Can Someone tell me what is the protocol When an American Head of State should bow to another head of state? Because President Obama has bowed to Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko in their first meeting on Saturday.
President Barack Obama to the Emperor and Empress of Japan
I read an excerpt from Inside-Japan.com about bowing as way of showing respect. However, It does not go into Heads of State protocol.
This has led to a firestorm of controversy on blogoshpere: Jim Hoft at Gateway Pundit: “What a goof!Barack Obama bowed to Japanese Emperor.
At Powerline: The three contributors Scott Johnson, John Hinderaker, and Paul Mirengoff each add a piece wisdom to the critique
Scott Johnson:
“Obama’s breach of protocol is of a piece with the substance of his foreign policy. He means to teach Americans to bow before monarchs and tyrants. He embodies the ideological multiculturalism that sets the United States on the same plane as other regimes based on tribal privilege and royal bloodlines. He gives expressive form to the idea that the United States now willingly prostrates itself before the rest of the world. He declares that the United States is a country like any other, only worse, because we have so much for which to apologize.
John Hinderaker:
The context of Obama’s bow is worth noting. He has now carried his apology tour to Japan; his speech in Tokyo was largely an attack on his own country’s recent history and policies:
In a slap at President George W. Bush, Obama spoke of the importance of “multilateral organizations [that] can advance the security and prosperity of this region.”
“I know that the United States has been disengaged from these organizations in recent years. So let me be clear: those days have passed,” Obama said during the first major address of a four-country Far East swing, which will continue from Japan to Singapore, China and South Korea. …
The White House wants to signal U.S. re-engagement with Asia, and the speech was designed to provide an overture to Asia similar to the outreach to the Arab world in the president’s famous Cairo address.
It is untrue that “in recent years” the United States was “disengaged” from multilateral organizations in the Pacific region, but Obama’s serial apologies require no basis in fact.
As usual in such speeches, Obama cast himself as the hero who has redeemed his country’s sordid past. Describing himself as “America’s first Pacific President,” he said:
He sought to strike a balanced tone, saying, “We will not agree on every issue, and the United States will never waver in speaking up for the fundamental values that we hold dear – and that includes respect for the religion and cultures of all people. Because support for human rights and human dignity is ingrained in America. But we can move these discussions forward in a spirit of partnership rather than rancor.” …
“Since taking office, I have worked to renew American leadership and pursue a new era of engagement with the world based on mutual interests and mutual respect,” he said. …
“From my first days in office, we have worked to strengthen the ties that bind our nations,” he said.
Ashamed of his country but arrogant about himself–what a disgusting combination.
Paul Miregoff references syndicated columnist Mark Steyn: suggests it’s time for Valerie Jarrett to speak truth to bower.
Michelle Malkin: President O-bow-ma:
The Left complained that George W. Bush was too much of a cowboy on the global stage.
It’s better than having a waterboy!
Yikes!
Pundit and Pundette writes :
Get used to it, and just be grateful he hasn’t gotten down on both knees yet. Though he fancies himself a cosmopolite, he’s ignorant of protocol as well as history, and views national pride, like guns and religion, as an opiate of the masses.
Dan Riehl caps it perfectly here:
When not making gaffes due to a sputtering teleprompter, it seems boy king O-Bow-Now’s handlers simply point him at the latest thug king or emperor with instructions to bow down as low as he possibly can. [. . .]
Bill Clinton disgraced the Oval Office by putting a young female intern on her knees. O-Bow-Now is just taking it to the logical next step, all but hitting his knees himself to any and every alleged world potentate. That seems to be the case except for our traditional allies like Britain, Canada and Australia, of course. That’s likely just too all fired American for him. Tragically, O-Bow-Now’s misguided acquiescence to the world’s leaders and more tyrannical dictators seems to go hand-in-hand with his weak foreign policy, too.
So far the left-wing blogs are silent at conservative critiques against Pres. Obama.
