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Obama's Diplomatic Journey

After the president called for a stronger relationship with China, he meets President Hu Jintao today to discuss the country’s financing of U.S. debt. VIEW OUR GALLERY of his Asia trip.

In a meeting this summer, Chinese officials asked American diplomats detailed questions about how the health-care bill will affect the budget deficit. China expects to finance whatever is passed, so naturally the country is interested in whether the U.S. can pay it back. For months, White House officials have been working to ensure that President Obama’s visit conveys a conciliatory message, and though officials say privately they’re annoyed by Beijing’s currency policy, now is not the time to antagonize China.

Click Image Below to View Our Gallery of Obama’s Trip to Asia

Article - Obama in Asia - Gallery Launch

Obama’s visit to the country comes after he joined 20 other world leaders (wearing colorful matching shirts) in Singapore for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum on Saturday, and he spent the day in meet-and-greets with regional leaders. President Obama also met Russian President Dmitri A. Medvedev to discuss Washington’s Iran policy and the arms-control treaty that will expire next month. During his speech in Tokyo, the President said that “in an interconnected world, power does not need to be a zero-sum game, and nations need not fear the success of another.”

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November 14, 2009 | 7:10pm
Comments ()
whipmawhopma

OMG! He's a secret Japanese person.

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9:22 pm, Nov 14, 2009
RightofCenter

He's clearly too stupid to be Japanese.

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2:18 am, Nov 15, 2009
NinjaSauce

Notice how all these knee-jerk douche bags who has absolutely no respect for our president, who would readily call him any name in the book, are also the same people who are upset that Obama, as the head of state, is disrespecting our country, buy showing respect to other world leaders.

If you think Obama is such a torch-bearer of American respectability, then stop treating him like dirt.

You guys are morons.

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3:51 am, Nov 15, 2009
mindlessmissy

IT is days like this that I feel comforted that the man I voted for still is the President of the USA ...

IF President Obama gave a rats arse about what the media (pundits) were going to harp on about him, he would NOT repeat something that they found so offensive the first time around ...

Obama is GENUINE, and THAT is why he has my backing ...

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6:22 am, Nov 15, 2009
gameon

If Obama bowed any further he could get a spot on the U.S. gymnastics team.Considering the horrific loss of my family and millions of others in this country in World War ll it seems insensitive and disrespectful on his part to grovel to our past enemies.

As his "Apology Tour " carries on at "fool" steam,America suffers.Is their no end to the "respect" he gives to other countries,all of it meant to promote the "we're sorry for being evil" agenda of the left?

America has no reason to be apologetic or subserviant,especially to countries that are recipients of our benevolent compassion,like Japan,China ,Germany,France and the rest of Europe .We saved the world from the Third Reich and the Japanese and we should walk with our head high.Asia owes us,Europe owes us and Obama should have a little respect for America for a change.Thats "change" I could believe in.

It would be more appropriate for the Prime Minister to give Obama a piggy back ride than it is for Obama to prostrate himself to countries that could be American colonies were it not for our kindness.

It's the pathetic display of a man who has never made sacrifices for this country and has no desire to stand up for American ideals.

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1:41 pm, Nov 15, 2009
NinjaSauce

@gameon

"grovel to our past enemies."

Please look up "false premise" in the Internets. You're convincing yourself of things that aren't true, and then fell angry about the things you've made up.

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4:55 pm, Nov 15, 2009
gameon

So Japan was never our enemy?What are you talking about?Do you even know what your talking about?

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7:03 pm, Nov 15, 2009
NinjaSauce

@gameon

He wasn't grovelling. That's a false premise. No one is making America subservient to any other country. Notice the false premises?

You're an idiot.

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11:01 pm, Nov 15, 2009
gameon

fDoes your fragile liberal ego feel better now that you called me an idiot?Perhaps you should look on the "internets" and look up grovel and subserve and then perhaps you would realize that acting as a subordinate and prostrating are exactly what Obama is doing.Your right,no country is making him do it,he's doing it himself,which is pathetic and beneath the dignity of the office.
He bows to the Sauidi king,the King doesn't bow back to him,he bows to the Japanese Prime Minister,the minister doesn't bow back.If it's a sign of respect should they not have returned the honor?Thats called being a servant.These leaders are beneficiaries of our goodness and should kiss the ground our president walks on,not the other way around.

Perhaps you missed some of the stops on his "Apology Tour".Google it smartass.

