Interpretations? Captions?
This is a photo from Obama's own Flickr site, so it presents Obama as Obama's people want him to be seen. Obsequious? Abasing? Or steady and serious in a difficult process of persuasion?
December 18, 2009
Obama and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao at the climate change conference in Copenhagen.
Interpretations? Captions?
This is a photo from Obama's own Flickr site, so it presents Obama as Obama's people want him to be seen. Obsequious? Abasing? Or steady and serious in a difficult process of persuasion?
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102 comments:
"The time for talk is over. By the way, do you speak English?"
HE'S BOWING AGAIN!
How much carbon went into growing those off season flowers in a climate controlled, lit greenhouse?
Unmoved (L) and Earnest discuss world issues.
She has these enormous carbon offsets.
Trey
A bubble over Jiaboa's head: "We still hate you, but we hate everyone else worse."
Bambi leans forward, concerned; the red Chinese leans back, relaxed.
The key to the picture is remembering how much of our paper Red China holds.
Blogger john said...
"HE'S BOWING AGAIN!"
Why, YES, he is!
So now what the hell are you going to do, big man?
The Obama people published this?
I do not see him as bowing to Premier Wen, but he is making no connection. Obama's eyes are closed. He is absorbed in his own gestures and words. Wen is upright, stiff, hands tightly clasped in front of him. This is a fending off posture, not a receptive one. The look on Wen's face is tight. You could say it's a skeptical look but I think it's more contempt or superiority.
Wen, a much smaller man than Obama, looms over him.
This is not a reassuring photo. The leaders of our friends and rivals are getting to know President Obama. They are not impressed.
"Dude, whatever. We gots the coal and we's gonna BURN it!"
"...so like I told the arresting officer, I admit I was naked...but it was my own house."
To be clear, Wen's who I'm quoting.
kentuckyliz said...
"How much carbon went into growing those off season flowers in a climate controlled, lit greenhouse?"
None. They were flown in from Brazil.
@edutcher - exactly.
Obama's eye line is the tell, he's toast and he knows it.
wv: sackd = Obama is 0-2 in Copenhagen.
Obama: "You have to understand. I really LIKE Chinese Checkers, but I'm just no good at it."
WV: piasing, as in the Chinese are piasing all over the climate change conference.
He looks condescending. Oh well.
Obama desperately tries to make the sale, but no joy tonight.
A bubble over Jiaboa's head: "We still hate you, but we hate everyone else worse."
One of the most sensible comments on this site w/r/t to foreign affairs in the larger sense than I've seen in ... oh, never mind.
The man in control watches the profligate spender try to con him one more time.
"Yeah, I know our debt is secured by our future production, but, listen, like I said: my guys are telling me that we can cut our carbon emissions by 75% and still grow our GDP at 4%, maybe 5% if we're lucky, each year for the next 10 years."
Obama looks like a teenager desperately trying to convince his father that he really, really needs a larger allowance.
The nonverbals here are clearly uncertainty and appeasement on Obama's part and supeiority and condecension on Wen Jiabao's part.
"Dad, if you can just loan me thirty more dollars until next Tuesday... I've got my stereo up on Craig's list and I've lowered the price so I'm sure someone will buy it... Mom still owes me four dollars for the B+'s I got on my last report card. Pleeeze, Dad, I neeeed the money and I promise to pay it back, if not next Tuesday, then by one after that for sure."
This is a photo from Obama's own Flickr site, so it presents Obama as Obama's people want him to be seen. Obsequious? Abasing? Or steady and serious in a difficult process of persuasion?
No, Ann. Kennedyesque.
A year later, the world as we knew it was almost destroyed because Khruschev smelt the inexperienced vanity of the man.
Cheers,
Victoria
Adam wrote:
Unmoved (L) and Earnest discuss world issues.
LOL! It's got a certain Oscar Wilde sensibility about it.
Obama's saying, "If there was something I could do to please Althouse and most of her commenters, I would do it, but I can't just let Sarah Palin take over for me which is what they really want, so as you can see, Wen, it's a tough situation."
Obama's already starting to look like hell, only one year in.
Verification Word: boozy
What I've been since 11/4/08
PALLADIAN! I wondered where you were all day.
