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The Power Of Debt
Japan's holdings of U.S. debt securities (1994): $196 billion.
It wasn't a bow, exactly. But Mr. Clinton came close. He inclined his head and shoulders forward, he pressed his hands together. It lasted no longer than a snapshot, but the image on the South Lawn was indelible: an obsequent President, and the Emperor of Japan.
- The New York Times, June 19, 1994.
Japan's holdings of U.S. debt securities (2008): $1.05 trillion.
After his speech, Obama had lunch with Japan's Emperor Akihito and his wife, Empress Michiko, bowing deeply as they welcomed him to the graceful grounds of the Imperial Palace in the heart of the bustling city.
- The New York Times, November 13, 2009.
Japan's holdings of U.S. debt securities (2014): $4.39 trillion.
After yesterday delivering a moving public apology in Japanese for U.S. aggression in the controversial "Pearl Harbor incident," Obama enjoyed the honor of driving Emperor Akhito and his second wife Empress Sayako (daughter of the late Empress Michiko), back to the Imperial Palace where he served them finger sandwiches and mint tea. The White House called the ceremony "standard protocol."
- The New York Times, July 5, 2014.
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LOL
Driving Miss Watanabe.
I keeps undah 30 on the side streets, Miss.
Is youse comfahtable or should we stop foh sum tea?
HA HA HA HA HA
+1000000000
And that's why we need a female President! To serve our debt owners finger sandwiches :)
This asswipe pres is a major embarrassment....save the bowing for your controllers in Chicago.
Although this is an attempt at humor, showing respect to other cultures seems fine to me. Making an issue of Obama showing respect to Asian leaders is something Fox News would do, and it disappoints me to see it on ZHedge...
Given the Emperor's total lack of political power, your use of the word "leader" here is somewhat suspect.
Given Obama's total lack of pragmatic power, I'd call it a wash.
Marla - don't forget history. This emperor's father was Hirohito. Are you familiar with Hirohito's forays into China in the 1930s? Kinda bloody history. This gesture may have been made as an affront or a veiled "reminder" to the Chinese. The bow can be translated as "Hey China, we have friends in your backyard."
Diplomatic gestures are thought out well in advance and are meant for a different audience, somethimes multiple audiences, with different intended meanings.
it is true these gestures are thought out in advance. The Office of the President represents the American people. our current president has now deeply bowed to a Saudi king and an Asian emperor. Do the American people bow to royalty?
No, the American people do not bow to royalty, the American people consume 25% of the world's resources and pay mostly for that on credit.
HuffPost is -----------------------------------------> that way ....
actually I think they'd be way over
<-------------------------------
that way
touche monsieur ... touche
lol
thought the bow meant we're all headed this way
:
:
:
V
And the proverbial CAK in the ARSE is headed this way...
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888 888
Leaving aside the fact that heads of state
rarely make very deferential gestures to each other - they meet as equals, after all - Obama's bow reached Borat levels of toe-curling cultural naievete.
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/11/on-president-obamas-bow-...
Obama constructed the emperor as Other - and *also* made a frabjous ass of himself.
Bowing is only a gesture of respect if BOTH parties participate.
One person bowing is a gesture of subservience. It's not something that Obama should be doing because he is the equal to any other head-of-state.
And now he's done it twice. It's despicable really, he might as well spit on the flag while he's at it.
:)))
hohoho, zing*
+1^1000
If the American ego is so fragile that it sees a bow as obsequious rather than simply acting polite in someone else’ home, then perhaps America needs to get taken down a notch or two. Though I am no fan of Obama, I find it refreshing that he understands the Asian concept of “face” and knows that showing such respect in no way diminishes the strength nor apparent confidence of the actor. Indeed, it enhances his ability to get done what he wants to get done, because in Japan, where style is far more important than substance, the gesture will go neither unnoticed nor unappreciated.
As for the comment about Akihito's second wife, Marla should be on the look out for black trucks with loudspeakers blaring, driven by men with punch-permed hair, carrying copies of the works of Yukio Mishima, and brandishing finely honed swords.
The post was not about the shamefulness of bowing to a foreign figurehead. It was about the shamefulness of the US's ever-increasing foreign debt.
Actually it's both. It's about shamefullness for bowing and having such a large debt to a foreign country. Start borrowing less and stop whining for a beginning.
Actually the message is both. It's about shamefullness for bowing and having such a large debt to a foreign country. Start borrowing less and stop whining for a beginning.
"taking America down a notch or two" will eventually comprise the core of the Obama legacy...
well if arrogance is the core paradigm of US FP, then i think you are in a shitload of trouble .... just saying, you know ... as an outsider .... humility does wonders when you need OTHER PEOPLE to buy your debt. And although i appreciate how Obama treats foreign dignitaries, his people in the WH protocol team should know that he does not need to bow to foreign rulers, because that is strictly reserved by those who are being ruled by them.
Jack Tapper has following from "an academic with expertise about the Japanese Empire, and in general a supporter of President Obama":
"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.
http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2009/11/on-president-obamas-bow-...
After the bow to the Saudi King, we were told by Axelrod, Gibbs and the rest of his administration that it wasn't a bow (he was just bending down to shake hands or some such nonsense). In light of his latest bow, I think it becomes clear that they were lying. I personally don't care if he bows or not. What concerns me are the lies, the enemies list, the special favors list... It's like being transported back to the Nixon era (as the article points out, he also bowed to the Emperor).
"Though I am no fan of Obama, I find it refreshing that he understands the Asian concept of “face” and knows that showing such respect in no way diminishes the strength nor apparent confidence of the actor."
