Former Californian Governor Calls Blacks "Monkeys"; President Nixon calls them "bunch of dogs"

Ronald Reagan’s Long-Hidden Racist Conversation With Richard Nixon

Ronald Reagan described African delegates to the UN as 'monkeys' who were 'still uncomfortable wearing shoes' in 1971 phone call with President Nixon, shocking newly released tapes reveal

...The day after the United Nations voted to recognize the People’s Republic of China, then–California Governor Ronald Reagan phoned President Richard Nixon at the White House and vented his frustration at the delegates who had sided against the United States. “Last night, I tell you, to watch that thing on television as I did,” Reagan said. “Yeah,” Nixon interjected. Reagan forged ahead with his complaint: “To see those, those monkeys from those African countries—damn them, they’re still uncomfortable wearing shoes!” Nixon gave a huge laugh...

...He added: 'I have the greatest affection for [blacks], but I know they're not going to make it for 500 years. They aren't. You know it, too. The Mexicans are a different cup of tea. They have a heritage. At the present time they steal, they're dishonest, but they do have some concept of family life. They don't live like a bunch of dogs, which the Negroes do live like.'..

Oh boy, oh boy. Surprised this isn't bigger news.

I offer no biased views on this. I am neither agreeing or disagreeing with either the Former Californian Governor (and former President) Reagan's or former President Nixon's comments.

Guess neither were happy in the aftermath of the 1971 UN Resolution etc...

a reply to: AnakinWayneII

Wrong forum. Should be in the MudPit, or Skunkworks. (IMO)

originally posted by: carewemust
a reply to: AnakinWayneII

Wrong forum. Should be in the MudPit, or Skunkworks. (IMO)

Should it?

Why?

a reply to: AnakinWayneII

From what a white south african friend told me....its true.

Instead of beads though.....whitey sells them guns so they can keep killing one another instead of saying....hold on...lets make africa great again.

a reply to: AnakinWayneII

OP. This should be your shocked face

a reply to: AnakinWayneII

99 percent of ATS posts should be in the mudpit....but only because people cant have a civil discourse about anything these days.

originally posted by: lakenheath24
a reply to: AnakinWayneII

From what a white south african friend told me....its true.

Instead of beads though.....whitey sells them guns so they can keep killing one another instead of saying....hold on...lets make africa great again.

Yup. And I also think that many thought (and still think today) what they were saying out loud.

Just because the majority of folks don't say stuff out loud doesn't mean they aren't silently thinking it...internally.

a reply to: AnakinWayneII

And perhaps that is why nothing changes. Too many people looking to external sources for an excuse. Same with all my white appalachian american family in kentucky. You aint poor cuz of the gubment! You are poor because there is no economic future in eastern ky!!!!

a reply to: AnakinWayneII

You should look up what president Johnsom thought about blacks...

He was a pretty horrible person.

Or Lincoln... he wanted to just ship all blacks back to Africa because he thought there was no way whites and blacks could co-exist.

One would like to think that in the 21st century we had gotten past a lot of that...

a reply to: AnakinWayneII

Your subconscious thinks many things that you are totally unaware of also.
I see how people act with and treat others, not what they may or may not be thinking.

a reply to: AnakinWayneII

So. . . Somebody said something.

Former Californian Governor Calls Blacks "Monkeys"; President Nixon calls them "bunch of dogs"

Were they Republicans?

Time to burn everything associated with them.

a reply to: AnakinWayneII

Was his underlying point wrong and was the way he said it even considered "racist" in the 70s? The underlying point was that until the late 50s into the 60s, essentially every major African nation was a European colony and under either French or British rule. Suddenly total power and self governance was handed to people who not only had zero experience leading, but in a lot of cases had zero experience even living in a modern fashion. Illiteracy rates were high, tribalism was still the natural go-to, and geopolitics were completely new to the leaders of many of these newly independent, self governing countries. They'd been ruled over by Europeans for centuries, since the 1700s, some even longer. Suddenly they had a voice at the United Nation's tables, and (predictably) they used that voice to say the wrong things and side with the wrong people.

We're seeing something very similar in action right now in South Africa. Leadership and wisdom are learned, they don't magically appear when "equality" is declared and celebrated. A dirt poor kid from the sticks can study and learn to become a successful brain surgeon... but you'd not hand him the scalpel and direct him to someone's skull the first day he arrives wearing bib overalls and stating he wants to be a surgeon, they have to go through the same learning and experience processes as those who have already reached the position. In other words, too much freedom too quickly when it should have been meted out over several generations while slowly weaning them off of European rule in a manner condusive with them successfully self governing instead of suddenly being the kids in a home with no parents for the weekend and a fully stocked liquor cabinet.

As to the verbiage used, meh. Like I said, it was the 70s. Can't judge it through a modern lens because that will always be an exercise in futility and arrogance. Reagan did not use the slurs of the day and what may be a horrible slur today wasn't a big deal then.

a reply to: Lysergic

Let's start with California.

originally posted by: Lumenari
a reply to: AnakinWayneII

You should look up what president Johnsom thought about blacks...

He was a pretty horrible person.

Per an FBI informant, LBJ was a member of the KKK early in his Texas political career, so...

a reply to: burdman30ott6

Didnt hurt India. Same scenario. Whats the diff though?

a reply to: AnakinWayneII
a reply to: burdman30ott6

originally posted by: olaru12

Former Californian Governor Calls Blacks "Monkeys"; President Nixon calls them "bunch of dogs"

Were they Republicans?

Yes, though one of them legalized abortion in CA and the other founded the EPA, while they both were in the party which freed the slaves, got the 14th Amendment passed, and actually were responsible for the passage of the Civil Rights Act...

If historians someday find out that Archimedes said something racist, does that mean we don't have to do math any more?