B.O.: Listen, Wen, I got your money. I got it right... ummm... I mean... I just gotta take care of a few things and...
W.J. stares, says nothing.
B.O.: I just gotta take care of a few things and then I'll... I know! How about I write you a check?
W.J. stares, says nothing.
B.O.: I'll have to post-date...
W.J. stares, says nothing.
B.O.: Okay. Well maybe that's not such a good idea. But I swear! Really, this time is not like the last time...
Wen is looking his direction and contemplating when he should ask Obama to kiss him like he asked Obama in the SNL skit.
"PALLADIAN! I wondered where you were all day."
Drinking and scrounging for change.
"Really, it was the biggest cockroach I ever saw."
Wen to Obama, "Read my lips."
I wonder if Wen can press his lips any tighter together than they already are? He definitely looks unconvinced.
Tight, here.
Let's see how this plays out, ladies and gentlemen.
With very few cards to left to play, Obama looks like he's attempting to seize the advantage over his Asian counterpart by gesturing, "that's about how big mine is, how about you, noodle dick?"
Toonces does look like one of those waiters who squats.
Ah, so solly missa presiden, we no berieve in brack jesuh.
You got it,
Methadras.
Now off to bed.
We can pretend to disagree tomorrow.
Jiabao: Are those flowers on the table for me?
Obama: What?
Jiabao: I said, are those flowers on the table for me?
Obama: I don't understand. Why would I bring you flowers?
Jiabao: Because I like to be brought flowers when someone is trying to have sex with me!
Obama: "I need to borrow some more money."
Jiabao: "How much do you need this time?"
Obama: "About this much."
Jiabao: "WTF?"
Obama's still doing the clean and articulate act that's gotten him a pass his whole life.
Nobody thinks of him as black today though, so it comes off as incompetence.
"Yes, yes, for the thousandth time I apologize for Chop Suey."
"That's all very nice Obama, but how can you talk about any of this with a straight face when Climategate is going on?"
AC's right on. The only thing missing is the translator. This shot is right before Wen's historic utterance "Do I look like Mrs. Obama?"
Althouse:
This is the posture of the mature banker who is fending off yet another appeal by a bad creditor for money to open up another one of his "Lead-Pipe-Cinch, Sure-to-Make-Money, Used Car Lots". The only thing missing is Obama's plaid jacket and K-Mart necktie.
Jesus. That photo just screams "Contempt. Slight Regard".
The only thing that would have been funnier would have been a photo of Wen looking at his watch.
That the Obama people thought that THIS photograph put their guy in a good light shows you how clueless Robert Gibbs and Company actually are to the true state of things.
Caption: Chinese Banker watching Deadbeat who wants another loan or he threatens to quit his job.
"So, I grab Andy Stern's head like this and say 'the time for talk is over, sex me now!"
Bubble over Wen's head should say "Do I look like Mrs. Obama?"
Obama -- Y'know Wen, I could pull your head right off your body.
Wen [sits bolt upright] -- I see you fuckers are serious.
But really -- Obama's saying things that would be perceived as threats if he was eye-to-eye with Wen.
fls--
I've read your comments more than once, and have come to the conclusion that you haven't had enough coffee yet.
I'm in the flower business, and know what it takes to have 'Daisies in Denmark in December.'
Not that flowers are wrong, but in this particular context they demonstrate that the participants are not really serious.
Everything is so Nice: luxurious flowers, fresh fruit, top-notch hotels, private jets and free call-girls for them ... and at the root of it they wish to force US per capita carbon production down to the levels of 1880 -- which is about the same as Haiti today.
Clearly they don't expect to live under such a constraining system. They intend to run it.
"How much carbon went into growing those off season flowers in a climate controlled, lit greenhouse?"
None. They were flown in from Brazil.
By European Swallows. (Air speed debatable)
Bart
"Some animals are more equal than others."
From the one book every teenager should be required to read. Maybe the best book ever. Maybe my favorite book. Maybe I'll read it again.
O:
But I DID bow lower than to you than I did to the Japanese Emperor!
Gimme another chance..........PLEASE!!!!!
Jibo:
We OWN you, Sucka!
But I DID bow lower to you...
