The Ugly American Syndrome
Nov 15th, 2009 | 19 responses
The right-wing tsk tsk tskers are at it again. This time it is a deep bow of respect President Barack Obama offered when greeting Japanese emperor Akihito this weekend in Tokyo.
That bastion of conservatism, The Drudge Report, signaled its disgust by shouting in 42-pt. boldface headlines “How Low Can He Get?”
And, get this. Drudge uses as an example of diplomatic decorum none other than former Vice President Dick Cheney shaking hands with the emperor at the same residence in a 2007 file photo.
The Drudge article written by Andrew Malcolm didn’t stop Obama’s kissie pooh of royalty there. It reminded us of its outrage when our president had the gall to bow to the Saudi Arabia king earlier this year and Michelle Obama’s patting Queen Elizabeth on her back.
Oh, my gosh. Obama has denigrated our national dignity to the level of some third world country — say Somalia — the report would have us believe.
Let’s review. World opinion of the United States sunk to an all-time low during the cowboy diplomacy of George W. Bush and the ever-popular Mr. Cheney. Obama has spent a good part of his first year in office trying to restore our image after eight years of an administration that flipped the bird to our friends and foes alike.
I see Obama as showing respect to the other world leaders by recognizing their customs. That doesn’t diminish our role in international affairs. It enhances it. And, in the case of Japan and China, it’s not like he is giving away the key to our treasury. Hell, they already own it by acquiring our debt.
So what’s the problem? It’s what I call the Ugly American Syndrome. It’s the belief we are the greatest country on earth and if others don’t like it then stuff it. If others still resist, we will nuke them.
Now, it is only natural patriotism for any given country is a healthy thing. It is natural one wants to defend what he cherishes. The French are masters of that. Americans consider the French arrogant because they cling to the past, as Bush’s former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld observed.
Because fate delivered me born in the USA, I’m perfectly content and fortunate for all the perks it offers. Do I think we’re the greatest nation on earth? Not really, but I wouldn’t want to change places with any citizen in any other nation on the planet.
Unlike the rightists, I don’t need to thump my chest and claim I’m better than you, you poor slob living in the caves of Afghanistan. Look at the public opinion polls. The U.S. can’t make the Top Ten list in numerous categories, the most embarrassing one being education. We can’t spell without a computer spellcheck system. We can’t locate our states on our maps. We can’t do math without a calculator.
But, yes, we do one thing very well. We can knock the crap out of any nation at any time by pushing a red button.
It makes the discussion about how deep did our president bow so petty it stinks.
Author’s Note: The link to The Drudge Report referred to a Los Angeles Times story. I couldn’t find it on-line but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t there.
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19 Responses to “The Ugly American Syndrome”
Good post, Jerry. The hyperventilating on the right about this is just surreal. But I like it. Let Drudge and Fox and their angry snarling, insulting and sneering shrillness define “the right.” Suits me just fine.
There is nothing more embarrassing than an Ugly American Conservative. Comedic European television commercials depicting stereo type Americans will attest to that and unfortunately are quite accurate.
Big hat, big hair, big car and big mouth Ugly Americans….now with small wallets.
lol
When I compare Fox News to the National Enquirer as news outlets, someone here complains. How many examples do they need?
Hey, a first, I agree with the columnist, and all three commentators– How often does that happen? Yea I know it won't last long………….
The same people who are mad about this would be ticked if a Chinese guy left his cap on during the National Anthem at a ball game.
During my tour in Afghanistan I can't remember how many times I put my hand on m chest and “bowed” hwne meeting someone.
Right. Because, after all, all the other world leaders bow to the Emperor. And, you know, he bowed back and all. And the Japanese weren't amused or anything.
Thanks Mr Pres for creating an atmosphere in which the nutjobs can become apoplectic that you're being TOO polite and respectful. What a criticism! Oh why can't our president be more like other world leaders?
mwheinz, as I noted on the other post, I do encourage you and your allies to keep making a huge deal out of this. Really reflects well on your party…
“I think you'll find us quite civilized, Anjin-San.”
The custom of bowing in Japan has a rather different meaning than how some folks ignorant and uninterested in the customs and cultures of other countries seem to assume. Even the television anchors in Japan begin a news broadcast with a brief but respectful bow to the audience.
