Great Replacement Theory at the State Department feat. Josef Burton (E390)

As an American living in Belgium Bill White is so fecking embarrassing 😭 (also yes I attended the 250th USA party in the cinquintinaire)

One explanation for US Ambassadors being patronage appointments is that the career diplomats at the US Embassy in Poland will realistically be like the 150th most important people in the US diplomatic corps, whereas the Polish diplomats in their embassy in Washington will be among the most important people in their diplomatic service. So in practice, the preference of both the Polish and the US government is going to be for most serious negotiations to happen between the polish Embassy in Washington and the US State Department, or directly between the state department and the polish foreign ministry. So the US ambassador in Warsaw ends up largely either a figurehead in the case of most of the foreign embassies, with exceptions for some key embassies like the UN, other security council members, et cetera.

Terrifying. Thank you for reporting this. As an FTE at another fed agency, I can tell you this tracked 1000%. It’s happening at my agency except the Xmas card in a slightly different form.

If the ambassadors are just elite loosers anyway. Its not like the staff are "tryin to make do without" they have always done it all and had a figurehead character with the ambassador title.

The first ten minutes had me cracking up and the last 30 had me wanting to do things that would get Julian censored.

"Who can get anything done in 24 hours other than maybe leveling up your guy little bit?" 😆 🤣 😂

Looking at the levers of power.... THROUGH A FISH EYE LENS

But wait! Its gets worse! The episode.

I made it twelve minutes in, i cant with your awfully ridiculous country anymore. It hope it splits up into a hundred silly little baronies like we used to have in europe.

Jake's ability to derail and "this is not that" has somehow turned into an ability to take the worst shit happening at a high conceptual level to a low-level relatable level that puts it into a perspective that makes you see the ways these things are affecting us on a personal level instead of a nebulous "this is bad" way. I'm glad he's here to be our relatable everyman.

I wonder whether The Hollies know that State is using “Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress” as the soundtrack for that recruitment ad beginning at 1:16:54. And, if they do, I wonder what they think about it.

Best episode in a minute imo

4 minutes in and already love this guest’s vibe + landing the fish take lever Jakeism

that collective ‘woah’ made me laugh out loud in public

I bet Jake’s mom HATES Julian

Loomer having any role in politics is a WEIRDLY LARGE role

No?! Bruce Oreck?! Gay?! Who could have told?! (Except you know he looks like 40% of the guys in Florida Keys clothing optional "resort" whose manhunt pro... Anyway he does look like a kinda overbearing boss.

I love this guest. Great episode!

NY Times on Sunday had an ed op by Jamelle Bouie called "The Republican Party has a neo-Nazi problem” which noted Nate Hochman career trajectory.

Josef is such an easy, fun, entertaining and educational, listen. I was at the '02 July 4th party at the US Ambassador residence in Dublin, there were 2,500 people there, incredible free food and drink, and Neil Diamond did a wild 90 min set. It was like a weird dream experience.

It's always interesting seeing where Vile Rat dying Benghazi will come up. Even if it wasn't the person they were talking about he comes up.

Wow- incredible insider info from Josef. Horrifying.

I remember the number of deportations being 30 million had me thinking like, oh that would require a level of violence unthinkable, but like 100 million is so unattainable it'd require like, domestic nukings

WAIT WAIT STOP PODCASTING so Jake can make a marvel reference was an inspired bit

Banger episode. Great guest

"ketted out South African failed babyfur" is a hell of a sentence

Yay! Not only is my country mentioned in the episode, but also my employer.

One thing to consider about South Africa is their case in front of the ICJ against Israel over Israel's genocide in Gaza. I think the "white genocide" bs is something that is the excuse for punishing SA for going after US imperialism's bff Israel.

Very eye opening, very grim

Bruce Oreck was doing a Tom of Finland bit with that picture as a reference to something he'd said in an interview with the Finnish press

This episode was amazing AND incredibly depressing. We've got a lot of work to do, if we ever get a chance to clean up this mess...

Guys, Bruce Oreck’s Christmas card was referencing the art of Tom of Finland. So, knowing he’s gay is important for that.

Only two episodes but Josef is one of my favourite guests now. Might just be a diplomacy nerd but his peraonal experience with the weirdness of foreign affairs is always so interesting.

Hell yeah my hands were about to start shaking

Liv Agar?!?!