Oops, wrong president!
Oh, and that's Emperor Hirohito. You know, the guy who authorized the attack on Pearl Harbor. And tortured our POWs. Yeah, that emperor.
Well anyway to point out the double standard I am witnessing and a bit of perspective from here in the land of the rising sun, here is a classic quote that our Traditional Media will never look into
Mr. Cheney told the Politico.com website, "There is no reason for an American president to bow to anyone. Our friends and allies don't expect it, and our enemies see it as a sign of weakness."
Ohh really, well weren`t you in the Nixon Administration you know when HE bowed to Emperor Hirohito? Of course no one in our "fourth estate" cared to look into that (but I found it in 5 minutes with google).
Hey Traditional Media try this!
/rant
Well follow me below the fold for the reaction of the people who this bow was actually intended for and not the reaction of a bunch of ignorant talking heads.
Ok first of all for those of you who can actually read Japanese and dont want to reply on my (admitadly horrible and Google translate dependant) rough translation with my wife (who is Japanese) please go to this website:
http://news.goo.ne.jp/...
This is a prominant online Japanese news source written by political writer Yuko Kato.
Even she attacks the ignorant Fox news and ABC reporters who stated that his bow was too low and embarrasing to the Japanese.
In my rough translation of her words:
That Fox anchor Sean Hannity had a very famous quote in a way, to blow up the story, Obama's bow "Mortifying (appalling, humiliating)" was shot and embarrassed the Japanese, too. For Americans not only embarrassed the President to his knees to the head of the foreign leader, and the Emperor. Obama "so much depth in the bow while shaking hands with people, so even if mistakes from the Japanese, the Japanese ashamed having had a thought (embarrassed the Japanese, too) ". Even Japan and the U.S. president does not want a subservient figure like that. So Obama at the same time, and it shamed the Japanese and the Americans. And such a tone, "the U.S. television news viewers one place!" And pounding on Fox News that they shed.
But why would this be so? Apart from me as a Japanese, but also I am not feeling anything awkward and embarrassed. The sight of Obama that "It's a shame!" Or "Oh, Amou a shame!" The Japanese people what I thought was how much? The ABC reporter and "friends in Japan," who said, "That is also the attitude of the Japanese that he gave the impression that the president was weak" to describe that, as a Japanese, "I do not know?" And wondering will.
Sorry for the rough transalation, and I know it is rough. Basically what she is trying to say in her piece is that Fox news anchor (Sean Hannity) and ABC news used a so called "friend in Japan" or "Japanese friend" I am not sure which, who told them that this was even embarassing to the Japanese people that he bowed so low. Then she states that this is completely not true and most Japanese felt it was a show of respect to the people of Japan and most people felt it was a kind gesture.
In fact they said if he had bowed too little (say 15 degrees) it would have been disrespectful, or if he bowed too much (90 degrees) it would have been too much, but the angle he bowed seemed almost perfect.
Most Japanese people are reacting to the outrage expressed in the American press with shock and dismay. They feel he did a great thing and improved the image and relationship between our two great countries by following their custom, and NOW FEEL SHAMED that their custom has embarrassed the President and caused him to lose face at home.
What a wonderful gesture lost on the Faux News and Friends (ABC,CBS,CNN).
Thank you Mr. President, you made Japan feel respected and valued. Even if the press back home completely misrepresented it.
And I leave you with this, which seemed to barely go noticed when it happened...
So much for the "liberal media"