So Ralphie gets his Red Ryder BB gun for Christmas, and fires one that almost took his eye out, but he tells his mom it was an icicle. Then the Bumpus's dogs come tearing through the open door and knock the turkey onto the ground and tear into it, ruining the Christmas dinner, and they all went down to the Chinese restaurant and had Peking duck and the waiters sang Fah rah rah rah rah -rah rah rah raaah.
Man, what a great movie.
So, you want me to grab your thighs just above your knees like this, and get my nose all the way in there?"
Obama has terrible posture in that picture. It makes me hurt just to look at it. Sit up straight!
The photo is very telling. And that they put it out says so much about how tone deaf the junior high school kids are who are running the country today (yes you Rahm).
When Obama believes he is winning, his head is never bowed. He's looking right down his nose at you. He doesn't want to just beat you, he wants you to know that he utterly disdains you.
It's complete and total arrogance. He's constantly looking down his nose at the country. It's quite off-putting.
It's plainly obvious in this photo, however, who is the man in charge.
Nice one, Meade. My caption:
"Now when you call me a 'nigger',..."
From the position of Obama's hands, it looks like he's discussing the length of something. Wen Jiabao is aghast.
Obama is going down on the China guy ... man, he'll do anything for attention and approval.
In the car biz we would observe salesmen's posture to get an idea how the deal was going. If we saw this we would send in a floor manager. Obama is trying very hard to sell a position that Wen is not buying. He's no longer looking at the customer but is immersed in his pitch.
"From the one book every teenager should be required to read. Maybe the best book ever. Maybe my favorite book. Maybe I'll read it again."
Why? Why read about it when we are living it first hand?
"I honor you with what were the original words to the ode-poem from the prophet Bob...
'The answer my friend is bowing to the Wen...
The answer is bowing to the Wen.' "
Adam:
Unmoved (L) and Earnest discuss world issues.
How about:
The long lost Jim Varney film, "Ernest Grabs His Ankles"
I think Obama was explaining to the Premier what would happen to him if he kept him waiting a THIRD time.
Is this the scene from Deliverance where he squeals like a pig?
Haven't read all the coments closely - maybe someone else has raised this:
Is Wen sitting like a woman sits?
His legs are crossed and his hands are clasped together in front of his kneecap.
I've never seen a man sit with that posture.
I think he is talking about Al Franken's dick move.
"It's like I said Wen, we'll pay back every dime... no worries. Why don't you stop by the White House for a beer later?"
JohnG wrote:
His legs are crossed and his hands are clasped together in front of his kneecap.
I've never seen a man sit with that posture.
If you're American, and especially if you're male, you're not used to that pose but I can assure you it's quite common for men around the world -- it's considered more elegant to cross your legs. That number 4 over the knees is considered vulgar.
Cheers,
Victoria
Obama: "By borrowing a hundred billion dollars from you and handing it out to kleptocracies around the globe, I hope to create a steady stream of income and pay you back very soon!"
Wen, thinking to himself: I'm selling my Treasuries as soon as I get back home. No, check that, I'm going to text my broker as soon as I get rid of this bozo.
All the Presidents from my lifetime LBJ Kennedy Nixon, Carter Reagan, Clinton, Bush 1 or 2, hell even Carter.... I can't imagine any of them in a photo that conveys such weakness being officially released by their handlers. This is stupefyingly foolish and weak.
This reminds me of how Edwards looked in the vice-presidential debated with Cheney: he's a teenage who has been sent to the principal's office.
Looking at the large version, it seems Wen is indignant and disgusted, but also having some sort of revelation, as if he's seeing something new (it's not good). And of course he's carefully trying to hide all this by portraying himself as in control.
I view this as a highly trained, very talented public official looking down at an undisciplined commoner who's making a long list of obvious mistakes and probably unintended insults. Eegads, he thinks: China talks about being run by ordinary people, but that place really is.
Saw a comment from an O supporter, on this pic. She said, "clearly China is closed, and America is open." She ended with effusive praise for Obama.
So, apparently this is the perspective they have.
BHO: "Please, sir, let me have something so I can call it a win. I can't come home from Copenhagen again having lost. Anything. Just a little morsel."
