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Someone please explain this to me.

The troops of Dadis Camara raped and murdered over 100 people in Guinea a month and a half ago. The country is currently under the control of a military junta. Why can't the news channels task their foreign and political reporters to more worthwhile pursuits? It's a sad statement on the state of (popular) news media.
 
I can't but think that the Japanese are used to, and indulgent toward, clumsy but well-meaning foreigners who attempt to bow correctly and mess it up somehow. In any case, I can't believe that a well-intentioned failure would be that bad. I mean, there are surely worse etiquette faux pas - much, much, much worse etiquette faux pas - a person can make.
 
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CorporalClegg said:
Dude, I used to live there.
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While I find that wonderful, I'm worried about the here and now. I work for a Japanese company, I work closely with Japanese engineers, and I visit Japan frequently for work. My Japanese counterparts ensure me that it was relatively embarrassing, and awkward, as I said. I didn't say that it was a damn international incident or anything.

EDIT: Although I understand and agree with the thoughts behind the criticism in the media, I do not understand why it needs to be a "big deal", because it is NOT a "big deal". SMALL deal, if anything. ;) We've noted it, I'm sure his State Department personnel have informed him of his error, and it's time to move on and cover more important things.
 
JustKate said:
I can't but think that the Japanese are used to, and indulgent toward, clumsy but well-meaning foreigners who attempt to bow correctly and mess it up somehow. In any case, I can't believe that a well-intentioned failure would be that bad. I mean, there are surely worse ettiquette faux pas - much, much, much worse ettiquette faux pas - a person can make.
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Well that's just it. While etiquette is very important to Japanese, they have a very "it's the thought that counts" mentality.

It's like their love to give gifts. The gifts themselves are irrelevant. The last I was went over there, I went to the dollar store and picked up a bunch of cheap stuff (junk essentially) to hand out.

The bow was no different. I doubt any one person in the country ever thought twice about how "correct" its. The fact that he actually did it was all that mattered. And, had Faux News not even brought it up, no one would have otherwise noticed.
 
They already ripped into for bowing to a Muslim king saying that it said that we were subservient to terrorism. :rolleyes:
 
Locutus of Bored said:
The Castellan said:
I was at a friend's place, he was watching FOX news (Luckily he switched channels shortly), and the humanoinds there were ripping on Mr. Obama for the bow he gave the Japanese Emperor.

WHY?!

If I were a politician or just over in Japan on vaction and I should, for some reason, bump into the Emeperor....I'd bow as well, just being courtious and respectful.

I don't understand what the big deal is here. I mean...correct me if I'm wrong...but was not Dubya, when he was in Saudi Arabia, holding hands with the Shiek....like a pair of school girls, and kissing his rings and nearly lip locking? And I don't recall any of the news medias ripping on Dubya for that?
Are these news medias really got nothing importent to talk about, or am I missing something here? :vulcan:
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"Fox News." They don't care about reporting the news so much as advancing the agenda of their owner and the Republican Party. Other cable media outlets can be biased as well, certainly (though to a lesser degree than Fox), but usually that's because the political leanings of the production staff and reporters seep in to the opinion portions of the broadcast rather than because the network itself literally serves as the propaganda arm of their chosen political party.
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As opposed to say, NBC News? :lol:
 
StolenThunder said:
The troops of Dadis Camara raped and murdered over 100 people in Guinea a month and a half ago. The country is currently under the control of a military junta. Why can't the news channels task their foreign and political reporters to more worthwhile pursuits? It's a sad statement on the state of (popular) news media.
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Because stuff like that is happening all over the place. Sad yes. But it's none of our damned business. What, are we supposed to go into every country that treats it's people badly and make them stop??
 
StolenThunder said:
The troops of Dadis Camara raped and murdered over 100 people in Guinea a month and a half ago. The country is currently under the control of a military junta. Why can't the news channels task their foreign and political reporters to more worthwhile pursuits? It's a sad statement on the state of (popular) news media.
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The news could spend all day reporting little skirmishes and waring people in Africa alone.

So, you care so much, then maybe you can point me to the TNZ thread you started to bring this to everybody's attention. Oh, I must have missed that thread.
 
I understand why people are upset, but I think Obama was merely trying to show cultural sensitivity. Even if he failed it is a noble effort. If he was doing something that was intended to show any sort of submission I'd thoroughly disapprove. The only possible time when a president should be allowed to bow as a sign of submission is to a religious figure. And as a Christian I think presidents should never bow as a sign of submission before any man.
 
StolenThunder said:
The troops of Dadis Camara raped and murdered over 100 people in Guinea a month and a half ago. The country is currently under the control of a military junta. Why can't the news channels task their foreign and political reporters to more worthwhile pursuits? It's a sad statement on the state of (popular) news media.
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Unforunately, things of this nature frequently happen in Africa. As unfortunately, no country in the world is currently capable of doing something about this without bringing about a drastic change in its own society. Thus, while tragic, it's of very little use as news.
 
Michael Chris said:
I understand why people are upset, but I think Obama was merely trying to show cultural sensitivity. Even if he failed it is a noble effort. If he was doing something that was intended to show any sort of submission I'd thoroughly disapprove. The only possible time when a president should be allowed to bow as a sign of submission is to a religious figure. And as a Christian I think presidents should never bow as a sign of submission before any man.
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As a US citizen, I don't expect the President to bow to *anyone*. A slight bow is OK, but not bent at a 90º like he was.
 
John Picard said:
Michael Chris said:
I understand why people are upset, but I think Obama was merely trying to show cultural sensitivity. Even if he failed it is a noble effort. If he was doing something that was intended to show any sort of submission I'd thoroughly disapprove. The only possible time when a president should be allowed to bow as a sign of submission is to a religious figure. And as a Christian I think presidents should never bow as a sign of submission before any man.
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As a US citizen, I don't expect the President to bow to *anyone*. A slight bow is OK, but not bent at a 90º like he was.
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I think that's the problem. For whatever reason, his bows look more like those we associate with submission and subservience than with expression of mutual respect. I'm sure he doesn't intend them that way, but he could save at least some complaint by bowing in a manner nearer what we associate with one fitting a head of state - let alone an American president.

(We have a complicated relationship with monarchy. Though staunchly opposed to it and all other forms of nobility, we find that many of our closest allies are nominally governed from thrones. Drawing the line, then, between contempt for concept and respect for particular is frustrating in exercise.)
 
destro said:
Because stuff like that is happening all over the place. Sad yes. But it's none of our damned business. What, are we supposed to go into every country that treats it's people badly and make them stop??
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It's one of the more active issues currently in Africa. And I don't believe I said anything about 'going into every country' - not one in fact. I just said it's a more important issue.

tharpdevenport said:
So, you care so much, then maybe you can point me to the TNZ thread you started to bring this to everybody's attention. Oh, I must have missed that thread.
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Hm? I don't believe I said I cared so much. Just that it was more important and worthwhile as a news story than some nonsense about bowing.

Also, I have very little desire to spend my time educating you on world affairs. I'm hardly an expert source. You can go and read a well-informed newspaper or listen to the World Service. I recommend it.

Cicero said:
Unforunately, things of this nature frequently happen in Africa. As unfortunately, no country in the world is currently capable of doing something about this without bringing about a drastic change in its own society. Thus, while tragic, it's of very little use as news.
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I don't think the bowing story has much use.

As for Guinea - it's just an illustration of what I perceive to be a recent story due more prominence. I'm not saying the news should list all world events in order of body count while displacing domestic affairs, I would simply prefer greater a awareness of significant events in Africa or Asia or Europe than more pointless fluff.
 
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