WRONG! That comment shows a profound IGNORANCE of what happened. The Japanese are embarrassed over this. THEY do not see it as an act of being "nice".
If you are correct, please site sources. My own conversations with a certain element of the Japanese populace, particularly the far right (who control much of the country's wealth and are becoming more popular), welcomed the gesture and found it respectful rather than weak. Your sources may have a differing view.
On my own meeting with the Emperor---though I was hardly a Head of State---it was recommended to me by the Imperial Household Agency staff that such a gesture was the proper protocol.
The comment about Akihito's second wife is indicative of the cancer that has inflicted itself upon the west. An attempt to be funny perhaps, but disrespectful and reflective of immorality nonetheless.
What I've come to know as the "frat-boy" mentality.
But here in America bowing before someone does diminish the strength nor apparent confidence of the actor
Well put. Obama could change water to wine and a lot of people would bitch that they wanted beer. Knowing that, it's best just to ignore them. I have too many legitimate complaints about our political system to spend even one second worrying about a bow or a handshake.
There's a saying: small minds discuss people, average minds discuss events, great minds discuss ideas. Some never get past the small mind phase.
Now, having said that, I don't think the original post was necessarily aimed at Obama. It was odd that only Clinton and Obama were singled out, but nevertheless it was amusing. And it was just a joke.
Excellent extrapolation Marla!
sorry, duplicate
Whats wrong with respecting elderly statemen of other country ??
And when the debt gets to $10T is a blowjob involved?
What's that old saying in banking?
If you owe the bank $10,000 and you can't make your payments, you're in trouble. If you owe the bank $100,000,000 and you can't make your payments, the bank is in trouble.
It's a two way street when loans are made but Marla is spot on when she shows through sarcasm that at some point with regard to our ever increasing debt (a point we have passed in my view) we are no longer in control of our economic and foreign policy.
On the other hand, the puppet can pull on the strings hard enough to upset the puppeteer.
haha, haha ... Obama re-elected ... ha, ha ha, ha. Nice. What's next, inflation is coming?
awesome :D
ROTFL! Good stuff Marla.
a bow has nothing to do with defeat. just ask any samurai...
The overall it's funny enough.
But I think "Emperor Akhito and his second wife Empress Sayako (daughter of the late Empress Michiko)" is too much. After all, Sayoko is his daughter, isn't she?
A lot of folks have utterly missed the satirical point of the article. She is poking fun at how "respectful" the US is becoming towards our new masters who allow us to continue the massive ponzi scheme being perpetrated upon US Citizens. Soon I expect the US will completely disown Taiwan. I would be extremely concerned if I was Taiwan...
SPOT ON! Glad to see this being noticed outside of the right-wing circles. It's a travesty.
Polonius:
Neither a borrower nor a lender be,
For loan oft loses both itself and friend,
And borrowing dulls the edge of husbandry.
Hamlet Act 1, scene 3, 75–77
It wasn't a bow it's just that he has such a weak spine and it is attached so lightly at the hips that he spontaneously wobbles over. Especially when nervous and prior to large debt auctions.
MacArthur ran those islands with greater dominion than any recent emporer or past shogun. He may have met with less than a handful of Japanese while he was there--always intermediating. Japan had a mixture of fear and awe.
Today they will see the USA as silly and decadent, without concentrated power in the "great leader", but as a ship of fools pulled about by the nose by corrupt and inept cabal.
Japan being a very linear society, everyone has an innate sense of their position in regard to each other. Bowing is a salutation rife with content.
The superior haltingly and modestly leans forward to acknowledge an inferior.
The inferior bows from the waist lockneed, but as deep a bow Obama performed is so obsequious that it really conveys dependence upon the other party for protection and support.
No one bows that low with any dignity and self respect left.
So at what debt level will have Hillary give Hu Jintao a lap dance?
Queen Marla...I bow to you....;-)
Ritual bowing is comparable to shaking hands with the added benefit of reduced risk of the spread of disease or infection. People showing signs of respect and civility is refreshing.
WRONG !!!!!!!!
http://gojapan.about.com/cs/etiquetteinjapan/a/bowing.htm
From your source: "Most commonly, they greet each other by bowing instead of handshaking." Do you not find civility refreshing?
there's a fine line between being respectful and being obsequious.
LOL. Thanks for one more great post, Marla.
Bowing is ritually similar to shaking hands. In shaking hands you are demonstrating that you are unarmed. In bowing you are exposing your neck to the sword demonstrating fealty and trust to a master, lord or someone of deep respect. A light bow shows that you do not fully trust the person you are meeting.
Swisssssshhhhhhh.
Great stuff, Ms. Marla. (You can't see, I know, but I am bowing like 'Bama)
"MARK IT ZERO, DUDE"
Anyone remember Wayne's World? "We're not worthy."
HAHAHAH!!! Very nice Marla!!!:))
HAHAHAHAH!!!! Very nice Marla!!! I am bowing before you!!:))
Obama's bow was not reciprocated by the emperor. So much for a show of mutual respect.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FucbvoFFy0&feature=related
The biggest problem with bowing to Japan is the physical gesture
hard to get a handout when your palms are not exposed
Be grateful that American leaders only have to bow. Give it another two or three election cycles, and they'll be facing the other way, reaching down and grabbing their ankles:
http://www.zerohedge.com/article/power-debt#comment-132009
is that what they mean by turning the other cheek?
+1
Hey, don't forget this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnOnDatqENo
yeech.....I remember that. The old man had one too many octopus eyes for breakfast, I guess.
Did nobody teach y'all, when in a hole, stop digging? It is common sense to most folk.