Wen: "I will grant your request but I better never hear any complaints about poisonous toys from China ever again."
Wen, in an aside to his translator, "Do not these barbarians know they are dealing with the Middle Kingdom? They are such childish fools."
So, we have this lockbox, and that's where we have the money to pay but it's temporarily locked and in a very secure place, and we just need a few more trillion to tide us over till we can open it."
"Obama: When you pay off the first baseman every month, Hu gets the money?
Jiabao: Every dollar of it."
Obama thinks he's talking seriously about a serious issue and Premier Jiabao is receiving a supplicant. Obama is wrong as usual, but this time for reasons different than his critics normally accuse because this time Obama has no idea the role he is playing.
I'll gladly pay you Tuesday, for a hamburger today.
Obama: Dude, this isn't even gambling. My cousin Vinny knows this guy whose sister is married to one of the trainers. This is a lock. I just need a little seed money and I can pay you back, plus the vig.
Here's a photoshop version in lieu of a caption: http://optoons.blogspot.com/2009/12/white-house-releases-photos-of.html
Reprimanded by China's Premier Wen Jiabao, President Obama moves to kowtow in apology.
It's not a bow. It's worse.
Obama is trying to look intelligent. He’s in “professor” mode, attempting to lecture the student on his rude behavior during a lecture. He’s trying to put forth a posture of earnestness; that he’s acting in his student’s best interests, while maintaining an air of detached authority.
One problem. Wen Jiabao is not the student. Wen has been through the political crucible of the Chinese Communist Party, and has seen and done more than Obama can ever dream of. He’s a pure political creature in a way that Obama could never hope to master.
The look on Wen Jiabao’s face is that of utter contempt. He is insulted by the presumption telegraphed by Obama’s posture. Wen Jiabao must be thinking, “How dare this dog - this bitch - lecture me on my economic priorities. I own this pathetic naif!”
"And then once, at Community Organization Camp..."
Victoria
It's not the crossed legs that I'm puzzled by - it's fairly common this side of the pond for American men too.
It's the combination of crossed legs and the placement of clasped hands at the knees that I find unusual for a man.
That's a quite common posture for a woman but is unusual, perhaps unique, for a man.
Obama's face is classic Passive-Aggressive.
Wen, I respect you, and Ima let you finish. But Al Gore made the best schlockumentary ever. THE BEST SCHLOCKUMENTARY EVER!
It's not the crossed legs that I'm puzzled by - it's fairly common this side of the pond for American men too.
Common, yes. But frowned upon as effeminate, I thought, John.
It's the combination of crossed legs and the placement of clasped hands at the knees that I find unusual for a man.
That's a quite common posture for a woman but is unusual, perhaps unique, for a man.
Yes, I do agree with that. Frankly, he looks nerdy to me, more than submissively feminine. He may think himself in a position of power (and he is), but there is something about him I cannot take seriously. I daresay Obama doesn't either, despite the bowing posture.
The man of the left being dissed by the "real" man of the left. Obama is not in a position of power and he knows it. I would be surprised if the Chinese aren't already giving Obama his talking points and policy positions. Why does Obama not realize that "a picture is worth a thousand words?" Cheers.
In the future Obama will be regarded as we in Canada regard Pierre Elliot Trudeau, (also a Marxist) as the man who ruined our country.
America may not survive that evil idiot.
Wen Jiabao: Describe what Wen Jiabao looks like!
Obama: What, I-?
Wen Jiabao [pointing his gun]: Say what again. SAY WHAT AGAIN. I dare you, I double dare you, motherfucker. Say what one more goddamn time.
Obama: He's Ch-Ch-Chinese...
Wen Jiabao: Go on.
Obama: He's short...
Wen Jiabao: Does he look like a bitch?
Obama: What?
Wen Jiabao shoots Barack in shoulder.
SFX: BANG!
Wen Jiabao: DOES HE LOOK LIKE A BITCH?
Obama: No!
Wen Jiabao: Then why you try to fuck him like a bitch, Barack?
Let me try that explanation again.
Linked!
On the left, a statesman. On the right, a disrespectful, childish American hunkering down for some informal, down-home patronizing and gossipy, water-cooler-style chit-chat.
Condescending.
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