The Bow Heard Round the World
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"What? Who cares?" were my first thoughts when I heard that there was an outcry over President Obama bowing to greet Japanese Emperor Akihito. Can it really be a problem when a president behaves according to his host country's customs and traditions?
Then I remembered something: American arrogance.
As a German I know that wounds from WWII heal slowly. Then again, it was the current emperor's father who ruled at the time of Pearl Harbor. When former President George H. Bush went to Emperor Hirohito's state funeral, he bowed to the former enemy's casket, as the NYT's David E. Sanger reminds us.
And Bush Sr. was not the only president that showed his respect to the Japanese leader by abiding with his culture. When Presidents Reagan and Nixon met with Emperor Hirohito, they bowed as well (and got in trouble for it as well).
But back to American arrogance. The argument made by people like Dick Cheney is, essentially: "The U.S. president doesn't bow for anyone!" Regardless of the customs, culture and tradition of other countries, we are the bosses and do whatever we want and define what is appropriate. Screw the rest of the politically correct world!
What do you call that if not arrogance?
The problem with this attitude is twofold. Firstly, it is the primary reason other countries have so little respect for the U.S. Countries haven't responded well to the "it's-my-way-or-the-highway" mantra this country specializes in.
Secondly, critics seem to have forgotten that former president George W. Bush walked hand in hand with Saudi King Abdullah, exercising a gesture of respect and friendship in the Arab world. Looking back at the two men holding hands not only made me laugh, it also made me wonder if holding hands with a king of a country where women are second-class citizens who are not allowed to drive a car is worse than showing respect for an emperor who has representational duties. I think it is.
One last example: the pope. When international leaders visit the holy chair, they not only bow in front of the pope, many of them also kiss his ring as a sign of respect and maybe even submission. It seems to be OK for conservatives to show respect to religious leaders that they accept, but not to sons of former enemies who happen to be emperors of an old and cultured nation.
Way to make friends in the world, Conservatives!
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