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12:27 am, Nov 16, 2009
NinjaSauce

first: "Internets" is an internet meme, originated by Pres Bush.

Anyway, look up "circular logic" on the Internets.

Your proof as to how Obama is groveling and being subservient to the Japanese is because you say he is. Me looking up their definition isn't as much proof as you think it is.

Has anything in your life changed ever since those events? Has a Japenese person come to your house demanding you do something for him? How has your life changed as a consequence of those events? Has the Japanese government demanded anything from the US government, and we complied out of subservience? No. I didn't think so.

Calling it an Apology Tour does not make it one. Googling "Birthers" or "truthers" or whatever tin-foil hat psudo-intellectual construct doesn't prove anything. You can't prove your paranoid outlook by source other people's paranoid outlooks.

Again, circular logic.

Notice how an actual argument works? You state your thesis, and you prove it with evidence. Then you conclude that you've demonstrated what you intended to demonstrate. You don't just ask a person to look up the word, as assume that's sufficient.

Calling you an idiot doesn't make me happy. You just need to be aware of it.

Dumbass.

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1:36 am, Nov 16, 2009
gameon

Hey genius,way to use circular logic based on a false premise to argue your point.Who said in order to be subserviant you have to recieve something?Besides ,how do you know he didn't get something in return for the snub by Japan and tha Saudi's?When has the Japanese or Saudi governments ever knocked on your door to inform you of political payoffs?How do you know that the Japanese didn't agree to buy our debt?How do you know the Saudi's didn't agree to sell us more oil in return for a public display of servitude?You make many assumptions about me and this situation that are in no way provable.I never even mention"birthers" or "truthers",where the hell does that come from? You sound pretty paranoid.

My evidence is the pictures ,which as a ninja you should know, show an unnecessarily deep bow,which isn't reciprocated by the Prime Minister.A handshake and a slight head nod are customary in Japan between heads of state,not sticking your head between your legs.To not return the bow is a very disrespectful thing to do at the very least,unprecedented in other presidential visits.So he either did it for something in return or he did it for no reason,either way he's pathetic.See how that works?

I call it the "apology tour" because he's been flying around the world apologizing for various alleged American "mistakes".What part of this is based on a false premise?Their is nothing paranoid about it ,I've watched the speeches,I have video to prove it.And besides your the pseudo-intellectual trying to call people on supposed grammatical errors,not me.Perhaps you should spend more time on issues instead of trying to make yourself feel intellectually superior to others through namecalling.

Your paranoia of the right-wing wing has made you an angry ,angry person.

I wish you the best.

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10:39 am, Nov 16, 2009
NinjaSauce

"Subservience: To serve under another person. Unequal."

So in order to argue that there is a state of subservience, you need to prove that we are now in an unequal relations with Japan, and that we are subservient to them.

"Besides ,how do you know he didn't get something in return for the snub by Japan and tha Saudi's?When has the Japanese or Saudi governments ever knocked on your door to inform you of political payoffs?How do you know that the Japanese didn't agree to buy our debt?How do you know the Saudi's didn't agree to sell us more oil in return for a public display of servitude?You make many assumptions about me and this situation that are in no way provable.I never even mention"birthers" or "truthers",where the hell does that come from? You sound pretty paranoid. "

You posited a statement, you carry the burden of proof. You can't prove that something is true based on "what ifs". You see how dumb that logic is? You should clearly recognize that this bad reasoning on your part. You should now recognize that you're predicating your arguments based on things you don't know. And you're concluding based on those assumptions.

It's dumb.

"My evidence is the pictures".

Look up the definition of subservience, and see if such a relationship can be proven with a picture. Again, you're an idiot.

"I call it the "apology tour" because he's been flying around the world apologizing for various alleged American "mistakes".What part of this is based on a false premise?"

Declaring it an apology tour is a false premise. It's not. Again, you're proving your point of view via your own point of view. It's quoting yourself to argue a point you're making. It's circular logic.

Also, we really did instigate the Iranian revolution. It's not "alleged." It's known.

"
Your paranoia of the right-wing wing has made you an angry ,angry person."

I'm not angry, I'm annoyed.

I wish you some intelligence.

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3:49 pm, Nov 16, 2009
NinjaSauce

I just have to reiterate this:

"How do you know the Saudi's didn't agree to sell us more oil in return for a public display of servitude?You make many assumptions about me and this situation that are in no way provable.I never even mention"birthers" or "truthers",where the hell does that come from? You sound pretty paranoid. "

Really? This is the dumbest argument in history. Have you seen the parody site about Glenn Beck and 1990s?

