Posted on 04/08/2009 5:50:14 PM PDT by Michael Eden
One picture is worth a thousand words:
And here's the link to the video, so you can watch the whole thing over and over while screaming, "THIS IS YOUR IDEA OF RESTORING AMERICAN PRESTIGE?"
It didn't take long before the official denial: "Barack Obama did not show subservient fealty to that king, Mr. Abdullah..."
Barack Obama's handler's may be right. At least technically.
From Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language:
"Curtsy: a bow by women in recognition or respect, consisting of bending the knees and lowering the body."Let's see: bent knees - check. Lowered body - check. Woman? Well, that's really pretty darned subjective, given Obama being our first true metrosexual president, and all.
Obama didn't bow down before Saudi King Abdullah, contrary to the accusations by "the vast, right-wing conspiracy." He curtsied, which is the new metrosexual version of "a bow by any other name would smell as submissive."
Many are saying Obama bowing down before the Saudi king shows weakness. Like everyone didn't already know Barack Obama was weak...
I suppose we can look to the bright side of all this: by figuratively placing himself - and therefore the United States of America - under the rule of Saudi Arabia, maybe this president won't have any shoes thrown at him by angry Muslims.
I did 2 screen prints captures. Please note the times. In the first one, he has his left hand down by his side while the king takes his right hand to shake it. In the second screen capture, he lifts his left hand to grab the kings hand
Newt Gingrich said something to the effect that Barry Hussein is pursuing a “fairy tale foreign policy.”
The problem is that a liberal fairy tale is a nightmare for any morally intelligent person.
“Fairy tale”? Damn, I WISH the nonsense Obama was doing were unreal.
If Leno got wind of the "floor teleprompter" he would steal it for sure.
That deserves some kind of award for political humor!
That aint no photo-shop Brother.
Yes : He bowed, and he was ecstatic while doing it.
Our First illegitimate Kenyan born Muslim President.
Now thats change Hoss. Not for the better, but certainly change.
Lying sack of sh*t!! Of course he bowed to the king,
(pig sh*t be upon him).
I agree that it is shameful and embarrassing. And we shouldn't trivialize Obama's act of bowing down to Saudi Arabia - but we should sure as shoot trivialize the fool who did the bowing.
I agree that it HAD to be premeditated ("Hey, Mr. President; it would look like REALLY good to the Arab world if you bowed!"). But it was only "premeditated" until it didn't fly well with an American public that doesn't really care for the idea of their president bowing down before the world's biggest exporter of terrorism.
Proactive ducking in the event of flying footwear
To nitpick a little, in a curtsy the torso is not or only slightly bent downward; it remains upright but is lowered by bending the knees significantly. What 0bama did was a full-fledged bow, no two ways about it.
Nor will this lying, slimy, Muslim/Marxist EVER be my president.
Obama is from one of those extra 7 states (there are 57 in his country, you recall) where it’s okay to bow down to Saudi Arabian oil kings.
yes.
Looked like a bow...
Oh, damn. That one's hilarious, too.
In the Muslim world, one never knows when a pair of INCREDIBLY SMELLY shoes may come flying toward you, and it is therefore best to be prepared at all times.
The teleprompter on the floor and the proactive duck are the only two good "I wasn't bowing, I was...." alternatives I've come across so far.
Maybe Obama asked Sarkozy "what do I do when I greet the King?"..
Suppose Sarkozy replied.."You Bow, of course"...Gotch-ya! (That's why he's laughing).
sw
Do the Saudis exercise mind-control over our Presidents? I remember GWB holding hands with his BFF and thinking, “I could not get myself to hold my brother’s hands like that, how can you hold the hands of some stranger?”
The only one I hold hands like that are my wife.
And were I President, I sure as heck would NEVER bow down to ANYONE.
That's probably true. But you have to admit that the "curtsy" thing is a) even more ridiculous and b) gets to the heart of how pathetically weak Obama presented himself.
It would have looked a LOT more like a curtsy if Obama had been wearing one of his dresses.
Not really quite sure what you’re arguing - do you seriously think Obama didn’t bow? - but the Queen of England was significantly shorter, and yet somehow he didn’t go through the motions of a full-fledged bow.
No... he just dropped his soap.
In my case, as President, (or as a senior business person) I would have offered a tempered, measured, slight head-bow (not full body 土下座 or anything ridiculous like that), maybe head down a few degrees out of good-will, and accompanied by a male, non-metrosexual FIRM, extended Middle-East handshake, and if I had known him from previous summits, may even have given a Latin type "abrazo" (two hugs), but nothing more.
This is common in international manners for business; I am not convinced it is good at the Presidential level, though--it is his option.
And, one thing is for sure, Obama might have thought he was going local and gaining respect, but in fact, it appears in retrospect he committed a faux paus with the King with his recent actions. Were he or is State Department entorage aware of THIS (below), they might have tempered his sycophantic behavior:
"Don't kiss my hand," Saudi king tells citizens 11/09/2005 RIYADH (Reuters)-Saudi Arabia's new King Abdullah has ordered citizens not to kiss his hand, saying the traditional gesture of respect is degrading and violates Islam, Saudi newspapers reported on Sunday. "Kissing hands is alien to our values and morals, and is not accepted by free and noble souls," Abdullah told a delegation from Al-Baha, in southwest Saudi Arabia, who came to the royal palace to offer congratulations on his accession. "It also leads to bowing, which is a violation of God's law. The faithful bow to no one but God." Abdullah became king on August 1 after the death of King Fahd. Thousands of Saudis flocked to pledge allegiance to him in the days that followed, many kissing him on the shoulder or stooping to kiss his hand in a sign of respect and loyalty. But the king, who has a reputation for modesty in a family better known for opulence and power, said only a father or mother deserved such deference. "I announce my complete rejection of this matter, and I ask everyone to restrain from kissing the hands of anyone but their parents," the monarch said."
Maybe Freepers in Saudi can sign on here and give us some local insight. We have people from all over the world. Looking at it from some different perspectives, and some savvy cultural position, might make some sense. It intially does seem that Obama had gone a little bit overboard in his enthusiasm and excitement. Hey, everyone goes overboard a little bit. Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi was acting very American when he visited Bush, tossing an American baseball around, hugging in an American sense, belting out some Elvis tunes, etc....stuff he would never do back home in a Japanese context. At the end of the day, it is a curious news story, but it might not be that big of a deal. I will defer to freepers in Saudi on this one.
It is President Lee Myung Bak of the Conversative Grand National Party of ally South Korea.
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