OK. We’re all familiar with the big waiter’s bow he gave to the Japanese Emperor…
But, did you notice the 6 other bows he made to the emperor and his wife?
Here’s the video:
Count em.
Japanese store clerks greet customers to the store.
Here’s a visual of heads of state bowing to Hirohito.
November 14th, 2009 | 4:50 pm | #1
I would definitely describe that as a grovel more so than a bow. And BrackO is getting damned good at it, don’t you think?
November 14th, 2009 | 4:57 pm | #2
Obama is an amazingly self-defeating combination: He’s a smug, arrogant, vicious jerk on a personal level, but he’s weak, spineless, apologetic, and groveling when representing the U.S.
You couldn’t adopt a better approach if your plan was to alienate the largest possible number of voters and do horrific damage to your own political party.
November 14th, 2009 | 5:02 pm | #3
So what was all that talk of “the Greatest Generation” several years ago?
This group has thrown all that the Greatest Generation fought and suffered for overboard in an effort to gain more power. They still hate their parents.
November 14th, 2009 | 5:03 pm | #4
What is the matter with the man? He runs all over the place making campaign speeches,(with his two teleprompters), doesn’t seem to understand at all how to deal with other heads of state and all in all, is an embarrassment. Just buffoonish!
November 14th, 2009 | 5:04 pm | #5
My turn to get completely offensive, politically incorrect and over the line………
The TV commentator wanted to say:
Ahh so, Boy Plesident…. You make velly goodry bow to honolabre Plime Ministel in selvice.
I wirr tlansrate fol you…… Oul Plime Ministel said, “Now wirr oldel dinnel…. Two flom corumn A and one flom corumn B. You go now for food.”
———–
OK, admit it…. You laughed….. even if just a little.
I plead guilty as charged due to stress – and I can’t get to the range this weekend.
;-)
Cheers !
Kenny
November 14th, 2009 | 5:16 pm | #6
http://news.aol.com/article/obama-plans-to-talk-about-arms-control/76637 SINGAPORE (Nov. 14) — A major pact within tantalizing reach, President Barack Obama aims to nudge forward an arms-control deal in talks with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. He then went ‘HOME’ to Indonesia.. And the climate change Agenda 21 is on track He is, afterall, a Nobel Peace Prize winner so we knew there was a reason for that honor .. Does this explain the Nobel Prize,i;e a favor to be redeemed The leaders at the APEC forum also planned an informal breakfast meeting, organized by Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Mexican President Felipe Calderon, to discuss the progress of negotiations on a climate change agreement. The prime minister of Denmark, Lars Loekke Rasmussen, the chairman of next month’s U.N. climate conference in Copenhagen, was expected to attend.
November 14th, 2009 | 5:21 pm | #7
There is never Peace, just ‘down times’ between skirmishes or wars. But BO is really going to disarm us. See Above. The only time our Modern world will be without Nukes is when we, or they, light them off at once…
November 14th, 2009 | 5:28 pm | #8
A Military Historian asks this …..what we will give up whilst BO is on his Asian Tour? Looks like a lot. He visited Indonesia…..will give up our Nukes …. Bows to Saudi then to the puppet of Japan…. what do our WW II Vets think of his bow to the son of the Emperor of Japan
November 14th, 2009 | 5:29 pm | #9
The Won just beclowned himself. Is DoS not there to correct him and brief him or does he just not listen to them? The proper thing is to give a slight head nod as he is the ‘Honored Guest’. His deep bow(s) will be perceived as mocking or gratuitous. You could see the fleeting pained look on the Emperess’ face. There is lot of nuance there for anyone schooled at all in Japan and their customs. He was not in any way correct.
November 14th, 2009 | 5:38 pm | #10
Charlie Chan would say”Oblamoa u an ahhhssssole”
November 14th, 2009 | 5:42 pm | #11
Owe-bama is weak internationally, and a thug at home. It all adds up: Destroy the United States of America.