How do you know those aren't true? So we can conclude they must be true?

Seriously. That's dumb.

You're right. I am angry. It's nothing to do with the paranoia about right. In fact, nothing I've said demonstrate paranoia about the right. I don't know why you would even say that. I'm angry because you're dumb, and somehow our countries policies are still influenced by you, and people like you.

It dumbs down our entire country as a whole.

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4:02 pm, Nov 16, 2009
gameon

Subserviant: definition;Useful as a subordinate,obsequious.Obsequious:definition; Excessively obedient or submissive. " Excessively" being the key word.I don't have to prove anything,in my opinion his "submissiveness" was "excessive".A large portion of the country agrees.Your whining doesn't change that.

Seriously bro,Japan and China own 45% of our foreign national debt,if you think that doen't put us in a condition of servitude then you are a lost cause.

Obama's an apologist because he apologizes.

It's not often I get an honest to goodness crazy person on the line.
I picture you as a college student ,sitting in a dorm room,freshly brainwashed by your socialist professor.Saying to yourself "Why's everybody being so mean to Pres. Obama" as you drool over The Daily Show and spank your pud to a picture of Chairman Mao.You should really get your head out of the dictionary and go get laid or something,relax a little bit.

Let this thread be a lesson to all who read it that Liberalism is a mental disorder.I will no longer respond to your stupidity,but if you write more just assume that your wrong.


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11:32 pm, Nov 16, 2009
NinjaSauce

"Seriously bro,Japan and China own 45% of our foreign national debt,if you think that doen't put us in a condition of servitude then you are a lost cause."

1) OK, notice that that holds true, independent of the bowing. Correlation doesn't imply causation. You've yet to make a single valid point.

Everything you've said thus far are dumb extrapolations of things that hold no relevance to the subject at hand...or completely made up "what ifs"

2) I've said nothing that's actually considered "liberal". I'm merely criticizing the logic you employ to criticize someone else. It's irrational (circular logic, false premises, appeal to ignorance, false correlation, and so many more), superficial (you're proof is the pictures, really?), and completely lacking of self-awareness.

Before your thumb your nose at people, make sure you can actually piece together a sound argument. Clearly, you cannot.

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2:01 am, Nov 17, 2009
whipmawhopma

NinjaSauce - The humor is a little too subtle for you, isn't it? Perhaps I should have put up an ironic humor disclaimer.

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10:01 am, Nov 15, 2009
NinjaSauce

Notice who I replied to.

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4:53 pm, Nov 15, 2009
whipmawhopma

NinjaSauce - My apologies.

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6:02 pm, Nov 15, 2009
annzee

It is always good to respect other cultures as we travel around the world...but...is there something a bit *extreme* about our President's bow to the Japanese Emporer? I realize he's tall, but does he have to look as though he's ready to kiss their toes?

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11:01 pm, Nov 14, 2009
crymeariver

I thought so too initially until I looked at how OLD Emperor Akihito looks. As one of our youngest Presidents, it's the right to do in Japanese culture to an elder. He is also a man raised by his grandparents to be respectful of the elderly. It simply looks awkward because he combined the Eastern tradition of bowing with the western tradition of the handshake.

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6:48 am, Nov 15, 2009
tolatetocry

Has he apologized for Harry Truman yet?

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11:26 pm, Nov 14, 2009
RightofCenter

No, but to honor the Indians, I believe he's trying to turn our currency into Wampum. With Obama's new $1.4 trillion annual deficit (and counting), the Lenape should soon be able to buy back Manhattan with a bag of shells and something shiny.

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2:23 am, Nov 15, 2009
Weaver

Why does that photo make me uncomfortable?

Americans are like fat and self-indulgent children...aka "Willy Wonka." We have no clue what's been going on behind our backs and in our name for decades now. Just keep the cheap sneaks and fast food coming...

Post Bush. The gravity of our situation is not lost on Obama; our first 21st century president. He's also navigating through the fall of the American Empire. Obama is very smart. He's mending global fences. God, this hurts.

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12:11 am, Nov 15, 2009
oliverckerr

Obama did NOT have to bow to the Japanese Emperor. In so doing he spit on the graves of a couple hundred thousand soldiers who fought to dissolve the emperor's royalty.

The rising sun generals did the planning but it was the emperor who gave the order to attack the Pearl and begin the second world war.

