Quote from Misthos:
I am not thrilled at this either, but for everyone that is outraged at this photo, or at Bush's "respect" of the Saudi royal family:
It's not 1955. We are no longer the world's largest producer and exporter of oil. We are no longer the world's largest creditor nation either.
We import 2/3 of our oil, which is almost a quarter of all the world oil production, and we also carry a huge deficit that needs constant interest rate payments and is growing evermore.
Gone are the days of hubris.
Sure, we have the best and most powerful military. And we can try to use it. But if you want to go that route, then go ahead and enlist in the army - no one is stopping you.
And by the way, a president does not bow to or kiss a world leader wondering what the little people back home may think. That is irrelevant. You and I are irrelevant. This is all about kissing foreign elite ass to benefit our elites, so our elites maintain their position.
It's not a Democrat or a Republican thing. So spare me the "my candidate/party" would act differently. Unless you are a centimillionare or a billionare - you are nobody and no one in government cares what you think.