dallas Thirty]

"But that IS the lame wing nut narrative: that Obama -- even though he's half white himself -- supposedly hates white people and disdains American culture -- even though he's born and raised an American himself."

Why not? All of his fellow leftists do.

In line with their white self-loathing and their exaltation of Black Power, white babies were seen as “tainted with the original sin of ‘skin privilege’”, while one “Weathermother” was told as she breastfed her child that, “all white babies are pigs”, and that her baby should be put in the garbage (Gitlin, p. 400).

A particularly disturbing episode that illuminates the close link that operated amongst the Weathermen between sex, race and carefully cultivated white guilt was recounted in detail by a former casual girlfriend of Ayers. She claims he forced her to have sex with his black roommate after insisting that the only reason she wouldn’t do so was “because he was black—that I was a bigot. I had gone to school with black kids and had them as friends all my life. I couldn’t believe he was saying that to me”:

http://www.quadrant.org.au/magazine/issue/2009/3/obama-and-the-weathermen

In short, Obama surrounded himself with and worshiped at the feet of two kinds of people: racist blacks and self-loathing whites who insisted that all white people were evil racists.

He also claims his grandmother was a "typical white person", and in his own "autobiography" talks about his fascination with purging the white blood than runs through him.

[joyMc]

Dare I say it, I believe there are medical leaches available.