I'm a candidate for president. In the last election i voted for me. I wrote in my name. I'm glad Obama won. He presented an opportunity for America to turn th page on the pigment impediment.

But i look at that picture of Obama bowing and I am likng him less and less. He needs a guide.

michaelslevinson.com

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12:18 am, Nov 15, 2009
BossChang

IT'S CALLED RESPECT YOU KNEE-JERK DOUCHEBAGS! WE DON'T LIVE ON THIS PLANET ALONE.

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2:12 am, Nov 15, 2009
OldCrow

Heads of State do not bow to Emperors, unless of course their country has been conquered. Another rookie mistake.

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6:45 am, Nov 15, 2009
tolatetocry

oh my, what's he gonna kiss when he gets to Beijing!

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1:00 am, Nov 15, 2009
octavio

This oliverckerr is full of B.S.The only ones that will vote for him as
a president are michaelslevinson and the the kkk.He forgot to add his tirade about letting that fattening Macdonalds restaurant tax 2 extra cents to their obese customers et cetera.Mcdonals restaurant adds formaldehyde to their french
fries.This is the reason the french fries last longer than the
customers.The extra 2 cents tax should be used to buy a coffin for Mcdonals's obese customers.

The french government is requesting that people
start calling the french fries american fries.

So far Obama has demonstrated a lot more class and
integrity and he is more qualified
than the Bushes,Reagan,Nixon and all the crooked republican
senators.

These oliverckerr,rush limbau,and the other crooked paid republican mouth pieces could not even perform Obama's errands.

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1:28 am, Nov 15, 2009
jethrothought

idiot! bowing is a sign of subservience, like a slave to his master. the only "class" obama belongs to is "without class".

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3:48 am, Nov 16, 2009
CommonSensePleeze


That's you bloody Headline....

What happened to Substantive Relevant News ...
Trash, DB your becoming utter trash

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2:32 am, Nov 15, 2009
msw444

That crack about turning the currency into wampum made me howl with laughter. Very funny stuff. But then I often get more of a kick out of the comments, (both left and right of center), than I do from the articles.

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7:58 am, Nov 15, 2009
misterdon

Setting aside the inevitable carping about whether it is appropriate for a U.S. President to abandon hundreds of years of protocol with regard to bowing to foreign leaders, it would be nice if the Chicago bozos that advise Obama on these kabuki performances had enough respect for the other cultures to at least get the gestures right. Perhaps it IS time to get past the old protocols. Who knows?

But, like many things, the gesture of bowing in Japan is a very structured ritual (especially ceremonial bowing to the Emperor and similar dignitaries). To Americans who really don't respect other culture's customs anyway, this may just seem to be a detail. But, in a case like this, getting the details right IS respecting the customs. And failing to get the details right is simply cheap, disrespectful, theater.

The "rules" for bowing in Japan are complex. Because the bow is used to convey many messages. Depending on the stature of the respective "bowers" the extent of each party's participation may convey respect, subservience, obedience, apology and other things. A relatively deeper bow by one party to the other is NOT a recognition of equality or respect. It is a recognition of the superiority of the "lesser bowing" party.

Now I am sure that many who understand this will complain that Obama's gesture was exactly that -- recognition of his inferiority to the Emperor. I doubt that. It was more likely a gesture made in ignorance of the customs of the culture. And that is my problem with it. If Obama is going to flit about the world with a message that our country is going to start respecting other countries and their cultures it would serve him (and his bozo Chicago advisors) well if they took the time to be actually be respectful by learning something about those cultures and customs.

As it is, Obama bowed, the cameras snapped and he did little to increase the impression that he was interested in doing anything other than creating an empty photo op. Certainly, he did nothing to further convince Japan that we respect or understand their culture. He might consider the possibility that if it is worth undertaking gestures that bridge our cultural differences, that he get it right.

iPods as State gifts. Petting the Queen. Hopefully he will refrain from sticking his tongue in Sarkozy's mouth the next time they meet because "that's the way it's done in France."



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8:27 am, Nov 15, 2009
ImNoPUNK

Obama bows to kings over seas........ while back at home 30 million queens are gettin stabbed in the back.

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12:09 pm, Nov 15, 2009
jethrothought

bowing is a sign of subservience, don't be fooled, this is just another trip to get free bling for his crib. what idiodic move will he make next?

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3:49 am, Nov 16, 2009
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Obama's Diplomatic Journey

by The Daily Beast

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