November 14th, 2009 | 5:49 pm | #12
Matel can make big bank by producing a plastic doll in the image of Bozo so that when wound up, it will repeatedly bow and spitout: “USA is sooo sorry.”
November 14th, 2009 | 5:59 pm | #13
The bowing comes from 20 yrs of indoctrination at the hands of rev. wright and good friends like van jones.
November 14th, 2009 | 6:06 pm | #14
Don’t forget Harvard and Columbia.
November 14th, 2009 | 6:10 pm | #15
Pres-ah-dent-in’ iz hard.
November 14th, 2009 | 6:20 pm | #16
Was he apologizing as he was bowing?
November 14th, 2009 | 6:28 pm | #17
May be he was warming up for the felatio…
November 14th, 2009 | 6:28 pm | #18
Please, oh please, oh please, oh please tell me the impeachment is in the works.
And just in case you weren’t sure before…the United States for the first time in its history DOES NOT HAVE A SITTING PRESIDENT. He is way to busy staring at his awesomeness in the mirror and attacking people who don’t worship him to bother doing his job.
November 14th, 2009 | 6:35 pm | #19
I’m sure chris matthews will spend a week criticizing obama over bowing to the relative of hirohito and spitting in the face of every World War 2 vet. Its gonna happen any day now…..any day now….. any day now…..(sound of crickets)
November 14th, 2009 | 6:38 pm | #20
God bless you President George W. Bush, the greatest president in american history. Boy, do I miss you now.
November 14th, 2009 | 6:41 pm | #21
What an idiot. He is not intellectual. He is a buffoon.
November 14th, 2009 | 6:43 pm | #22
Quote of the day from the one and only Pamela Geller of Atlas Shrugs regarding our Dictator In Training Pants bowing………..
“You tilt your head, you don’t lick their shoes, a$$hat.”
November 14th, 2009 | 6:43 pm | #23
Can’t we get a Democrat who actually loves America more than that?
Or is he just that unsophisticated?
November 14th, 2009 | 6:58 pm | #24
Some in Japan have asserted that what is being demanded is that the Japanese Prime Minister or the Emperor perform dogeza, in which an individual kneels and bows his head to the ground—a high form of apology in East Asian societies that Japan appears unwilling to do.[84] Some point to an act by West German Chancellor Willy Brandt, who knelt at a monument to the Jewish victims of the Warsaw Ghetto, in 1970, as an example of a powerful and effective act of apology and reconciliation similar to dogeza, although not everyone agrees.[85]
Citing Brandt’s action as an example, John Borneman, associate professor of anthropology at Cornell,[86] states that, “an apology represents a non-material or purely symbolic exchange whereby the wrongdoer voluntarily lowers his own status as a person.” Borneman further states that once this type of apology is given, the injured party must forgive and seek reconciliation, or else the apology won’t have any effect. The injured party may reject the apology for several reasons, one of which is to prevent reconciliation, because, “By keeping the memory of the wound alive, refusals prevent an affirmation of mutual humanity by instrumentalizing the power embedded in the status of a permanent victim.”[87]
November 14th, 2009 | 7:01 pm | #25
[...] http://gatewaypundit.firstthings.com/2009/11/the-video-obama-gives-waiters-bow-to-japanese-emperor/ [...]
November 14th, 2009 | 7:11 pm | #26
Soros just got the puppet strings tangled.
November 14th, 2009 | 7:31 pm | #27
O-Bow-Now hates the United States. He has to. Nobody could do the stuff that he is doing by accident. The 1st Pacific president..? hey idiot, how about trying to be the President of The United States instead. This guy is going to get us all killed.
November 14th, 2009 | 7:44 pm | #28
First, let me say I’m no fan of Obama’s–I think his economic policies and leanings to the left are doing a lot of harm to the country. The sooner he’s out of office, the better I’ll feel.
