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U.S. President Joe Biden is expected to nominate former Chicago Mayor Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel as ambassador to Japan. Which do you think is more important for incoming ambassadors: To be well connected to their country's leader or to have a good knowledge of the country they are going to?

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What a horrible insult to Japan on the part of Biden's caregivers.

There's nothing wrong with political appointees to such an important position. Walter Mondale and Tom Foley both did an admirable job. The fear is that the man who presided so impotently over Chicago's homicide festival will fail miserably.

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Biden has horrible choice ability. Kamala Harris is not fit for the job and will only cause problems for the left wing, unless she is supposed to be a scapegoat for the incoming Middle East war and consequent migrants crisis.

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Zichi said it correctly.

Without language ability it is a joke. America has a huge population of people that can speak every tongue on the globe, and highly educated people speaking those languages.

We do not need a Kennedy like figure to compliment about how beautiful the chop sticks are.

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Acheiße! WE KNOW OUR OWN CROOKS! Trust that...

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And Japan, if you can trust Americans for no other reason, please trust that WE KNOW OUR OUR CROOKS!

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There is only one way to operate in Japan.

That is The Japanese Way.

So a sound knowledge and background in The Japanese Way are Vital.

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The answer to the above question is whether we are talking about America or some actually rational State which depends more on intelligence and conversation in statecraft, rather than just the ability to smile and point out the harm America will do to you if you are not obedient. For America, all that ANY ambassador needs to know is how to smile like a snake and to be a psychopathic bully and, I think, Biden could not have make a more appropriate choice under those requirements than this exIDF killer. My own experience in following American foreign policy is that American ambassadors do not negotiate, they dictate. And all any of the politically posted really need to know, APPARENTLY, about the country unfortunate enough to receive them is how obedient are the locals and how to keep them in their cages. Japan has a CHOICE here and America has no end of Japan friendly, highly professional career diplomats who would take their relationship with Japan seriously and not just as a corrupt, political sinecure.

BAD MOVE BIDEN!

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What's important and rational is now irrelevant in politics.

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They should have diplomatic skills, a knowledge and experience of the whole region. In the present context, a person familiar with the military (to deal with the US bases, SDF, Japan remilitarization projects...) and China would be better.

former Chicago Mayor Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel as ambassador to

He's the perfect fit for Jerusalem.

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Obviously knowing how to communicate America’s needs and wants to the host country is more valuable than being a chump for the president.

....or a failed Chicago mayor.

If the ambassador has some ties with the country it would be nice, such as JF Kennedy’s Japanese ambassador Reischauer, who was fluent in Japanese and Chinese.

I would tend to think that would be the right and logical direction to go, but as to why this administration choose this guy.....smh....

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Political appointees tend to be political (PA), oddly enough. Career diplomats who are foreign service officers (CD) tend to be chosen either for their expertise or ability to negotiation or their ability to run an embassy. America has more Career diplomats as ambassadors than Political appointees (although all ambassadors are appointed by the President).

Choice ambassadorships such as England, France, Japan, and the Vatican (because they can live in Italy) are often given to presidential friends who contributed to their campaigns, such as Caroline Kennedy supporting Obama.

Obviously knowing how to communicate America’s needs and wants to the host country is more valuable than being a chump for the president. If the ambassador has some ties with the country it would be nice, such as JF Kennedy’s Japanese ambassador Reischauer, who was fluent in Japanese and Chinese.

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Ambassadors should be career diplomats with training and experience and knowledge of the country and language.

I wouldn’t argue that, like former Republican, Hunstman. He spoke fluent Chinese.

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Also, he has US Embassy staff members with long experience to guide and advise him.

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He should be well connected in Washington. He can learn the ropes when he gets here.

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Rapidly, all the corrupt swamp creatures are being brought in positions of influence and rewarded. No surprise.

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If Trump had won, it would likely be Caitlyn Jenner....

Or maybe Matt Gaetz since he could lawfully flee the country...

Maybe even Mr "Best Dressed" Steve Bannon...

Anyone except Giuliani....there's already one story here on JT today about a older man being caught with a teenager...

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Out of all of the worst politicians on the planet, he should have just appointed AOC or even Chelsea Clinton over this guy. Lol

Well, at least he can’t run Japan into the ground like he did Chicago. People must be laughing their heads off hearing the news.

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Thank god a member of the Trump family wasn't appointed as ambassador.

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Dear lord, this should be another sleeper, hope he doesn’t botch this. Fingers crossed Japan.

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Knowledge.

Knowledge is power.

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I think they are equally important. at the end the person you pick will be representing You and Ur country

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To answer the question, I think good knowledge of the country is more important.

When giving advice and perspective to the president, if you don't know much about the place you're the ambassador of, you're more likely to give bunk advice and cause more problems.

If you know what you're talking about, the president can respect that and a better relationship may come about as a result anyway. (Unless you're Trump, of course.)

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Not even sure Rahm and Joe are big buddies. Let's hope he doesn't do to US-Japan relations what he did to Chicago.

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Ambassadorships are political appointments. They all have zero diplomatic experience. Japan and European nations are the gravy appointments for loyalty to the party of the president. The real diplomacy heavy lifting is done by the staff of the State Dept.

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