Saturday, November 14, 2009

The amateur-in-chief

Forgetting that he's the President of the United States of America, Obama committed a breach of protocol and bowed deeply to Japan's emperor Akihito. The LA Times asked "How low will he go?" and Powerline queried "Why is this man bowing?" I think the answer can be found in this quote from "The Remains of the Day":
Lewis: "You are, all of you, amateurs. And international affairs should never be run by gentlemen amateurs. Do you have any idea of what sort of place the world is becoming all around you? The days when you could just act out of your noble instincts, are over. Europe has become the arena of realpolitik, the politics of reality. If you like: real politics. What you need is not gentlemen politicians, but real ones. You need professionals to run your affairs, or you're headed for disaster!"
The answer may be more prosaic: Obama's the "change" guy so, whatever might have been the norm for 200+ years, he's going to do the opposite. The exception is creating deficits - there he's going to blow away all previous administrations.

Flashback - Hot Air: "NY Times blasts Clinton for almost bowing."

More - Memeorandum roundup.

11 comments:

John said...

I understand the problem, but really what does this gesture mean? Does anybody think Obama believes that he (or the United States for that matter) are subservient to Japan or Japanese interests? More than likely Obama is going to sell out Japan and east Asian security to the Chinese for some yet to be called vote on Iran.

Worst of all, Barry's party is "unserious." said...

This is primo analysis. Also, did you know that the Obamessiah is a celebrity, just like Britney Spears? With a teleprompter!

Anonymous said...

"Does anybody think Obama believes that he (or the United States for that matter) are subservient to Japan or Japanese interests?"

Are you actually suggesting we're not? They OWN us, moron. Obama may be an amateur, but it is, in fact, apropriate for him to bow to our Asian overlords.

You're a slave, but you just don't know it yet.

And 'no', Obama isn't "just like Britney Spears". Britney Spears has tits.

Anonymous said...

Keep bowing, Mr. Smurtdeeplomacy.

"That stark fact — China is the largest foreign lender to the United States — has changed the core of the relationship between the United States and the only country with a reasonable chance of challenging its status as the world’s sole superpower."

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/15/world/asia/15china.html?_r=3&partner=rss&emc=rss

dfwmtx said...

Caption for the pic of Obama bowing to the Emperor: "So sorry for Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Would you like another crack at Pearl Harbor? That should make us even."

Obama's a fumbling amateur! Guy On Internet says so! said...

"They OWN us, moron. Obama may be an amateur, but it is, in fact, apropriate for him to bow to our Asian overlords."

"Keep bowing, Mr. Smurtdeeplomacy. 'That stark fact — China is the largest foreign lender to the United States — has changed the core of the relationship between the United States and the only country with a reasonable chance of challenging its status as the world’s sole superpower.'"


China, Japan... what's the diff?

Anonymous said...

Remember when Richard Nixon bowed before the Emperor of Japan? Now THERE was an underprepared President who had a naive, pie-in-the-sky ignorance about international diplomacy.

John said...

My point was, Obama is going to screw these people over in the next couple of months anyway. Hes going to sell out Japanese security to the Chinese, and hyper inflate the dollar to nullify the Chinese debt.

To respond to the anonymous troll: As Donald Trump said, you owe the bank a million dollars, thats your problem, you own the bank a billion dollars, thats the banks problem. Basically China is going to own a bunch of paper worth not quite as much as Britney tits.

Anonymous said...

"Basically China is going to own a bunch of paper worth not quite as much as Britney tits."

Yeah, it WILL be their problem, initially. Do you seriously think they'll just go away quietly when we default? on $700+ billion?

This is how wars start. And because we largely depend Chinese deby-buying to fund our military operations, we're essentially f*cked.

This is not going to end well, and anyone who believes othwise deserves the coming disaster.

John said...

Quietly? No, China will declare victory, and say that it was a small price to pay to defeat the US. Military operations will only be endangered in so much as politics refuse to redistribute resources based on a new allocation (and remember, we will save alot of money on debt service)but recognize military is a small portion of the spending, compared to the social programs. In the end, will we spend money of welfare vote buying or fund a military. Frankly, if we cant get that decision right, we don't deserve a country.

Anonymous said...

Ha, ha, ha! Fox News commissioned a poll in an attempt to extend this "controversy." But Fox's own poll came back 67% in favor of the treasonous bow, 26% against. So they never put the poll results on the air.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/11/americans-overwhelmingly-say-obama-bowing-to-japanese-emperor-was-appropriate----even-in-a-fox-poll.php?ref=fpblg

Better luck in fluffing the next manufactured outrage!