My Take | Ambassador Rahm Emanuel is America’s No 1 wolf warrior
- When the tweets of the top US envoy to Japan about China alarm even his bosses in Washington, you know it is time for a replacement
While he was the mayor of Chicago, Rahm Emanuel was described by one publication as “the Mariah Carey of swearing” for his colourful use of profane language. I am not sure the singer appreciated the comparison.
As the current US ambassador to Japan, he may be considered the Joe Pesci of diplomats, the actor best-known for his foul-mouthed portrayal of violent American gangsters. I think that could make a hilarious comedy, with Pesci playing America’s top envoy to a country famous for its social etiquette and decorum.
But real life is stranger than Hollywood, as the Joe Biden administration has already sent Emanuel for that job. And it’s proving to be a disaster and a total embarrassment.
With his liberal use of Twitter, now called X, the top envoy had been tweeting the equivalents of the F word to China. From taunting about the country’s economic downturn to the mystery disappearances of top ministers, he has been giving Beijing the diplomatic middle finger.
If anyone should be doing that, should it not be left to his colleague, the ambassador to China Nicholas Burns? Of course, Burns won’t be doing that, nor should any diplomat. Whatever you say about the guy, he is not uncouth like Emanuel.
“Who’s going to win this unemployment race? China’s youth or [President Xi Jinping’s] cabinet?” That was representative of the intellectual calibre of tweets coming from Emanuel. Admittedly, it could be amusing if it were coming from a Japanese politician. But from America’s top representative in Japan? Perhaps he should consider switching employers.