Who in Hell does Obama think he is, in his capacity as the President of the United States, to bow before the Emperor of Japan?
A proper respect for crowned heads is appropriate, but a well-mannered greeting in the name of the United States, is quite enough. Ostentatious deference to a monarch by a sitting President is at best an idiot's breach of protocol and at worst a cavalier act of disrespect for both his own office and the people who elected him.
The United States submits to no earthly power. The President is the elected representative of the republic, and appears in the name of the United States before foreign heads of state and governments. He has no right to bow to anyone in the name of the United States.
(Hat tip: Power Line Blog).
UPDATE (16 Nov. 09) Check this most interesting You Tube video, which speaks for itself.
1 comment:
I notice that the LA Times blog item that you link has received 2,716 comments, so evidently people are worked up about this. I can't get too excited about it. Your remark that "the US submits to no earthly power" reads the bow as a figurative act of submission, which it isn't. Perhaps overly deferential, but one should not read too much into these things.
Post a Comment