President Obama has ignited yet another flap after he practically touches his shoes with his forehead in a deep bow to Japanese Emperor Akihito. Here is an account of the incident: (http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/11/16/obama-draws-bow-japanese-emperor/). This, of course, comes after Obama previously bowed to the Saudi leaders and after he publicly talked of American mistakes. Obama’s aim, of course, is to demonstrate humility to the world, to show that he is not Bush, the arrogant cowboy. In doing so, he hopes to curry favor with other countries in order to advance his strategic goals. Only it won’t work and here’s why.
Obama is playing on an international stage and the people there who he needs to influence view such gestures as a sign of one thing only: weakness. Think of the world’s bad boy leaders and rouge power players: Chavez in Venezuela, Assad in Syria, Ahmadinejad in Iran, Castro in Cuba, that crazy dwarf in North Korea, whoever is speaking for the Palestinians, bin Laden, etc. How does this group react when the President of the strongest nation on the planet bows and scrapes and apologizes? We suspect they are not saying to themselves……"well OK, we got our mea culpa, let’s all just find a way to get along now." More likely, they are saying: we got ‘em on the run, press the advantage!
Because Americans are the people that they are, Obama’s approach would work if the national stage was the only platform. We like a dose of humility in our leaders which is why politicians always try to position themselves as average Joes, whether or not it’s true (see Biden, Joseph). But the image of the President of the United States, through what he does and what he says, is instantaneously projected internationally. The President cannot allow that image to be seen as weak. Only bad things will result.
Mark Steyn calls Obama the World's Greatest Superbower.
ReplyDeleteI understood the bowing to the Saudi king (Obama's Islamic sympathies compel dhimmitude on the part of an infidel leader), but bowing to the Japanese emperor? That is curious indeed.
Normally Obama treat's our allies with disdain (except for Islamic states nominally allied) and saves his deference for our enemies. Japan is definitely an ally, so what gives?
The only thing I can figure is that he sees it as doing his little part to make up for all the US' gloating after WWII. Did we really have to force Emperor Hiroshito into "coming down and signing surrender to McArthur” in public and all? How humiliating!