PunkFloyd, King of Bards wrote:
No, you are talking about how he's bowing incorrectly and you're the only one I've ever heard bring it up.
Because I'm responding to those on this board who insist that what he's doing is respecting the culture of the people he's greeting. And to that I'm saying that if that is his reason, then he's doing it wrong.
And all the textual descriptions of bows in the world doesn't change the fact that
no world leaders bow like that. No one bows like that period except when displaying an extreme apology, or extreme subservience.
Look at all the photos. Are the others matching his bow? If this were a matter of respect, wouldn't those who bow as part of their culture feel the need to match his bow? Yes, they would. If they thought that his bow was at all appropriate for the situation. But they don't bow like that because they know that it's not an appropriate or proper bow.
I don't really care what other people are saying. I am saying that when he does this he is not showing respect. He's making a fool out of himself, and by extension the entire nation he represents as head of state. I know you want to make this about just bowing at all, in order to make those complaining out to be extreme in their position, but lots of presidents have given polite and properly angled bows in the past. Something more than a head nod, but less than the deep bend that Obama is doing is appropriate. It shows respect without going ridiculously overboard. No one has ever made a big deal out of this.
That people are making a big deal out of this in Obama's case is because of the way he's bowing. Regardless of what people like Varus say, if his bows were more in line with "normal" bows of greeting, no one would have made any note of it and we wouldn't be having this conversation. It's really not about an all or nothing position.