I've traveled a lot, and there are always some who leave their manners at home and carry about them a rather smug superior attitude, as if those they are visiting are so beneath them and need to be reminded of that fact. Once when I was visiting China, a few members of our group (who should have known better) groused about the quality of the coffee. Well gee, thinks I, complaining about such a trivial thing really demonstrates a profound loss of perspective. Enjoy the tea by the way, and next time just save yourself the expense and trouble and visit the Chinese Pavilion at Epcot Center.
This whole incident rather reminds me too of when Prez Bush (the 2nd) criticized David Gregory for speaking French — in France.
[...] Remmers at The Moderate Voice has a nice opinion piece regarding the obsessive coverage of Obama’s bow by the news media (particularly conservative outlets). Here’s an sample: I see Obama as [...]
Funny, I seem to recall the left going ballistic over Bush holding hands with the Saudi King (an Arab tradition).
But I must be wrong, since it's been clearly shown that only the right does such things…. right ?
I recall some of that too, Patrick. You have to admit, though, that with a “petroleocracy” administration (or was it an oilygarchy?) fighting a war for oil, after an attack financed and carried out mostly by Saudi nationals, that seemed just a tad more eyebrow-raising than is the case with Japan. There's no indication that Obama's policies “bow down” to Japan, nor that we have any need or desire to kowtow to them. I do not recall the holding hands thing, or the kiss, being the news of the day or week on national broadcasts. Still, point taken. Both sides can be silly and petty.
Anybody here want to accept testimony from an academic with “expertise about the Japanese empire, and in general a supporter of President Obama,” as reported by Jake Tapper of ABC?
“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.”
Not really Patrick. Small goofa's, but far from “balllistic”.
Uh no, not really. I for one mind my on business during such events. I came to watch the ball game, not pay $120 a ticket to listen to the national anthem.
Thats because we are weak. We beg for loans.
All that comes to my mind when I see the whiners complaining about Obama being polite and proper and promoting good American values is that they are being petty and small-minded.
Seriously — attacking the President for doing the right thing? Obama Derangement Syndrome, anyone?
Hope they keep up this nonsense – all this pot-shot silliness from the extremist fringe just serves to turn off Middle America.
That would be because most of the 911 hijackers came from SA and put that on top of the whole flying all of Bin Laden's family out of the country before they could be questioned and the fact that SA still supports schools worldwide that create terrorists. So after all of that Bush holding hands and playing kissy face with the leader of such a nation was taken badly(I did not care about the hand holding but I found the kisses to be a bit creepy). What exactly has Japan done since WWII that is equivalent to 911? Or to be more specific what terrorist groups has Japan openly supported while we ignore it because we need a resource they have a lot of? When did a bow become equivalent to kisses between two men in homophobic America????
” It’s what I call the Ugly American Syndrome.”
False interpretation. The “Ugly American” concept was always over-hyped, anyway, and misused afte r the 1960s by the Left as part of nihilistic and dishonest self-nation-loathing. There is also no excuse for continued Bush Derangement Syndrome (after a year of a new president, it's especially deranged and degenerate) and mentally ill excitement about “Bush atonement” or overreaction to Obama's looking good.
What we're encountering here, with the political commentary on the air waves and on line, is a current example of petty politics related to Obama's diplomatic conduct, his administration, and foreign (and domestic) policy. This was simply an excuse for cheap shots by critics and predictable cheap defensive counter-shots, as can be heard on Limbaugh's and Hartmann's radio shows this afternoon here in Detroit metro, for example).
“The last thing the Japanese want or need is a weak looking American president”
The bowing, I don't think should be grounds for condemnation on “overly submissive posture” terms or “stupid play-pen actors trying to make USA look nicey-nicey and atone for Evil Bush Era.”
Now what you say about weakness reminds me — didn't Obama sound conciliatory to China when addressing a Japanese audience? (One loyal-lap-dog media outlet, CNN, carried all his stuff live the past day or so, interrupting everything else.) Conciliation and defence toward China, when addressing a Japanese audience, if that was what happened, is not a smart or sensible thing for Obama to have done.
(What about, “China, why don't you stay out of Japanese territorial waters, on or below the surface”?)