# "It's a common courtesy when a military official from another government salutes, that you return" **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [June 14, 2018, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-common-courtesy-when-a-military-official-from-another-government-salutes-that-you-return/816121 "2018-06-14T22:54:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2018, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-common-courtesy-when-a-military-official-from-another-government-salutes-that-you-return/816121/61 "2018-06-15T20:45:45Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > So apparently it is not a serious issue. Fine, it doesn’t ruffle my feathers any. But- what would the Republican reaction have been if Obama had saluted North Korean officers? I’ll tell you- they would have been protests outside the White House, calls for impeachment, accusations of disrespecting the troops and the Korean war dead, and so on. This is, I believe, very much correct. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2018, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-common-courtesy-when-a-military-official-from-another-government-salutes-that-you-return/816121/62 "2018-06-16T10:49:41Z")
> [@Ranger\_Jeff](#): > > In the USCG (and probably the USN because they copy everything the CG does) > [@iiandyiiii](#): > > I think you got that backwards, shipmate. 😉 Yes he did, but I’ma let it slide because it was hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2018, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-common-courtesy-when-a-military-official-from-another-government-salutes-that-you-return/816121/63 "2018-06-16T12:29:57Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > This is, I believe, very much correct. To expand on what **BobLibDem** said: I agree completely that if Obama, as President, had done exactly what Trump did – returned the salute of a North Korean general at an NK diplomatic summit – the Republican punditry would have offered up even more pointed criticism than we’re seeing now directed at Trump. Because this is genuinely a non-issue, the criticism arises not from ire at the act, but a desire to score points against the actor. There were eight years of such criticisms directed against President Obama. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2018, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-common-courtesy-when-a-military-official-from-another-government-salutes-that-you-return/816121/64 "2018-06-16T13:18:59Z")
I think so as well. If Republicans hadn’t spent the last eight years demonizing Obama for every shortcoming, real or imagined, we wouldn’t see the hubbub over Donald’s salute. I don’t see Democrats milking this like Republicans couldn’t let go of the tan suit or the “apology tour”, the fuss will quickly fade and indeed I don’t think Democrats have really made that big a deal about it. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2018, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-common-courtesy-when-a-military-official-from-another-government-salutes-that-you-return/816121/65 "2018-06-18T09:27:22Z")
> [@Bricker](#): > > To expand on what **BobLibDem** said: I agree completely that if Obama, as President, had done exactly what Trump did – returned the salute of a North Korean general at an NK diplomatic summit – the Republican punditry would have offered up even more pointed criticism than we’re seeing now directed at Trump. > > Because this is genuinely a non-issue, the criticism arises not from ire at the act, but a desire to score points against the actor. There were eight years of such criticisms directed against President Obama. I dunno. As a former Navy man and a bit of a prescriptivist wrt proper saluting protocol, I’m still kinda annoyed about Reagan having returned salutes. Also about the embrace of the habit by subsequent POTUSes (POTI? 😉 ). However, I do like to tell myself that Clinton and Obama would have happily eschewed the practice were it not for the likelihood of disingenuous pearl-clutching excoriations from disingenuous right-wing reactionary pearl-clutchers. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/its-a-common-courtesy-when-a-military-official-from-another-government-salutes-that-you-return/816121.md?page=3)