Nixon. He's hilarious afterall

[thursday 1]

Quote:

Richard Nixon's scorn for Jews, blacks, Irish and Italians revealed in new tapes

President Richard Nixon expressed his distaste for Jews, blacks and Irish- and Italian-Americans in dismissive remarks to top aides, according to a trove of newly-released tapes and papers.

In an exchange in Feb 1973, Mr Nixon told a senior adviser that he was not prejudiced, but "I've just recognised that, you know, all people have certain traits," according to a New York Times coverage of the recordings.

"The Jews have certain traits," he said. "The Irish have certain – for example, the Irish can't drink. What you always have to remember with the Irish is they get mean. Virtually every Irish I've known gets mean when he drinks. Particularly the real Irish.

He then turned to Italian-Americans. "The Italians, of course, those people course don't have their heads screwed on tight," he said. "They are wonderful people, but ..."

As his voice trailed off, he turned to Jews: "The Jews are just a very aggressive and abrasive and obnoxious personality."

Another time, he named several top Jewish advisers – including Henry Kissinger, his legendary national security adviser – and argued that the felt a need to compensate for an inferiority complex.

"What it is, is it's the insecurity," he said. "It's the latent insecurity. Most Jewish people are insecure. And that's why they have to prove things."

The remarks were recorded by the secret taping system that was installed in the White House at Mr Nixon's orders and provided key evidence in his downfall over the Watergate scandal a year later.

As the WikiLeaks "cablegate" affair throws the spotlight the inner workings of recent US diplomacy, the Nixon Presidential Library and Museum has released 265 hours of tape as well as the notes and documents.

The paperwork reveals that Mr Nixon's concerns about Jews spread to Mr Kissinger, as he ordered all Jewish-Americans be excluded from work on the Middle East.

"Get K. out of the play," he said, according to notes taken by chief of staff HR Haldeman in 1971. "No Jew can handle the Israeli thing."

In a separate recording, he and Mr Kissinger made bluntly clear that they had no interest in helping Jews escape persecution in the Soviet Union or immigrate to America.

"The emigration of Jews from the Soviet Union is not an objective of American foreign policy," Mr Kissinger said. "And if they put Jews into gas chambers in the Soviet Union, it is not an American concern. Maybe a humanitarian concern."

"I know," Nixon responded. "We can't blow up the world because of it."

The New York Times also reported that the president strongly hinted that his reluctance to consider amnesty for young Americans who went to Canada to avoid being drafted during the Vietnam War was because he believed so many of them were Jewish.

"I didn't notice many Jewish names coming back from Vietnam on any of those lists; I don't know how the hell they avoid it," he said, adding: "If you look at the Canadian-Swedish contingent, they were very disproportionately Jewish. The deserters."

And in a separate conversation with Rose Mary Woods, his personal secretary, he said that a colleague has "sort of a blind spot on the black thing because he's been in New York ... He says well, 'They are coming along, and that after all they are going to strengthen our country in the end because they are strong physically and some of them are smart.' So forth and so on."

The president continued: "My own view is I think he's right if you're talking in terms of 500 years," he said.

"I think it's wrong if you're talking in terms of 50 years. What has to happen is they have be, frankly, inbred. And, you just, that's the only thing that's going to do it, Rose."

That's more like it. And I thought he was just a token whiteman. Cool.

[mitchpee 10]

Originally Posted By: thursday

Quote:

Richard Nixon's scorn for Jews, blacks, Irish and Italians revealed in new tapes

President Richard Nixon expressed his distaste for Jews, blacks and Irish- and Italian-Americans in dismissive remarks to top aides, according to a trove of newly-released tapes and papers.

In an exchange in Feb 1973, Mr Nixon told a senior adviser that he was not prejudiced, but "I've just recognised that, you know, all people have certain traits," according to a New York Times coverage of the recordings.

"The Jews have certain traits," he said. "The Irish have certain – for example, the Irish can't drink. What you always have to remember with the Irish is they get mean. Virtually every Irish I've known gets mean when he drinks. Particularly the real Irish.

He then turned to Italian-Americans. "The Italians, of course, those people course don't have their heads screwed on tight," he said. "They are wonderful people, but ..."

