The predictable response to criticism surrounding Obama’s botched bow to Emperor Akihito this weekend has been to claim that the outrage is a contrived creation of the political right-wing. However, the Japanese themselves are obviously just as embarrassed about the whole spectacle.

Despite the fact that Obama was widely criticized for bowing to King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, an incident the White House ludicrously tried to deny even though it was plain as day on video, he again prostrated himself before royalty by awkwardly lurching forward at a near 90 degree angle to show his fealty to the Japanese Emperor and his wife at the Imperial Palace on Saturday.

Top Japanese newspapers like Kyodo have refused to print the image out of embarrassment. Video footage of the entire exchange shows Obama profusely bowing like a house servant no less than seven times in the space of under 30 seconds.

“Kyodo News is running his appropriate and reciprocated nod and shake with the Empress, certainly to show the president as dignified, and not in the form of a first year English teacher trying to impress with Karate Kid-level knowledge of Japanese customs,” writes a source quoted by ABC News’ Jake Tapper.

“Obama’s handshake/forward lurch was so jarring and inappropriate it recalls Bush’s back-rub of Merkel,” he adds.

Tapper’s source highlights the fact that it’s not just right-wingers in America who are unhappy about Obama’s body language.

“The bow as he performed did not just display weakness in Red State terms, but evoked weakness in Japanese terms….The last thing the Japanese want or need is a weak looking American president and, again, in all ways, he unintentionally played that part.”

Why is this important? On every single occasion, Obama has gone out of his way to display inferiority and fealty to foreign royalty. Not only is this considered a violation of state department protocol, which decrees that presidents bow to no one, it also goes against the grain of historical American opposition to Kings and Emperors.

Article by Paul J Watson

Do you think it's appropriate for America's President to bow so deeply to foreign dignitaries?

 (yes, a little lengthy, but relevant anyway. Stay with me. I wrote this with a 3 year old on my lap playing bouncy baby . I think it's completely understandable, but then again, I'm also singing the Barney song in nauseating repetition while editing)


Just a few thoughts on Health Care

When my daughter died years ago after 7 long months in the hospital, I consequently lost everything. My home, car, job, etc etc. I went belly up financially speaking. I only mention that because this is the premise often used for support of government run health care. "Why should you go bankrupt for sickness?" Well, I agree, it stinks that this happens in life, but then again I chalk it up to it being part of LIFE. But I digress.

After it was all said and done, I was forced to apply for food stamps and medical coverage aka... medicaid. What I found out pretty quickly was that it was a good thing that I didn't own a home, or a car, or a savings account anymore. I couldn't have jewelry worth very much, no christmas account, no life insurance etc...no, I couldn't have any of those things if I needed government help. The government would not help me if I owned, or possessed those items of value. In fact, the only reason I was able to receive medical coverage was because I was a woman w/o a job and with children.
Typically, unless you are pregnant, a parent who is financially broken, an Indian or handicapped, you can't receive medicaid aka...government run health coverage. Then, I had to face finding another job with 4 kids at home to care for. My only income was child support. And while the average sane person wouldn't consider child support "income", the government however, does. Because I received 800.00 a month from my ex husband to support our kids (court ordered) the government said I "made" too much money to receive financial assistance.

I had to figure out how to pay for all my utilities and rent inside of 800 bucks. Not to mention my childrens clothing, school supplies, tampons, toiletries and household detergents--gotta wash those clothes you know and still have money to put inside of those coin operated machines. Then I had to find a job, which was made extremely difficult because I couldn't buy a car. If I did, it would be allowed, but it would have to be worth nothing and basically a heap of junk to be considered appropriate by the government to receive their help (they use blue book values to to decide for you what you can and cannot drive). So I walked. When I finally found a job, I discovered (to my dismay) that if I stayed there longer than ten days (the time the govt gives you to report changes in your income) than I would be making "too much" money and the government would reduce my food stamps to equalize the help I was getting with the work I was doing. Needless to say, that it was an easy choice between making a little head way monetarily and feeding my children. So I left that job almost as soon as I was hired, and found another working at a little convenience store making minimum wage. Minimum wage is acceptable to the government, as long as it's part time --can't make too much money to actually buy clothes with you know. Aside from that,
I got automated phone calls telling ME when to take my children to the doctor.Who knows better than I, when my babies need to see the physician? The catch is, if you don't stay up to par with medical visits, then you can be charged with neglect under government welfare statutes and have your children taken. The other catch--we didn't any longer have a car, so the government provided me with "car pooling" or medical transport services to get there. 
I couldn't see the gynecologist when I needed to. I had to be approved first. Oops--if I'm not pregnant--then my family doctor could deal with whatever female problem I was having.(seriously)  I couldn't see my childrens MD, who wasn't even a pediatrician, because we weren't in the same payment group. No, my doctor was 22 miles away from home, and the only way I could change that was to first seek government approval, then wait for the approval, and possibly wait for an opening for a doctor who would accept medicaid.

