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The Hidden ‘Arrogance’ Behind Obama’s Royal Bow: Global Geographic Times, China
Nov 20th, 2009 | 5 responses
What is the significance of President Obama’s habit of bowing to foreign royalty? Continuing with our coverage of China’s reaction to president Obama’s Asia tour, Diguo Zhunjiang for China’s state-controlled Global Geographic Times asserts that while this results in a great loss of face for the United States, he warns his readers not to be lulled into a sense of complacency by Obama’s apparent shows of respect.
For China’s Global Geographic Times, Diguo Zhunjiang writes in part:
“I regard this as a performance. If we say that his bow upon meeting the Saudi king was a genuine expression of traditional royal awe by the newly-elected Obama, then we can also say that this time, his bow was a way of getting back at domestic critics. His intentions are quite obvious: he wants a change from the cowboy-style arrogance of his predecessor Bush in order to re-establish the United States as a model of civility, but on a deeper level, repair the damage that the Iraq and Afghanistan wars have done to America’s image.
“Regardless of how humble it is in appearance, arrogant strategic thinking is in America’s bones and will continue to be so. So we shouldn’t place any hope in this false smile that has been grafted onto the United States. Rather, we should be more vigilant.”
By Diguo Zhunjiang
Translated By Mark Klingman
November 15, 2009
People’s Republic of China – Global Geographic Times – Original Article (China)
While in Tokyo, at noon on November 14, U.S. President Barack Obama met the Japanese emperor and empress at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. Upon meeting him at the door of the royal residence, the tall Mr. Obama made an almost 90-degree bow and shook the Emperor’s hand. Obama stopped just shy of a deep bow, and shook hands warmly with the emperor and empress, saying, “it’s really an honor to meet you, your majesty.”
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5 Responses to “The Hidden ‘Arrogance’ Behind Obama’s Royal Bow: Global Geographic Times, China”
Wonder how poor Robert Gibbs will try to spin this after all the lies he told about Obama bowing to the Saudi prince.
I'm sorry.
I do not regard this as a “bow to royalty”. President Obama is bowing as a sign of greeting as those in China do daily. It is the equivalent of our handshake, or the Russian embrace and kiss.
Now, the occurance in Saudi Arabia was wrong. And I said so then.
But this one is a statesman showing national courtesy and cultural awareness.
President Obama should not be chastised for this.
Bowing is the customary greeting in many countries.We may have different views on Obama's economic and foreign policy.But this should not make us biased.
melasma
I thought it's standard protocol. If he broke some arcane rules, I don't believe it's any big deal. Isn't the bitter kind of attack on him here similar to cheap shots about how he and Michelle looked with the UK's royal family? (I thought they looked awfully good, in fact.) And deference to China, demeaning the USA, may or may not be at issue (“repairing the US's reputation and wanting to look nicer and more appealing, which is to say, appeasing, toward our critics and adversaries,” is fit only for stereotypical Euro-trash Bush-haters and the fringe counterpart here in the States — it doesn't merit serious attention). Obama was described overall as resembling a dutiful, deferential, compliant Chinese provincial official toward Beijing (the far lefty equivalent of how governors “ought” to relate to Washington, DC, here in the States), but bear in mind that ObamaCo's spending and debt is at record levels, and we have to be nice to China so it will continue to buy our debt and our dollars (keeping them from plummeting in value, at least before any resort to big-time inflation here at home sometime later).
“poor Robert Gibbs”
I have to say, he's worse than Joe Lockhart and Ari Fleisher, two notorious weasels of yesteryear.
Part of the problem is just what Gibbs often has to try to defend this year. It could get worse, still.
And having other performers joining him like Axelrod (“uh, uh” [BS], “uh, uh”) doesn't help at all.