On the Manufacture of Outrage

[dave_littler]

The other day, US president Barack Obama, in his good-will tour of the far east, committed the

Comments

[ashbet]

It's so true!!! I was thinking along very similar lines when I saw the whole manufactured-outrage incident on the news.

One other thing that I considered was that Obama is a REALLY TALL DUDE -- bowing (possibly not to that degree, but at least somewhat) in order to shake hands is a way to equalize the height differential and not draw attention to it, which is generally considered to be polite.

But, seriously -- I saw people saying that Obama had "thrown away 400-some years of America not bowing and scraping to tyrants and emperors" . . . seriously? Wow. Can we get back to fixing our health-care system and our economy and dealing with our two overseas wars, please?

-- A o___o

[dave_littler]

Technically, even if he were, he would only be throwing away 20 years of history...

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/17/presidential-bows-revisited/

[deathslullaby]

I think what is cracking me up the most about this is how cute the old Japanese man and his (I'm assuming?) wife are. They're being genuinely polite and smiling in this picture. I can't believe people are throwing a shit storm over it. Shows that some people can't learn by example.

Also, your summation was highly entertaining. :D

[dave_littler]

Some people just WANT to be angry, you know? They seek out things to be pissed off about because being angry at others satisfies some kind of a need they have to put other people on a lower pedestal than themselves, if you will. "This person makes me angry! They're screwing up! That means I'm better than them! I'm now justified in lashing out at them!"

Unfortunately, the further reaches of the right wing in any culture tends to attract the more violent versions of these people within that culture, and in America, at the moment, they seem to be actively and specifically recruiting them.

[skittish_derby]

I don't agree with cheney about showing weakness, but presidents don't have to bow to kings or leaders of other countries. If i am properly caught up on my 'what is happening in Obama world,' than this is the second time he has bowed to a foreign leader. (though i don't watch any of the major news networks

[dave_littler]

With respect to the first occasion, I think a case can be made for what you're saying. With respect to this, though... the bow has very different cultural connotations in Japanese society; people of equal station to one another will routinely bow to one another. Indeed, people of superior station can and will bow to those of lesser station as a gesture of respect, admiration, appreciation or even apology.

This looks to me like it's one of those cases of people imposing western expectations and values on an eastern practice; Obama, it seems to me, was trying to employ an eastern practice and is having people criticize him for what it would mean IF it were the western counterpart.

[skittish_derby]

you do have a point there, but i stand by what i said. It doesn't really seem correct for him to show reverence to anyone like that, regardless of their cultural practices. We are, after all, in the west, not to say that one is better than the other. And he represents America. Being polite is one thing-- showing too much deference to a foreign leader is quite another.

[dave_littler]

We are in the west, it is true. HE was in the east. It seems that by that logic, their culture and customs should be the ones observed.

What I am mostly saying, really, is that the japanese bow, if you will, does not mean the same thing as the western bow. The specific gesture he is demonstrating here does not mean what his critics want it to mean.

At the beginning and end of any Japanese martial arts match, it is traditional, for example, for both combatants to bow to each other in this manner. This is not a sign of reverence by either to the other, but a simple gesture which says, I respect you.

Same deal.

[sarieverna]

The idea of an army of emperors dressed in full regalia amuses me. But more so does the idea of an army of adorable grandpas like that emperor. Seriously, though, those two are the most adorable grandparents ever. I think it says something about Cheney that he saw adorable old people and immediately thought "terrorism!"

[dave_littler]

Or perhaps he was simply moved to inhuman rage at the sight and felt the need to lash out, no matter what form it were to take. He does have a history of shooting old men in the face, you know.

[sarieverna]

Hmmm. True. Was that old guy adorable, too? Well, before he was shot in the face. 'Cause we might just have stumbled upon a pattern.

Theory: Cheney had a bad experience with an adorable older gentleman and is now scarred for life. How, I don't know, since most adorable old folks are adorably wonderful to people around them, but maybe there was an outlier.

I see potential for a site, now. DickCheneyHatesYourAdorableGrandparents.com

[dave_littler]

Which I find is ALSO above reproach or criticism!