Culturally Obtuse.

      Someone in our community once again, in a letter to the editor,  raised an issue which seems to permeate the far right, washed and unwashed; that being general cultural illiteracy. In this case it was a defense of the fact that Donald Trump, apparently with forethought, chose not to bow when introduced to the Emperor of Japan.

      The writer vociferously defended the Cheetoh in Chief, apparently because in their mind, addled as it is, courtesy and subservience are one and the same. It is truly sad to consider that for some of our fellow citizens, even the rudiments of diplomacy and protocol are signs of weakness, vice respect for cultural norms. The writer ends with the statement that, "No American president should bow to anyone other than 'The God of Abraham!"

      What I find at once appalling and ironic is that I'm pretty sure the latter personage has very little of Trump's respect, since his ego locker has little space for any other than Trump, himself.

      Several years ago, around the beginning of the campaign season in 2012, ex-Seal, now Interior secretary, Ryan Zinke scathingly denounced then President Obama's bow when greeting the Emperor of Japan. The venom fairly dripped from the page, in the following "This president is shaping America to be one of the followers, to relinquish our role as a world leader. I didn’t fight 23 years as a Navy SEAL to watch America bow to anybody.” Taken at face value, it would seem that Zinke believes that no other US head of State has ever bowed to any other foreign leader.

      Of course, it is of interest to realize that Zinke himself retired because his own judgment was questioned in a final fitness report as follows: The fitness report, signed by retired Vice Adm. Albert M. Calland III, who was the commander of the Naval Special Warfare Development Group, better known as SEAL Team 6, cited Mr. Zinke's "lapses in judgment" for his declining performance. Such language in these reports regularly prevents servicemen and women from rising to the highest officer ranks, ergo retirement is common while one still can before being required to. Oddly enough, this is not inconsistent with a general SEAL tendency to retire early, frequently to enter into civilian contracts doing much the same thing as their military assignments, killing people on command. Zinke, in his new job as Interior Secretary of course, has continued his mission of undoing what the Obama administration did with regard to national monuments.

      But enough about Zinke. Is he correct that American Presidents don't or shouldn't bow to foreign figures or that President Obama's bows were aberrant? The question is akin to "Should common courtesy and diplomacy apply in foreign relations?"

      As it happens, the "Bower in Chief" was George W. Bush, who has bowed to numerous persons with whom Zinke, I'm pretty sure would have issues. These include several Saudi princes and their king on several occasions, even kissing one on the mouth! Bush 43 was also positively obsequious in his bow and assumed reverence for former Hitler youth member, Pope Benedict.

      

Nothing says "I'm your Bitch" quite like a kiss on the lips!

Liz gets a bow!

And one for the former Nazi

      Richard Nixon demonstrated deep bows to both the Emperor of Japan and Chairman Mao. (you remember, that Chinese Communist guy, whose troops killed US servicemen in Korea?

   

"Hi. Too bad we won the war, huh?"

   Bush 41 also demonstrated proper grasp of protocol when bowing deeply before the casket of the WWII Japanese Emperor, Hirohito, whose forces had shot him from the sky in the Pacific! George H.W. Bush cited the deep bow as "respect," a concept with which secretary Zinke is perhaps unfamiliar, as we are certain Trump is. Of course, George H.W. also had the sense of balance to later vomit on a head of state.

      Earlier, Dwight Eisenhower actually bowed to Charles de Gaulle as well as Queen Elizabeth, a Pope, and even the head of the Greek Orthodox church. 

"Hi ya Chuck, 'sup? We won the war for ya!"

So you guys are sort of like Catholics, right?

       In summary, American Presidents displaying the courtesy traditional in such situations is the norm, not the exception. Trump's inexcusable behavior is the exception and is simply one more marker of his boorishness and general lack of either class or cultural intelligence. Hell, after blowing off the emperor he probably asked for ketchup with the sushi.