That being said, and having lived for nine years in Japan myself, bowing in Japan does not equal obsequiousness. It’s just plain manners. Case in point, in Catholic churches there (yes, there are some), when it comes time to do the “kiss of peace,” people bow, not shake hands.
Now, I’m not sure what the protocol is for heads of state–what W., Clinton, GHWB, etc. did, what Sarkozy, Hu or Putin do, but let’s cut BHO a little slack. Conservatives are above all fair, right?
Maybe you can argue that he’s a little too eager to please and makes himself ridiculous with an over-eager adoption of the customs of whatever place he goes to. Maybe he should think more about the traditions of his own country, and what bowing means to the average Joe back here, but if he can win the good will of the Japanese people by a traditional sign of respect to a politically powerless, nice older couple, it’s fine with me.
November 14th, 2009 | 7:57 pm | #29
http://hotairpundit.blogspot.com/2009/11/president-obama-vs-rest-of-world.html
Since you asked John, protocol for head’s of state.
Over 200 years of tradition, American presidents have bowed to no other head’s of states.
Obama has so far bowed to two.
November 14th, 2009 | 8:01 pm | #30
This “bow” here will definitely make it into the “guinness book of records” bowing section. He’s already in there for the Saudi Bow, which was a “most excellent” bow and worthy of being in the records book.
With Michelle “fist bumping” and “groping” of the queen of England. They both have reach a new standard of American behavior.
November 14th, 2009 | 8:09 pm | #31
And John, please let the record show, they did not bow to each other.
Obama bowed to the emperor.
The emperor did not bow.
November 14th, 2009 | 8:17 pm | #32
BOW……WOW.
November 14th, 2009 | 8:23 pm | #33
I hate to think what he would do if he met Kim Jong-Il
November 14th, 2009 | 8:27 pm | #34
TaSS
November 14th, 2009 | 7:57 pm | #29
Obama has so far bowed to two.
Three. He bowed to Putin – but not as deeply as the other two times.
November 14th, 2009 | 8:30 pm | #35
Obama is accustomed to bowing from being in Indonesia…it’s just that everyone else was behind him at the time.
November 14th, 2009 | 8:46 pm | #36
Ok Solaratov, I stand corrected. He has bowed to three world leaders.
Now for a tougher question, how many countries has he apologized to?
November 14th, 2009 | 8:49 pm | #37
Looks like SOBama was going to give the emperor a happy ending.
November 14th, 2009 | 8:55 pm | #38
This is tough – on the one hand, considering he is a pitiful, Marxist, idealogue empty suit, it is appropriate for him to kiss the emperor’s boots – on the other hand he represents the President of the United States of America and should bow to none. On the whole it is probably an impeachable offense – start the proceedings soon please.
November 14th, 2009 | 9:00 pm | #39
John Ziemba
November 14th, 2009 | 7:44 pm | #28
That being said, and having lived for nine years in Japan myself, bowing in Japan does not equal obsequiousness.
Yes, it does. The angle at which you bow is absolutely a demonstration of your position in the social hierarchy. You bow lower to your superiors. It’s as simple as that.
Very low bows like this are also a demonstration of repentance. Disgraced CEOs bow like this to their stockholders. Convicted criminals bow like this to their victims. A very low bow is also a demonstration of deep gratitude. You would bow like this to someone who rescued your child from a fire, for example.
In Japan, this will absolutely be seen as a sign of groveling to the emperor. No question about it.
November 14th, 2009 | 9:13 pm | #40
Here’s a good article about Japanese bowing:
The ojigi (oh-jee-ghee) or “bow” is the most visible manifestation of Japan’s traditional etiquette. It is used for both greetings and farewells, when expressing appreciation or thanks, when apologizing, when asking an important favour – and when requesting any kind of action from a government bureaucrat.
The occasion and the parties involved in an ojigi determine the kind of bow that is appropriate. The lower the bow the longer one holds the position, the stronger is the indication of respect, gratitude, sincerity, obeisance, humility, or contriteness.
http://www.apmforum.com/columns/boye29.htm
Obama performed the deepest bow possible without actually crouching on the floor. What he did was demonstrate self-contempt. He did so in his capacity as president of the U.S., thus displaying his contempt for the U.S., not himself personally.
