Reagan and Nixon Made Racist Remarks in Newly Released 1971 Audiotape
HAVANA TIMES – The racist attacks and language used by president Donald Trump is nothing new from leaders of the United States, although in this age of social networks he is proving to be the most open about his prejudice. It’s as if his campaign slogan was Make America White Again.
A 1971 audio recording made by Richard Nixon has just been made public, revealing then-California governor and future President Ronald Reagan calling African people “monkeys” as President Nixon laughed in agreement. Reagan is considered near God-like by many Republicans.
In the recorded phone call, Reagan is heard using the racist slur about African delegates to the United Nations who voted to seat representatives from the People’s Republic of China rather than the US-backed government-in-exile in Taiwan, reported Democracy Now on Friday.
Gov. Ronald Reagan: “Last night, I tell you, to watch that thing on television as I did.”
President Richard Nixon: “Yeah.”
Gov. Ronald Reagan: “To see those, those monkeys from those African countries — damn them, they’re still uncomfortable wearing shoes!”
President Richard Nixon: [laughter]
In other taped phone calls recorded the same day, President Nixon is twice heard referring to African delegates as “cannibals.” The National Archives released parts of the taped conversations in 2000 but edited out racist portions — allegedly to protect Reagan’s privacy. Under a court order, the tapes should have been made public by 2013 but only entered the public domain two weeks ago.
The 20th century spawned some really awful racists, and demonstrated that it’s practitioners come from across the political spectrum. Perhaps the worst was the communist leader Mao Zedong who endeavored to persuade the Chinese that they were a superior race and descended from the Peking Man. Another glaring example was Idi Amin of Uganda who operated a reign of terror and persecuted all those of Indian descent, compelling those who survived to leave the country. Racism is still rife in Africa today – although those practicing it claim to be of the left. Another communist racist was Josef Stalin and even today, racism is evident in Russia.
Although Cuba has been controlled by a communist dictatorship for sixty years, racism is still commonplace and practiced by the MININT goons – who report to Alejandro Castro Espin. The concept that racism is only practiced by one particular part of the political spectrum is bogus. It’s evil like dictatorship is however particularly evident in the extreme left and right.
So Nixon and Reagan were rascists ?
Is this news ?
Is anyone surprised ?
Their respective regimes most definitely acted as if the prevailing viewpoint was that certain people in the world (certain ethnicities) were simply expendable if that was what it took to further the right wing cause.
It is common for very right wing people to have rascist attitudes.
If very right wing people with rascist attitudes sit in the corner of the bar spitting out their hatred, that’s just a sad fact of life…..
When very right wing people with rascist attitudes become Presidents of the USA, there can be terrible consequences. Direct and indirect consequences. A terrible ripple effect which can reach places as diverse as My Lai and El Paso (R.I.P.).
Yes, Ronald Reagan, the senile, bumbling idiot who “ended” the Cold War!
Just like Fidel “ended” apartheid! lol
It is rather sickening that racism dominates US politics and that almost fifty years after the Reagan/Nixon conversation a US President is exploiting the same bigotry. All the boasting about the US being “the greatest country in the world” is correct in terms of power, but certainly not in terms of morality and humanity.
Sadly, it is that lack of morality and humanity that allows supporters of the communist dictatorship in Cuba, to justify their views in these pages. The racism of Cuba palls compared with that of the US, but none the less is still evident.