Idiots Abroad: Diplomatic Buffoonery of the Obama Administration

British Telegraph's Nile Gardiner speaking of  outrage following President Obama allowing himself to give a speech standing before a backdrop of deceased terrorist leader, Yassir Arafat...:

It is simply astonishing that the leader of the free world would agree to speak against a backdrop of a murderous terrorist with American and Israeli blood on his hands. What kind of message does this send to America’s enemies when the president of the United States gives a press conference standing in front of a banner celebrating one of the most brutal terrorists in history? It projects a clear signal that Washington is weak in the face of terrorism, and it is an insult to the memory of those who died at the hands of Arafat’s terror network.

While the Obama White House prides itself on having an extremely slick campaign operation, its ineptness and insensitivity in government, not least on the world stage, can be staggering. President Obama, for example, could not even pronounce the name of Burmese freedom fighter Aung San Suu Kyi on his recent visit to Rangoon, referring to her several times as Aung YAN Suu Kyi. He also famously called the Falkland Islands "the Maldives", and succeeded in offending the whole of Poland when he referred to a "Polish death camp" in World War Two. As I’ve noted in previous pieces, President Obama’s first term was littered with embarrassing gaffes abroad, and it looks like his second term will be more of the same. This is in many respects an amateurish presidency, headed by a president who is frequently out of his depth on the world stage, and all too willing to appease America’s adversaries.
Full Story at The Telegraph

I, personally, found Obama's excessive bowing in Asia nauseating, as well as bufoonish.  I was astounded that, if he was choosing to try to bow, no one on his vast protocol team would have the knowledge to advise him on how to do so without looking like a complete idiot.  Here's a online handbook for bowing in Korea I found on Google in ten seconds (with relevant excerpts) http://blog.korea.net/?p=2622

Respectful 30º ~ 45º Bow: The most common, this is the standard bow. It follows all the general guidelines listed above. It is used to greet almost anybody; seniors and even juniors. You really can’t go wrong. 













Belly Button Bow: The “belly-button” or navel bow (배꼽인사) is the formal respectful bow that is mostly used by women in uniform, especially flight attendants and salespeople. The term comes from the fact that the hands are clasped together at the navel position when bowing. The degree of bowing depends on the occasion but the 45º is the most common
Belly Button Bow

 The 90 Degree Bow: This bow is literally called the “90 degree bow” (90도 인사) in Korean because it is. It’s a form of utter respect, an intentional showing of service and obedience. Despite its good intent, it is highly parodied in comedy skits involving gangsters and overzealous company employees trying to please their seniors. It is also used in occasions for deep apologies. [My bolding]

Okay, so here's the deal with Barack Obama.  You decide whether his bow is more appropriate for "a woman in uniform, a flight attendant or a sales person" or someone intentionally displaying abject servility, like a gangster in a comic skit or an overzealous company employee.  I think it's pretty obviously the latter, but, make your own call.  Notice that neither Emporer Akihito nor his wife are bowing in this photo. 

 

Fox reported this at the time:

ABC's Jake Tapper reports that at least one Japanese newspaper is not printing the picture of the president's mortifying bow because the Japanese are embarrassed by his behavior. A scholar of traditional Japan tells Mr. Tapper, "The bow… did not just display weakness in Red State terms, but evoked weakness in Japanese terms… The last thing the Japanese want or need is a weak-looking American president."