November 14th, 2009 | 9:15 pm | #41
Once again, for all those trying to make excuses:
the POTUS is an equal “head of state” to any prince, king, queen or emperor. He doesn’t bow. He may nod his head in return, but Obama does everything but get on his knees and grovel.
After seeing his actions toward the Empress, I think it more than fitting to refer to Barak Hussein Obama as President O-Bobble-head.
November 14th, 2009 | 10:09 pm | #42
The japanese store clerks should be ashamed at there halfhearted attempt at bowing. Maybe Obama needs to give them proper instruction on how it’s done.
How embarassing it must be to the Japanese that a foreigner (Obama) can outbow even a seasoned Japanese. What is the world comming to.
You have to give obama credit for his excellent bowing skills.
November 14th, 2009 | 10:17 pm | #43
Not one of these comments made me laugh.
You guys need to take a comedy course or something.
Lame.
November 14th, 2009 | 10:44 pm | #44
Hey Commie “Better Dead Then Red”.
From Psalms 109:8
Let his days be few;and let another take his office.
November 14th, 2009 | 10:48 pm | #45
[...] Jim Hoft says its just too familiar. [...]
November 14th, 2009 | 10:58 pm | #46
OnlyCommunismCanEndRacism
November 14th, 2009 | 10:17 pm | #43
Commies have no sense of humor so why waste talent. At least we know you can grovel like your boy president and that makes me laugh for one.
November 14th, 2009 | 11:18 pm | #47
[...] And Obama not only deep-bowed once to the Emperor, but bowed his head at least six times to both the Emperor and his wife. It almost appeared as if Obama had a nervous tic and the Emperor’s wife had an expression of “WTH? Watch the Video (H/T: Gateway Pundit) [...]
November 14th, 2009 | 11:22 pm | #48
Expect a kowtow to the heirs of Mao.
But what is wrong with the judgment of this fool? He shows disrespect for the Queen and Prime Minister of our closest ally, yet abases himself to the Saud and the Son of Sungod. Bad instincts, bad advice or mental disconnect?
November 14th, 2009 | 11:39 pm | #49
TaSS makes good points. But I wonder, does the Japanese Emperor bow to ANYone? It may just be a ceremonial impossibility. I don’t know.
And of course, Hypogean is right about the angles. You’ll often see two businessmen trying to outbow each other to show greater respect. As in, “Thank you.” “No, thank YOU!” etc. etc.
But in Japan, the lowest bow you make is categorically one you’d make to the Emperor. And the mini-bows to the Empress? Come on. Actually, I’m surprised the feminists haven’t been going after BHO for his sexism.
Again, the low bow doesn’t bother me. I really don’t think the Japanese are going to interpret this as a major concession. I’ll ask some of my Japanese friends what they think of it. But if it is true that he’s the first bowing POTUS, I guess THAT bothers me a little bit. That would mean he’s making a statement. And I wouldn’t worry about him bowing to the Norks.
It’s the Chinese that’ll probably have him doing the aforementioned dogeza and leaving dings in the floorboards with his forehead, what with all the devaluating dollars they hold, along with the threat of not loaning us anymore. Now THAT’s something to get upset about!
November 14th, 2009 | 11:45 pm | #50
“Communism”: Apparently, the memo admitting that communism has killed more than 100 million innocent people in the 20th century and failed miserably missed you. Contact Josef Stalin so he can update you email address: jstalin@7thcircleofhell.org
November 14th, 2009 | 11:47 pm | #51
Oh, one more thing.
