The messages we send - some you cannot defend. Kings and Emperors; now just garden variety Communist autocrats.
Beyond weak horse - straight to the international bottom.
14 minutes ago
Monday, April 12, 2010
Let's go get a drink
The messages we send - some you cannot defend. Kings and Emperors; now just garden variety Communist autocrats.
Beyond weak horse - straight to the international bottom.
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41 comments:
The picture from the slide show is even more startling. This guy is SO not ready for prime time.
<span>Lordy. I am certain many will scream that such doeesn't matter, that Obama's bows are a courtesy and perfectly in keeping with protocol.
Except they are wrong. It does matter. A great deal. Obama's actions are part and parcel of a US President whose first diplomatic effort was an apology tour. Our enemies smell blood in the water. They have taken his (and SecState's) measure and found them wanting. Our allies have done the same, with the same result. He is an empty suit whose understanding of international relations and security policy are those of a sign-holder at a campus peace protest. </span>
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He can't seems to show respect for those of his nation, calling them "troublesome." To those around the world who have been troublesome with more than words, hs shows either weakness, or bows before them.
And somehow, he can't understand who that offends.
<p><span>I wonder how many American warriors who fought in Korea and were there when the Red Chinese came over the border appreciate this “modern modified” protocol with the Red Chinese Communists? I wonder what General Douglas MacArthur would think about this conduct? </span></p>
Sal,
A pretty important summit, with some very potential & good outcomes (Chinese pressure in Iran) & you choose to focus on a bow?
Rather, choose to focus on a bow, again?
Harumph. I guess I shouldn't bother looking -- but I did & a quick google showed bows from other US Presidents (Nixon, Eisenhower, G W Bush) to various folks -- Chinese, Popes, etc.
Some clown will likely try to differentiate bows then -- "Oh, no, this bow is nothing like that bow"...
Geez Louis.
How about some talk about the summit issues -- and perhaps with some context?
I PITY THE FOOL!!
YOU SIR ARE THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA... ACT LIKE IT!
We are truly a Beggar nation... please sir can you spare a dime? WTF!
throw a bone out there, what important issue did Barry bring? I need more money so I can make the US like China? what is he bringing to the table? What?
Jay,
Leadership by example is NOT one of POTUS' positives. He represents US, and he is a rank amateur, an embarrasment at best, and he might as well be wearing a "kick me" sign taped to his back for all the good he's done for our nation's foreign policies.
AW1 Tim,
I'm going to go ahead and agree with Jay on this one. The summit is about sorting out serious issues, most notably the Iran deal that Jay pointed out, and getting the PRC on board in this regard is a big win.
Nevertheless, I take the point about the symbolism of the bow, but I suggest that keeping the nukes out of Iran is maybe worth the odd gesture of respect to folks in Beijing. The Chinese are hyper-sensitive to this kind of thing and have the tendency to fling off into nationalism whenever they think they are being pushed or neglected and will stonewall everything.
So my read here is that POTUS makes the bow to keep the rowdier elements of PRC leadership in their boxes, with the aim of playing the long game for big benefits.
A good leader will bow twice that if it gets him advantage in the negotiations.
I dont mind even Obama sleeping with Chinese leader if it would persuade them to drop their nukes and/or influence N.Korea to drop theirs.
Let me know how that works for us. His "leadership" has gotten us nothing wrt China, Russia and Iran. I'm also willing to bet the Czechs feel less than enthused as well.
E40,
I would recommend you review the cultural significance in the far east of the bow. Who bows first, who bows second - and even more important; what it means when one person bows and the other does not.
Where the hell was the protocol officer? The Chinese do NOT observe the same bowing tradition as the Japanese and the Koreans (who adopted it from the Japanese during the Japanese occupation). But you know...all asians are the same, right? (At least if you're an enlightened democrat)
Van,
true it this "summit" is important. all the more reason to negotiate with power. You dress for success in the political and business world.. why throw it away with a submissive bow? This man has no identity with the essence of being an American. He wouldnt last 2 hours in a POW camp.. I dont like the cut of his Jib at all.
This is simply disgraceful.
I don't know what y'all are complaining about. The Teleprompter Messiah is simply acknowledging the person who truly holds power over the good ol' USA...
Up at Ft. Meade, some of the guys used to wear shirts that say "We speak Mandarin so you don't have to." Not so sure that's going to be true in another 10-20 years.
On days like this I miss Ronald Reagan. I really, REALLY miss him.
DB, I've missed him since 1994.... And do you ever think that if old Ronnie Raygun had been alive in 2001, that Osama might have thought twice about those airliners?
