Sandra Stephens' post Land of a Thousand Bows reminded me of some remarks I had wanted to make about Obama and bowing:

There are different ways to show strength. I often think the neocons don't get this. They project a kind of cartoon underestanding of strength and weakness that attempts a sort of “Rule by Stereotype.”

In my dating days, I was warned that on dates with women I must never “show weakness.” Women prefer a strong man, or so goes the advice. I never found this to be true.

I do think it takes a certain level of strength to be comfortable enough showing weakness. But I think what the showing of weakness indicates to others is much more subtle than would be summarized by saying it was “always bad.”

Everyone is weak in some way or another, and people who are really comfortable this fact often send the message that they know who they are and are not bothered by it. Being willing to expose a weakness can, if done right, make the point “I have enough strength elsewhere that I can afford to not worry about sharing my weakness here.” This can, in turn, add an almost enigmatic power even while appearing to be utterly straightforward because it does not require one to reveal the source of strength.

In fact, the origin of the handshake is rooted in this same notion. The hand one shakes with is the weapon hand. Extending one's hand says, “I carry no weapon.” Superficially, this might be regarded as exposing weakness. But in showing that particular kind of weakness, one adds via the subtext, “I am not threatened.” This, in turn, shows strength.

I think Obama shows this kind of deep understanding of the symbolism of strength and weakness. He knows he commands from strength but doesn't feel a need to be forever beating others over the head with it. By contrast, when Cheney has historically refused to bow, it has shown what I would regard as weakness because it seems to project the notion that “the entire fate of the free world rests in my doing this gesture right, and if I slip up the US will be at risk.” Nothing could be less true, and by projecting that this is where the battle is fought, he has shown incredible short-sightedness.

It is said that one must pick one's battles. I'll go out on a limb and say that Obama has consciously elected his to be “not while greeting someone hello at a diplomatic event.” Obama's understanding that this can't possibly injure us shows strength.

I would liken the entire fuss over bowing to the superficial fuss over lapel pins, as a sign of patriotism. If our friends and enemies around the world come to think that we are ruled by the trivial, that's where I expect they will lose respect. And, indeed, they did lose respect for us in recent years. We only just recently got a lot of that respect back, in case the Republicans didn't notice.