For those of you who wish to brush up on the niceties of Japanese bowing for apology, check out this youtube clip. Obama will no doubt want to keep this handy for the future.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxEmMkx-BSA
November 15th, 2009 | 12:14 am | #52
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Flo Johnson, Right. Right said: {gatewaypundit} The Video: Did Obama Just Bow 7 Times to Japanese Emperor? http://bit.ly/4DYAba [...]
November 15th, 2009 | 12:54 am | #53
On Veteran’s Day didn’t Obama fail to salute our Soldiers? Now he bows to the Japanese–there’s beginning to be a pattern here. If there are any normal Dems left in the Senate could they stop giving Obama all this money to fritter away PULEEEEEEEZE!!!
November 15th, 2009 | 1:10 am | #54
Obama has signaled his new Foreign Policy– The United States bows to everyone in an effort not to appear superior. We have been the most generous nation on earth, we saved Europe from itself in 2 wars and now Obama grovel’s to all — I need a barf bag.
November 15th, 2009 | 1:15 am | #55
Sandy, bowing itself is not the problem. Japanese traditionally don’t shake hands. Got a problem with the Japanese? Japan under the LPD was one of the few countries that stood with the US in Iraq, while the rest just whined. Now with the DPJ in charge they’re even going to end the MSDF refuelling mission for A-stan. Instead the Japanese version of Obama, Hatoyama, wants to send ground units into A-stan.
Obama’s bow was completely wrong. Again. That’s the pattern. He doesn’t give a damn.
Even for the emperor the bow is too low. Far too low. And not properly executed anyway.
I want to know who his advisors were for this trip. Because apparently they have no idea what they’re instructing him about.
The Japanese emperor does bow to people. He’s always seen returning the bows, always. Well, he has manners. Unlike Obama.
November 15th, 2009 | 1:20 am | #56
And actually Sandy, the US saved Europe in one war and in one cold war.
The whole myth spread by the former Entente about WW1 being about “freedom”? Bulls**t. WW1 had nothing to do with freedom. The UK was the biggest empire on Earth back then oppressing millions of other peoples. WW1 was simply a domino war. One country declared war on another, thanks to “the fellow named Archy Duke who shot an Ostrich because he was hungry” (thank you Baldric), and then the treaty system kicked in. Everyone and his grandmother declared war. But freedom? Liberty? Give me a break. That played no role. Which empire was worse? The British, holding more than a quater of the glole? Or the German, with a small sausage factory in Tansania?
November 15th, 2009 | 1:21 am | #57
Globe, not glole.
November 15th, 2009 | 3:57 am | #58
As I’ve repeatedly said – One cannot make a silk purse out of a sows ear.
November 15th, 2009 | 6:26 am | #59
[...] Did Obama Just Bow 7 Times To Japanese Emperor? (Video) [...]
November 15th, 2009 | 6:36 am | #60
DontTreadOnMe:
Actually, ‘communism’ has the right of it.
Everyone is equal when they are 6 feet under.
November 15th, 2009 | 6:59 am | #61
Guess Obama missed the chapter from the Muslim protocol handbook where it says Muslims must not bow before elders or rulers; one only bows before God.
This is not going to go over too well with his Muslim friends.
November 15th, 2009 | 8:28 am | #62
Keep bending a tree in half to whichever way the wind blows, it will eventually snap and break and wither away to be no more a tree.
Like what Obama is doing, yes?
So much for respect for the presidential office of America.
And to top the cake…he and Holder are landing terrorists in America to be citizens just like US with all the rights in American courts that you have. Wow, talk about bringing all the filth of the world into our gateways. Oh great idea! We can watch it happen just like the OJ trial!
Sure…justice. Yeah right…I believe this is no more than Holder (the man who WOULDNT prosecute Black Panthers harrassing voters to vote for Obama) and Obama attempt to put Bush and American protectors on trial. Thats all. I dont believe for a second this has ANYTHING to do with finding justice against the terrorists who did 9-11. They are nothing more than a ‘prop’ for the bigger fish in Bush and all who have kept Islamic terrorism at bay for so long. Seems Obama and his ‘people’ hate many Americans more than they hate Islamic murderers. Maybe they are upset that Islam hasnt made US bow and break yet to their whims so that the complete Marxist/Socialist/Communist takeover would be easier for them. So…here they come to break our ’spirit’ on so many different fronts.
