Well, you knew it was coming: Oba-Mao bows to ChiCom leader

Learn some protocol. Bowing in China is not subservience, but is a proper greeting in their culture.

 

They were not in China - they were in Washington.

 

Come on! It's just a greeting, that's all, and I suspect you know this already.

 

It is customary to bow to someone you owe many billions of dollars to...

 

Okay, you guys are right. He was bowing before his Communist master.

 

It is also very polite to bow slightly in our, the American culture, when meeting another person.

I ran across this the other day:

 

And, of course...the article has nothing whatsoever to do with the OP.

Remember...CTB loves to fuss at folks for "off-topic posts"--but he never quite manages to stay on topic himself...especially when the Greatest President He Has Ever Known is questioned...

 

And yet, the "conservative" Robert Snow said (when Obama bowed to Japan's Emperor Akihito):

So, "just a greeting" or not "just a greeting"? Which Robert Snow will show up to answer this?

 

My guess is you consider it off topic only because I did not join in the silly criticism of a bow. A bow is considered polite almost everywhere in the world. In China, as here, a slight bow is simply good manners. In ancient China to show that another is superior a person got down on their knees and touched their forehead to the ground three times, or bowed down, while in their knees, stretching their hands out in front of until they were told to sit up. Often the person would make his wants known from the bowed down position.

I do not know where you grew up, but in the part of the South where I grew up if I did not give a slight bow when meeting a respected person or a pastor I was in trouble with my parents. It was a show of respect, not subservience.

 

Your parents were strange then, because no where in the South have I ever seen anyone bowing to anyone else.

 

Perhaps you are too young to remember. Men tipped their hats, there were slight bows, you said "Yes sir," or" Yes mam," the same with No. There were manners and everyone was expected to be polite. Seems that is no longer true.

 

I figured you more of the "curtsy" type.

If you would have noticed (you didn't), I didn't participate in the "bow" brigade...other than to make a comment about owing the Chinese too much money (which means every pres since Clinton, at least, would have needed to put their foreheads on the floor). Not exactly partisan, was I? I'm sure that disappoints you.

 

No, I do not follow your example in curtsying. In fact, I doubt I follow your impolite examples in any part of my life.

Congratulations.

 

Crabby: One day, maybe I will shed my skin of stupidity, immaturity, and crudeness...and I can evolve into a pure being of light such as you. I'm honored that you would even care to speak to such an insignificant, backward creature such as I. It must be difficult existing among such ignoble hominids. The only reason I know of the difficulties you must have is from the condescension you exhibit.


Confession to the BB: Sometimes, I rummage through CTB's garbage, just so I can be closer to greatness.

One day, I watched Crabby walk across a lake to heal an injured swan.

(for those not getting it, the above is "satire.")

 

Being raised in the south, tipping hats was/is customary, but that is not just a "southern" custom. Men tipping their hats has been going on for centuries;

manners of saying yes/no sir and yes/no ma'am also has been going on for quite a long time, also not just a "southern" custom.

Manner, although not as prominent today as in the past are still relevant and still used by a large number of people, therefore to say politeness is now a falsehood would itself be a false statement.

However, I was never taught to bow to any person. Guess I wasn't raised far enough south. :smilewinkgrin:

 

Are you oriental?