Editorial: Confirm Rahm Emanuel for Japan post, notwithstanding the disconnect
by The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune
Oct 21, 2021
3 minutes
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The “Saturday Night Live” sketch writes itself: Rahm Emanuel, the famously profane and blunt former mayor of knuckle-tough Chicago, charged with running U.S. diplomacy in the nation where politeness and decorum matters more than anywhere else in the world.
The people of Japan bow to show respect; Emanuel screams on the phone or hangs up on those who displease him. Euphemism and nuance are central to Japanese communication; stories about Emanuel include him stabbing a steak knife into a table to evoke the fate of disloyal politicians and screaming
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