<span>ewok40K wrote: "A good leader will bow twice that if it gets him advantage in the negotiations"</span>
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<span>Perhaps this is acceptable in Europe and amongst the "enlightened global citizen" types, but it is absolutely abhorrent to the majority of Americans. You talk of negotiations, and I will agree that diplomacy is right and proper...BUT, you negotiate from a position of strength and never compromise your honor. You may fall on your knees before God, but NEVER bow down before another man.</span>
<span>WAAAAAYYYYY off topic, but it looks like our BGen McSoulpatch, hero of the Battle of Greenwich Village, might just have himself a roommate!
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Busted link, URR... would love to see his new "apartment".
<span><span>ActusRhesus</span><span></span><img></img></span> is totally right. Check it: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bowing#Bowing_in_Mainland_China_and_Taiwan
"However, in modern <span>Chinese</span> societies, bowing is not as formalized as in <span>Japan</span> and <span>Korea</span>. Bowing is normally reserved for occasions such as marriage ceremonies<sup></sup><span><span>[</span>1<span>]</span></span> and as a gesture of respect for the deceased<sup></sup><span><span>[</span>2<span>]</span></span>....As in Japan and Korea, public figures may bow formally to apologise."
Obama isn't cultured. He just thinks he is.
He should have just given the guy a back rub.
No, but Al Gore might have read the damn intelligence warnings and stopped the attacks.
He needs to stop doing that. Or, he needs to bow to American citizens FIRST. Not metaphorically, litterally. You honor a foreigner that way, honor your countrymen the same!
Look! A troll! I saw it first! STOMP!
Can't seem to get the links fixed. Sorry 'bout that! The roommate is some dude who claimed to be a Navy CDR and raising money for the "troops" and pocketing the stuff.
Oooh.... it's getting bad. WaPo has turned on him in a big way.
The press made him, now they're reaping what they sowed.
I'm not sure that VX's implication of "let's get drunk" isn't more appropriate.
<span>The WSJ had a piece a few years ago (OK, many years ago). The basic thrust was that the problem with the R party is Ronald Reagan - You get one of those a century, maybe. It's the same issue with FDR and the Ds. As attractive as it is, one can't live in (or on) the past.
I really do miss him though. I remember listening to the AFN shortwave feed (we were living as expats in Germany) the night he spoke at the Convention when Ford won the nomination - he talked about driving down the coast with the Santa Ynez mountains to the left, and about hope and change (to coin a phrase).
I took the day off work to go up to the library when he was laying in state. I get choked up thinking of the scene - the right lanes of the freeway, stopped as far as the horizon in both directions, everyone waiting to park and take the bus up to pay their respects. And the young people! Hords of them, who could not have been old enough to remember him when he was in office.</span>
http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/04/13/obama-goes-dancing-with-the-heads-of-state/?hp
Our CINC must be gay. Every time he meets another man, he immediately grabs their hand and lowers his face towards their crotch. Don't ask don't tell.
I was overseas when he passed. There were older Marines crying openly. He was the greatest of our time.
Just a teensy little note, Jay: the Chinese place a tremedous value on "face." The President of the United States bowed the leader of China.
In other words, he approached the leader of China as a supplicant, not an equal.
Summit issues? Very simple: The Chinese will take what they want, and grant what will cost them little or nothing. Both China and Russia have been pushing their forms of realpolitik. They see international negotiations as manuevering for advantage, while President Barry sees them as a way for everyone to get along better...
In case you haven't been paying attention, both countries have been pushing nationalistic, economically advantageous policies for years now. One of Dubya's foreign policy failures, after his "I saw into his eyes" quote.
True, sir! The president is the leader of a Republic, and bows to no man! Or woman, for that matter...
Save that crap for the class-conscious Euros.
Translation:
A good leader will bend over and ... take one for the team ... if he gets paid well enough.
I don't mind [anyone] sleeping with the enemy if it would persuade them to do something they have no intention to do anyway.
"Sure, honey, I'll still respect you in the morning..."
<span><span>"You may fall on your knees before God, but NEVER bow down before another man.</span></span><span><span></span></span><span><span>"</span></span>
<span><span> True, that!</span></span>
The Euros have been bending over for the rest of the world for sixty years now, so I suppose they're ... acclimated to the sensation.
P.S. Could we please get a blockquote addition to the menu? Pleeeze? :)
Nope. bin Laden was on a mission from God.
Well, at least we now have a way to measure Obama's international toadying.
All things come to those who wait.
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University College London，UCL
Conceit is the quicksand of success.
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