The "proper" way to salute

[kelsokid18]

I was just watching Commander-in-Chief Obama make his inspection of the troops, and when he salutes, his upper knuckles seem to make a ski jump in the middle of his hand, if memory serves, aren't the knuckles supposed to be down flat?

[xippilli]

Hands and knuckles flat and straight, like a karate chop in your right hand. From your shoulder to your elbow, will be parallel to the ground. From there, your middle finger will touch the very end of your right eyebrow. The hand will be slanted forward, as if in a 45 degree. This will be at attention.

It's really not difficult. Though it seems the higher in rank you are, the shittier your salute becomes.

[pygar]

I was watching the end of the inauguration and just before he got into his car to go to the white house. Obama went to shake the hand of the short fat uniformed man, the man ignored it and saluted instead.

Obama sort of done a flimsy half salute half itching the forehead thing and then shook his hand.

I don't think he was ever taught how to salute. He was never in the Armed Services.

EDIT: Why the fuck is the president also the commander in chief, hasn't America heard of "separation of powers"? It's just a bad idea to have a politician in charge of the army.

[AE5150]

I was watching the end of the inauguration and just before he got into his car to go to the white house. Obama went to shake the hand of the short fat uniformed man, the man ignored it and saluted instead.

Obama sort of done a flimsy half salute half itching the forehead thing and then shook his hand.

I don't think he was ever taught how to salute. He was never in the Armed Services.

EDIT: Why the fuck is the president also the commander in chief, hasn't America heard of "separation of powers"? It's just a bad idea to have a politician in charge of the army.

Ideally, the President cannot enact military action past a certain amount of time (90 days, I believe) without the consent of Congress. In practice, however...well, hell, man, it's politics. We'd be here all night if I tried to explain every "exception to the rule" we've dealt with over our history.

At the beginning, though, it was very reasonable to assume that the President would be Commander in Chief, given that historical warfare 200 odd years ago was a bit of a different game.

[xippilli]

I was watching the end of the inauguration and just before he got into his car to go to the white house. Obama went to shake the hand of the short fat uniformed man, the man ignored it and saluted instead.

Obama sort of done a flimsy half salute half itching the forehead thing and then shook his hand.

What a dirtbag. If someone you're meant to salute offers you their hand, you shake it, THEN salute, not ignore their handshake. Thats a slap in the face, and to the president, no less.

[youngnastyman]

What a dirtbag. If someone you're meant to salute offers you their hand, you shake it, THEN salute, not ignore their handshake. Thats a slap in the face, and to the president, no less.

agreed.

here's what Obama SHOULD have done:

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff302/slypuck2/ObamaHellNo.jpg

[Valkyr]

I was watching the end of the inauguration and just before he got into his car to go to the white house. Obama went to shake the hand of the short fat uniformed man, the man ignored it and saluted instead.

Obama sort of done a flimsy half salute half itching the forehead thing and then shook his hand.

I don't think he was ever taught how to salute. He was never in the Armed Services.

EDIT: Why the fuck is the president also the commander in chief, hasn't America heard of "separation of powers"? It's just a bad idea to have a politician in charge of the army.

I see your from australia , i am also. Living in our semi-socialist society i have to point out that our "commander in chief" is the Govenor General who is not elected by the people nor does the govenor general represent the people. She (it is currently a she) represents the monarchy and constitutional law and has no obligation to act for the welfare of australia. Our Prime minister Kevin Rudd (who has improved workers rights and revolutionised the educational system in australia) would make a better commander than a woman who is never exposed to public opinion. The Americans have it right the Commander in cheif should be selected by the people adn held acountable to the people.

Polticians are kept honest by scrutiny. Monarchists are dictators born to power.

[3rdBullet]

A salute is an easy thing to fuck up if you've never been taught how to do it, Obama shouldn't have offered a salute, but the fat fucker should have taken the hand shake, so a breech of protocol on both parties.

[youngnastyman]

Polticians are kept honest by scrutiny.

Scrutiny can pressure somebody to lie as well.