Just an observation…If Obama would just ‘change’ himself to be a President that respects the Constitution and represents US, he would be a good President. But so far…Im not impressed with what those people are doing in Washington. Just a low as Al Gore and his multibillion dollar golbal warming scheme. He is so filthy rich now from that scam its unreal. And American are now poorer. Nice going.
November 15th, 2009 | 8:45 am | #63
When you plant a tree to be strong…like electing a President…to withstand the winds that blow this way and that way, bending only slightly to weather the storm, you would be disappointed to see it bend this way and that way completely over at the trunk whenever the wind blows…cause surely it will snap and break and wither to the dirt. If it bends so completely in light winds…what will happen when a REAL storm with hellish winds come to US? The weak tree has no chance since it has fractures all within the trunk already.
We need a better tree.
November 15th, 2009 | 8:51 am | #64
Flashback from the Mecca of Liberal Journalism: NYT blasts Clinton for … almost bowing to Akihito
http://hotair.com/archives/2009/11/14/flashback-nyt-blasts-clinton-for-almost-bowing-to-akihito/
November 15th, 2009 | 9:13 am | #65
Good thing for him there isn’t a nation of dogs. Obama would get on all fours and sniff their leader’s ass upon greeting him.
November 15th, 2009 | 9:18 am | #66
Keep bowing to them when they are not even God? Obama is an idiot. And an idiot will always be an idiot.
November 15th, 2009 | 9:40 am | #67
Good one KR!
“Soros just got the puppet strings tangled.”
November 15th, 2009 | 10:01 am | #68
For those old enough to remember, SOBama’s beginning to resemble buffoonish Kingfish on the old TV show “Amos and Andy.”
November 15th, 2009 | 10:05 am | #69
John,
I don’t think that an United States president even had the opportunity to entertain a head of state till the 1860’s but no sitting US president has bowed to a foreign head of state.
George Washington was more concerned on keeping the president on the same level as the citizens. Thus when asked how to be addressed, he decided at that time for the simple title of “Mr. President.”
Washington, by custom, executed a slight bow on receiving all visitors to the White House, not heads of states but average citizens.
Many historians will point out that John Adams did genuflect to King George upon his trip to England as was customary however, he was not yet president of the United States.
Best story I have heard actually comes from 1860 when the prince of wales visited the United States. A farmer from Dwight’s Station refused to have the Duke of Newcastle onto his land so the Prince and his whole party had to travel around the farmer’s land to avoid trespassing.
It all goes back to a little document proclaiming, “all men are created equal.”
I think the picture which played most historical significance between an emperor and Americans was the picture of General Macarthur with Hirohito. Macarthur stood straight and proud as an equal to Hirohito, man to man.
I don’t care about what Obama choses to wear in the Oval office or what music he wants played but how he presents the presidency of the United States to outside leaders is more then a decision for the office of protocol. He had prior visits to draw upon. It is a statement.
Enough babbling.
November 15th, 2009 | 10:59 am | #70
What a low life loser obammmmmmmmma is ! Is he passing gas when he bows ? Looks like hes got a problem….inadequate, insufficient and incompetent..
obammmmmmmmma stinks….
November 15th, 2009 | 2:27 pm | #71
Well, Obama should be running an elevator, not a country.
November 15th, 2009 | 6:02 pm | #72
[...] media’s favorite quasi-conservative. Via Breitbart TV Funny… We haven’t seen her bow to any emperors lately. Now that’s a joke. Comments [...]
November 15th, 2009 | 6:52 pm | #73
Obama, the bobbing head — of state of the most powerful the world has ever known. Anyon know where I can find a bobbing head Obama action figure? It would make a great stocking stuffer for Christmas.
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