Doesn't bother me at all. I think the people whining about it need something better to do with their lives.

no...this whole superiority complex people have about the U.S. isn't such a great idea...

No more than it upsets me when a person holds food only in their right hand, or takes off their shoes before entering a building. When in Rome, man.

Isn't is just polite to bow in japan anyway?

On Tuesday 11/17/09 - 12:55:07 AM sleepydude wrote: Isn't is just polite to bow in japan anyway?

Yeah, this. I mean, bowing is like a hand-shake to them isn't it?

Kark sake, if you're going to criticize the prez, at least criticize important stuff like his policy.

No... I think it's a good thing to show respect to other world leaders.

It's simply a sign of respect. People used to do it in the olden days all the time.

This made me think of: "When I sit you shall sit, when I kneel you shall kneel, etc. etc. etc.!" haha

Obama bowing to the Japanese president/prime minister has nothing to do with being submissive to him as bowing implies in western cultures its simply being polite! thats what they do there, as someone else said its like shaking hands to us!

I think the American Right will just use any lame and pointless excuse to pick holes in him. It does nothing for their credibility.

no

On Tuesday 11/17/09 - 3:33:03 AM imagination wrote: I think the American Right will just use any lame and pointless excuse to pick holes in him. It does nothing for their credibility.

dingdingsdingdingd

So wait, they're criticizing Obama for being polite and for not trying to act like a stereotypical arrogant American?

Fail critics.

no i honestly dont give a sh*t .

no. hes just being polite, wats wrong w/ that?

More ridiculous right wing straw-grasping.
I didn't see any FAUX News pundits decrying their own when he conformed to foreign customs in the name of diplomacy.

"it's not appropriate for an American president to bow to a foreign one"
Some people really have issues with self-esteem ...

On Tuesday 11/17/09 - 8:18:47 AM Absynth wrote: More ridiculous right wing straw-grasping. I didn't see any FAUX News pundits decrying their own when he conformed to foreign customs in the name of diplomacy. [image] [image]

the second picture is photo-shopped, retard.

and no i think it's a greeting, almost like a handshake.

On Tuesday 11/17/09 - 3:33:03 AM imagination wrote: I think the American Right will just use any lame and pointless excuse to pick holes in him. It does nothing for their credibility.

oh come now..and the American left hasn't done anything radical or ridiculous?

^Sure they have, but they're not the ones creating THIS issue that we're talking about now.

To imply that it means he's being submissive... that doesn't even follow in Western culture. In the 18th century, when a man bowed to a lady before a dance, did it imply he was less powerful than her? She wasn't allowed out without a male escort and held no political power or ability to support herself financially... and he was somehow weaker than her just by showing good manners?

it's terrible, he shouldn't shake hands either- - just telling all leaders to f*ck off would clearly be the most appropriate strategy

On Tuesday 11/17/09 - 8:18:47 AM Absynth wrote: More ridiculous right wing straw-grasping. I didn't see any FAUX News pundits decrying their own when he conformed to foreign customs in the name of diplomacy. [image] [image]

He isn't conforming to foreign customs- - did you notice that Emperor Akihito is not bowing to Obama?

On Tuesday 11/17/09 - 8:31:50 AM Matthias wrote: "it's not appropriate for an American president to bow to a foreign one" Some people really have issues with self-esteem ...

It's not a matter of self esteem, it's about world leaders being on the same level and being viewed as equals.

Other world leaders don't bow to the Japanese emperor, so it's not appropriate for Obama to bow...

On Tuesday 11/17/09 - 1:08:04 PM CowDung wrote: It's not a matter of self esteem, it's about world leaders being on the same level and being viewed as equals. Other world leaders don't bow to the Japanese emperor, so it's not appropriate for Obama to bow...

a) The Japanese Tenno is far from being a world leader, factually he's not even the leader of Japan.
b) who says nobody else bows as a gesture of politeness and respect? Maybe other countries just don't make a fuzz about it?

It's pretty easy to find some pics on the internet of the Emperor meeting with other world leaders- - Obama seems to be the only one that bows...

This is ab obviously biased site, but they have a video of many people shaking hands with the Emperor and only one person bowing to him...

http://thomistic.blogspot.com/2009/...

Yes, because being polite is totally for pussies.

On Tuesday 11/17/09 - 1:56:38 PM CowDung wrote: It's pretty easy to find some pics on the internet of the Emperor meeting with other world leaders- - Obama seems to be the only one that bows...

I'm sure there's people who will spend hours to find you anything on the internet - even Obama NOT bowing. The question remains why some of you feel so butthurt about that gesture towards a basically irrelevant representative of a country you're not even in conflict with. It's not like he bowed to Ahmadinejad. He goes there as the leader of a world power and with that knowledge and the self-confidence of a man who does not *have to* bow to anybody he *chooses* the traditionally correct way to greet the emperor. Did he surrender? Did all the GI's in WWII die for nothing? Should you nuke Japan once again?