Obama bows to Japanese emperor

[Nebulous]

The way US President Barack Obama bowed before Japanese emperor has won millions of Japanese hearts as his respect looked genuine and real.



The gesture went largely unnoticed in Japan but has sparked intense debate in the United States about whether Obama had disgraced his country or not.



So what do you think? Controversy or not?

 

[Swish]

Why would he be disrespecting America?

 

[Nebulous]

Some say...

'Americans do not bow to foreign monarchs because that act signified the monarch's power over his subjects.'

and other things..



Anyways I think it was fine. Many leaders from different countries come here and are expected to behave like us and accept our customs so why is it so wrong for our leader to return the favor?

 

[Princess]

The deepness of the bow shows deep apology. I wouldn't have done it--but I don't think it's as big a deal as they are making it.

 

[Discord]

Why is this an issue?

 

[Discord]

Is that post supposed to be satirical? Because I found it hilarious.

 

[Discord]

You must be a jackass.



EDIT: Sorry, I meant republican. I often get them confused.



Also, I'm not a democrat.

 

[Nebulous]

No it isnt. Discord, behave yourself.

 

[Mr. Perfect]

ummm...discrace!



When anyone important enters a different country they are briefed on the cultures and things they could do to show that they are respecting the countrymen and their leaders...I know for a fact that Pres. Obama was given the same brief as the lame [butt] George Bush...The tree guy decided not too...



Obama is in no way disgracing his country. If anything he is giving us a better name to the Emperor. It shows respect to him power over his country. There is a saying, When in Rome, do as the Romans. We as americans don't have a way of showing our leaders respect like they do in other countries...I will the one to say it....WE AS AMERICANS HAVE NO RESPECT FOR OUR OWN LEADERS...WE ARE LAZY...!

that last smiley is the newspaper not the rules....i couldn't find an angry smiley that was screaming...lol...

 

[Whatif]

WE AS AMERICANS HAVE NO RESPECT FOR OUR OWN LEADERS...WE ARE LAZY...!

I believe there was once an Athens leader who got kicked out of the country because he told greece, you owe me one.





We don't owe obama anything. We elected him so he could do his job.

 

[Bobby]

The bow is this simple: It's the customary greeting in Japan, and it's an act of respect. Now, conservatives are saying that he shouldn't bow because it means that he is saying America is inferior to Japan, and that is not true. A bow, as I said, is only a greeting and way of showing respect in Japanese culture, in doing so Obama does not convey that America is inferior, he conveys that he and America respects Japan and the Emperor. Obama is not the first president to bow to a foreign leader either, both Nixon and Eisenhower (republicans) bowed to foreign leaders, so this isn't anything new. And who can forget George W. Bush holding hands and kissing the prince of Saudi Arabia.



Some conservatives in this country have gone nuts because when Obama is on foreign soil, and as a general policy, he respects the country and it's culture, and the conservatives feel that instead of being the kid on the schoolyard that likes to be nice and help out the other kids and the one that everyone likes the U.S. should be the one running around stealing kids lunch money and shoving their faces in the mud. I for one like it that my president respects other cultures and nations as well as their leaders, as that is how I am and how I would conduct myself, and I for one like it that my president is reversing the global PR damage that was caused by the Bush administration and their polices that made the rest of the world see us as unenlightened disrespectful war-mongering bullies.



This really isn't an issue if you ask me. I doubt the Japanese people made much of the emperor shaking hands with Obama.

 

[Sariki]

I think that american's are overreacting. We are just trying too keep good relations with other countries.

 

[Nebulous]

The bow is this simple: It's the customary greeting in Japan, and it's an act of respect. Now, conservatives are saying that he shouldn't bow because it means that he is saying America is inferior to Japan, and that is not true. A bow, as I said, is only a greeting and way of showing respect in Japanese culture, in doing so Obama does not convey that America is inferior, he conveys that he and America respects Japan and the Emperor. Obama is not the first president to bow to a foreign leader either, both Nixon and Eisenhower (republicans) bowed to foreign leaders, so this isn't anything new. And who can forget George W. Bush holding hands and kissing the prince of Saudi Arabia.



Some conservatives in this country have gone nuts because when Obama is on foreign soil, and as a general policy, he respects the country and it's culture, and the conservatives feel that instead of being the kid on the schoolyard that likes to be nice and help out the other kids and the one that everyone likes the U.S. should be the one running around stealing kids lunch money and shoving their faces in the mud. I for one like it that my president respects other cultures and nations as well as their leaders, as that is how I am and how I would conduct myself, and I for one like it that my president is reversing the global PR damage that was caused by the Bush administration and their polices that made the rest of the world see us as unenlightened disrespectful war-mongering bullies.



This really isn't an issue if you ask me. I doubt the Japanese people made much of the emperor shaking hands with Obama.

I agree! +1

 

[Princess]

I was watching the news last night, and they showed some footage of Richard Nixon (republican) visiting overseas and bowing to the Japanese Emperor. Guess what? The Democrats were ragging him something awful for bowing to a foreign leader..... I guess nothing ever changes.....

 

[Nebulous]

I was watching the news last night, and they showed some footage of Richard Nixon (republican) visiting overseas and bowing to the Japanese Emperor. Guess what? The Democrats were ragging him something awful for bowing to a foreign leader..... I guess nothing ever changes.....

Nice !

 

[Unknown]

The government thinks Obama disgraced out country proply because, he is our president bowing down to another countries president and think its disgracful, when he was only respecting them.

The Congress takes some little things way to far how it looks.

 

[Nebulous]

I dont think the government thinks Obama disgraced our country.. Its the citizens who think that. (well some of them)

 

[Unknown]

I also posted this on my forums, to see what my members think about it.

Anyway, I thought when I read the frist post you was talking about congress.