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On November 14, 2009, the world as we know it almost ended. Forget the Mayan calendar, ignore a worldwide outbreak of a deadly flu virus, and don’t for a minute think about biblical prophecy and Armageddon. What happened on that fateful day makes pale any event imagined or ever foreseen. Truly, it was a day of infamy, for the president of the United States bowed when greeting the Emperor of Japan.
If you detect a note of sarcasm, you are correct.
That small courtesy produced a category 5 tempest in a teapot. But then, who could possibly be surprised at the Right’s latest excuse for faux-rage? Anyone old enough to remember Saturday Night Live, and Gilda Radner’s character, Emily Litella will recall her pithy observation, “If it’s not one thing, it’s another.”
Truly, Emily was wise.
As usual, there are deeper principles at play. It’s all about perception, and how we perceive the meaning of events is at the end of the day truly in the eyes of the beholder. Perceptions aren’t objective. They aren’t black and white. Perception is a domain in a land of many shades of gray, and perceptions demonstrate the range of incredible differences in people. In this case it demonstrates how people define their individual notion of weakness and strength, and what has become evident to me in this discussion is that real strength and the appearance of courage are very often unrelated.
Anyone who admires Gandhi or Yoda or Jean Luc Picard, or any other soft-spoken person, real or fictional who carries a big stick, can appreciate the strength of humility and the wisdom of granting respect to others, no matter how different those others be. Bluster is the language of fools, cowards and bullies. Courtesy and respect is the language of those who are confident, and those who have nothing to prove because they know they have to prove nothing. For those who are strong enough to demonstrate an unassuming nature, courtesy is a byproduct of strength.
There are those who say an American President should bow to no one. Sure, that sounds fine and patriotic on the surface, especially to those who are ignorant by choice or experience with the cultures of others. If one had no concept of Japan and the customs of that country, and if one were unaware of the deified status of the Emperor, and if one were insecure in their own strength and authority, then of course one could understand such a provincial and myopic outlook. Ignorance is forgivable. But that’s obviously not the case with the players that are making the loudest noises about this deferential greeting. At least, I hope an elected official would be somewhat aware of Japanese culture.
However, the ensuing hysteria came from wealthy, educated and literate American public officials and commentators. An awful lot of folks got truly wound up about this one. So it begs the question, do these folks have something to hide? Are they hiding their own insecurities about the United States in a blanket of bluster? Perhaps they think their outrage can disguise the elephants that have taken up residence in their living rooms. Perhaps they’re afraid that their own, personal fears will show if they don’t wail in protest. Perhaps they protest a bit too much and in doing so, have inadvertently shown their hand in the global poker game of politics.
For some time now I’ve mourned the loss of America the Brave. It was hard to not despair at the rush to buy weapons when President Obama was elected as our president. It’s hard to stomach the right wing constantly stoking the fires of fear and insecurity and using the tragic act of a handful of insane hyper vandals to do so. 9/11 has become a much, much larger tragedy than the collapse of buildings and the loss of thousands of innocents, and that’s saying a lot. It saddens me to see a good deal of this great nation’s citizenry reduced to a quaking, shivering mass of nervous, heavily armed scaredy cats.
In this, I can only hope that Americans can someday reclaim their courage and recognize that there are dangerous people in the world. I pray that someday Americans come to realize that there are far more people in this world who are sane and loving and kind. But until we as Americans can accept risk as a part of life, be it a risk from “terrorists” or the risk of crossing a busy intersection, then we will continue to live in fear. The fear mongers will flourish, blood and treasure will be wasted, and decency and courtesy to other cultures will continue to be suspect.
Truly, I miss the land of the brave. I miss the America that can applaud the strength of a leader, an America that understands strength and therefore, can demonstrate a generous spirit of courtesy and do so without fear.
Kurt Niece is a teacher, writer, artist and author. His latest work, "The Breath of Rapture" is a satirical novel about the perils of religious fundamentalism.
6 Comments
Nicely expressed, Kurt. We need a paradigm shift Marion Woodman asserts, from patriarchal power and control (intention to protect) “exceptionalism” mode to a humanist one of cooperation and partnership (intention to explore).
Thank you libby. I know, the patriarchs, with the aid of a few matriarchs have been blowing it for quite a while now. Macho posturing is so last century!
You are the land of the Patriot Act. Free..not so much.
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“With the health care debate preoccupying the mainstream media, it has gone virtually unreported that the Barack Obama administration is quietly supporting renewal of provisions of the George W. Bush-era USA Patriot Act that civil libertarians say infringe on basic freedoms. ”
http://ipsnorthamerica.net/news.php?idnews=2694
Obama followed the custom of the country he was in. How shocking say the fools of America. Obama stood in the country upon which was committed the greatest war crime in human history; the wiping off the map of Japanese civilians with atomic bombs. Obama was there in part to suck up. He wants the military bases to remain even though the Japanese people want the Americans gone. The new government released the paperwork proving that the previous governments were allowing American nuclear ships in Japanese waters and Obama wants that to continue. Thousands were in the streets protesting when Obama was there; not that you would know it considering the lack of MSM coverage. The Mayans say that 2012 is the start of the next 26,000 year cycle of civilization. I hope they are correct because the way America keeps killing people, and dropping DU around the earth, the earth and its people cannot take much more of American bravery.
“Isn’t the new global threat we face even more dangerous?
What is the greatest threat facing us now? People will say it’s terrorism. But are there any terrorists in the world who can change the American way of life or our political system? No. Can they knock down a building? Yes. Can they kill somebody? Yes. But can they change us? No. Only we can change ourselves. So what is the great threat we are facing?
I would approach this differently, in almost Marshall-like terms. What are the great opportunities out there—ones that we can take advantage of? It should not be just about creating alliances to deal with a guy in a cave in Pakistan. It should be about how do we create institutions that keep the world moving down a path of wealth creation, of increasing respect for human rights, creating democratic institutions, and increasing the efficiency and power of market economies? This is perhaps the most effective way to go after terrorists.
So you think we are getting too hunkered down and scared?
Yes! We are taking too much counsel of our fears.
“This doesn’t mean there isn’t a terrorist threat. There is a threat. And we should send in military forces when we have a target to deal with. We should also secure our airports, if that makes us safer. But let’s welcome every foreign student we can get our hands on. Let’s make sure that foreigners come to the Mayo Clinic here, and not the Mayo facility in Dubai or somewhere else. Let’s make sure people come to Disney World and not throw them up against the wall in Orlando simply because they have a Muslim name. Let’s also remember that this country was created by immigrants and thrives as a result of immigration, and we need a sound immigration policy. ”
http://www.gq.com/news-politics/newsmakers/200709/colin-powell-walter-isaacson-war-iraq-george-bush?currentPage=2
Well said Blue. I couldn’t agree more. If we, as Americans, continue to lose our liberty, good nature and generous spirit, then the terrorists win. At the end of the day, it’s our choice. I’d love to see an entire planeload of people refuse to take off their shoes next time they go through airport security. Enough is enough!