553. The Suddenly Diplomatic Rahm Emanuel

553.突然外交的拉姆·伊曼纽尔

Freakonomics Radio

社会与文化

2023-08-17

56 分钟
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单集简介 ...

The famously profane politician and operative is now U.S. ambassador to Japan, where he’s trying to rewrite the rules of diplomacy. But don’t worry: When it comes to China, he’s every bit as combative as you’d expect.

单集文稿 ...

  • I'm in the basement of the United States embassy.

  • Who is that in the basement of a US embassy?

  • Rahm Emanuel.

  • I'm the United States ambassador to the nation of Japan.

  • If you have not been keeping up with Rahm Emanuel's career, you may be surprised to learn that he is serving in a major diplomatic role because he is famously undiplomatic.

  • He has been in politics for 40 years, as a senior advisor in the Clinton White House, as a congressman from Illinois, as chief of staff in the Obama White House, and as mayor of Chicago.

  • Along the way, he earned a reputation for being shrewd and pragmatic, but occasionally ruthless and almost comically profane.

  • He once had to apologize for the name he called some fellow Democrats during a strategy meeting.

  • Here is Andy Samberg on Saturday Night Live in a parody of that apology.

  • I should never have called you that.

  • What I should have called you are babies, stupid babies who can't keep their mouths shut.

  • You went to the Wall Street Journal with this.

  • You turn coats.

  • I'm trying to get done here.

  • And I know we're not moving as fast as you want on healthcare, but maybe you noticed the Republicans are trying to paint us as soviet crack dealers.

  • I've got so many legislators in my colon, I need 60 votes just to.

  • Take a so you and now the United States has installed Emmanuel as top diplomat, not to Estonia or to New.

  • Zealand, but to Japan, America's number one ally.

  • Is that the official slogan now?

  • It was before, but we've kind of now put it in bronze.