14 November 2009

Stupid President



I don't really dislike Barrack Obama. He's no Bill Clinton -- the best president in my life time I never voted for -- but he isn't (yet) Jimmy Carter, either. I'm all for an arrogant foreign policy but I do understand why the nation was ready for a break.

But Obama's habit of kowtowing (almost literally) to foreign prince's and potentate's is disgusting. And not just disgusting, but stupid. He's the American president. He's the head of state. HE IS THEIR EQUAL. He is their equal on principal, because that's what Americans believe, so no American should give Elizabeth or Abdullah or Emperor What-his-face-sama anything but a brief nod. But he's also their equal as a matter of mere protocol. The Administration just looks dumb when they do this and I wish they would stop it.

7 comments:

Harry Eagar said...

As a traditionalist, I wish somebody would tell him about J.Q. Adams refusing to wear short pants to see King George IV. A great to-do in its day.

Anonymous said...

Perhaps His Majesty will agree to help Obama save face on his next trip to the States by greeting him with a high five and a "Yo, bro!".

Anonymous said...

"so no American should give Elizabeth or Abdullah or Emperor What-his-face-sama anything but a brief nod."

Well, note that he didn't bow to Queen Elizabeth, as far as I know. Abdullah & Akihito got what went far beyond bowing to what could reasonably be described as kowtowing.

Brit said...

Not bowing to Liz would be the smaller thing to do. You can be as rude as you like to Gordon (and Obama already has been) buthumour us with the royalty thing, it's harmless.

Harry Eagar said...

Adams didn't humor George.

Brit said...

Yeah, time to grow up now, Harry.

Anonymous said...

Brit: American presidents, like the American flag, "dip for no earthly king." Humor us on this.

The pathetic act relative to "Liz" wasn't to not bow, it was showing such contempt for her with that insulting iPod "gift." Along with the immediate return of the Churchill bust, it shows the guy has some serious issues with the UK. Maybe he was turned down for a Rhodes scholarship and has never forgotten the snub?

I think we should try to stir up some lefty internecine warfare by pointing out that Obama bows to male monarchs but not female ones.