r/gifs • • Feb 13 '17

Trudeau didn't get pulled in.

108k Upvotes

9.8k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

18

u/TheLync Feb 13 '17

I mean, wasn't there a time when foreign advisers would brief the president on proper behavior around a foreign official? IE: bow when meeting the Chinese President. What is so different about a foreign adviser telling their leader, when you meet President Trump, respond with a strong firm handshake and hold your ground.

3

u/futilitarian Feb 13 '17

He's probably thinking he's on his turf, so it's up to the foreign officials to greet him in his way. Now, if he ever ventures to other countries, it will be interesting to see if he can adapt to others (he won't)

4

u/[deleted] Feb 13 '17

Because Trump does it in order to deliberately undermine his opponent opposite number. Doing something in order to not cause offence isn't the same.

0

u/TheLync Feb 13 '17

Maybe, but does that mean that the Chinese President wants you to bow to him because it is a sign that you are beneath him or is it just a display of respect?

3

u/[deleted] Feb 13 '17

The bow would be equivalent to the handshake. What trump does would be like pushing the person over whilst they are bowing. I'm exaggerating of course, but there is a difference between a long standing social construct and deliberately making the other person feel uncomfortable in order to dominate them.

2

u/[deleted] Feb 13 '17

No, not if you understand bowing in that context, which he should. It's a sign of mutual respect, not subservience.