So here's my thing. I don't like welfare of any sort, because while it seems that it helps the needy, it is, in actuality, a place that's sole purpose is keep you down, to keep you stuck and to keep you dependent. Your actions and lifestyle are to a large degree controlled. You are even lawfully required to open your home to social services without a warrant if you receive government assistance, so that they may inspect your home, and evaluate your children.


For all of you who think that govt run health care is a good thing...you might want to know a few things. Do you know that  you will have to disclose your income changes to the government for health care purposes (pg 260)- Each time your income changes? Yikes! Nothing different from receiving "welfare" on that point.

Do you know that every single person in the US and it's territories will have to prove "acceptable" (as defined by the govt) health care coverage to the government, or you will face an extra tax and penalties if you don't pay that tax? (sec. 501 pg 296- line 16) Collectible of course by IRS codes, revamped for Health Care.

 The words "cost containment measures" are all over the bill when it refers to providing health care--Cost containment is the same thing as "rationing". Do you know that the premiums on (pg 22 & 23) are up to 5 k for an individual and 10 k for a family (cost sharing), your annual deductible will not exceed 1500$, and the Secretary (govt appointed) will determine what treatment or benefits are covered?  OH, did you think it would be free?? No. It's not free. And you won't have a choice. If government competition drives cost, and makes it virtually impossible for employers to cover their employees, then those employers will be fined 100.00 a day until they do cover their workers, or 500 thousand dollars maximum (sec 501--pgs291 starting at line 19 thru pg 294). Knowing that, could you not agree that this bill is a Trojan horse to eliminate all private coverage paving the way for a single payer system?

For those of you who think that Obama/Pelosi care is reform that's good for the nation, I understand that you are more or less wonderful people-- You love humanity, and you don't want to see anyone suffer needlessly because they can't afford insurance. I completely understand that. I feel the same way. But, I have to submit a question (or 2) for your consideration.

1. What makes you believe that the government will be better able to provide for it's citizens than they can on their own?
2. Why do you think the government isn't interested in reforming themselves in any function of service they provide to it's citizens?

In summary, it makes absolutely zero sense that if the government can't reform it's own rules and standards for providing health care in it's current form (medicaid) that they should be allowed to reform the health care industry as a whole. If the government is so concerned about providing "adequate" health coverage, then why not change all of it's own current policies regarding medicaid? As of today, it's still locks out needy Americans. Unless you are pregnant, a mother or a single dad without a job, handicapped, or an Indian, you don't qualify. Where is the government's concern now for those who just need secondary insurance to keep them from going bankrupt to pay for catastrophic illness? Where are they for the single Mom who works 2 jobs yet still can't afford to feed her kids and by insurance?

Some of you think government has your best interest at heart, even though they take most of your money taxing everything you do ; Even though they overspend into the trillions while still giving themselves pay raises. IMO, this bill is another facet of government need to take from your labor, and pass the debt onto your kids, while one day taking more out of theirs. It's also a way for the government to control every aspect of your life in more ways than you've imagined. Unless you've been a parent on welfare, then you can't imagine it.

Reform, needs to happen, but if Congress won't start with the simple programs under their control, then you're kidding yourselves if you think that they will not plunder an impending health care bureaucracy creating more debt and more harm than good. Why don't any of you spend the time looking into the universal health care already provided to the Native American Indians and see for yourselves the horrendous care and lack of money due to "cost containment" measures that's provided for them? Just google it. Hundreds of stories are all there for you to read and judge what governmental standards are for care in this country.

It bothers me greatly, that in an effort to support a President, so many of you will put the blinders on, lose complete sound reasoning and live for emotional pleas instead of logical assessment based on criteria of a tried and proven past. Critical thinking has lost it's way for the bleeding heart emotional American and the few who will stand up are maligned and ostracized as though we're racist or uncaring individuals. It's a pathetic day for America when we don't have the collective wisdom to keep our government from spending our childrens future, while simultaneously wanting them to take care of us. It's rather sickening.





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