As his voice trailed off, he turned to Jews: "The Jews are just a very aggressive and abrasive and obnoxious personality."

Another time, he named several top Jewish advisers – including Henry Kissinger, his legendary national security adviser – and argued that the felt a need to compensate for an inferiority complex.

"What it is, is it's the insecurity," he said. "It's the latent insecurity. Most Jewish people are insecure. And that's why they have to prove things."

The remarks were recorded by the secret taping system that was installed in the White House at Mr Nixon's orders and provided key evidence in his downfall over the Watergate scandal a year later.

As the WikiLeaks "cablegate" affair throws the spotlight the inner workings of recent US diplomacy, the Nixon Presidential Library and Museum has released 265 hours of tape as well as the notes and documents.

The paperwork reveals that Mr Nixon's concerns about Jews spread to Mr Kissinger, as he ordered all Jewish-Americans be excluded from work on the Middle East.

"Get K. out of the play," he said, according to notes taken by chief of staff HR Haldeman in 1971. "No Jew can handle the Israeli thing."

In a separate recording, he and Mr Kissinger made bluntly clear that they had no interest in helping Jews escape persecution in the Soviet Union or immigrate to America.

"The emigration of Jews from the Soviet Union is not an objective of American foreign policy," Mr Kissinger said. "And if they put Jews into gas chambers in the Soviet Union, it is not an American concern. Maybe a humanitarian concern."

"I know," Nixon responded. "We can't blow up the world because of it."

The New York Times also reported that the president strongly hinted that his reluctance to consider amnesty for young Americans who went to Canada to avoid being drafted during the Vietnam War was because he believed so many of them were Jewish.

"I didn't notice many Jewish names coming back from Vietnam on any of those lists; I don't know how the hell they avoid it," he said, adding: "If you look at the Canadian-Swedish contingent, they were very disproportionately Jewish. The deserters."

And in a separate conversation with Rose Mary Woods, his personal secretary, he said that a colleague has "sort of a blind spot on the black thing because he's been in New York ... He says well, 'They are coming along, and that after all they are going to strengthen our country in the end because they are strong physically and some of them are smart.' So forth and so on."

The president continued: "My own view is I think he's right if you're talking in terms of 500 years," he said.

"I think it's wrong if you're talking in terms of 50 years. What has to happen is they have be, frankly, inbred. And, you just, that's the only thing that's going to do it, Rose."

That's more like it. And I thought he was just a token whiteman. Cool.

Despite his notorious claim, Nixon is a crook. Token?! he coined the term "war on drugs". The man is an absolute shame and just one of the many robot politicians of the Christian church form that era.

[Tubby Beaver 209]

What I've always wondered about is the people who have these views about "Irish-Americans", "Jewish-Americans" and "Italian-Americans", all of these groups are considered to be "white" or at least not "black" in the African-american sense......so what exactly racial group do they consider themselves to be?? "English-American"??

[RobBright 35]

Just call them confused

[mitchpee 10]

Originally Posted By: Tubby Beaver

What I've always wondered about is the people who have these views about "Irish-Americans", "Jewish-Americans" and "Italian-Americans", all of these groups are considered to be "white" or at least not "black" in the African-american sense......so what exactly racial group do they consider themselves to be?? "English-American"??

TB people in America have an unquenchable thirst for diversifying themselves from others. Whether it's ethnically, materialistically, etc. Stereotypes are a huge part of our every day routine and you can on any given day run into someone who starts a sentence with I'm not racist BUT....(goes on and says something racist).

It's always I love this country, proud to be an American, land of the free....then they turn around and crucify other groups based on poor assumptions and irrelevant arguments.

There are some things that bug me to no end about Americans and this is it.

[Tubby Beaver 209]

Of course, most other people also generalise and pigeon hole but I've always wondered where these "Super Whites" considered themselves from that they don't appear to give themselves a label.......do they just think that they are "American" with no ethnic prefix? Is that what makes them look down on all the other groups of "whites" as well as blacks, hispanics etc etc

[HelperElfMissy 42]

Originally Posted By: Tubby Beaver

Of course, most other people also generalise and pigeon hole but I've always wondered where these "Super Whites" considered themselves from that they don't appear to give themselves a label.......do they just think that they are "American" with no ethnic prefix? Is that what makes them look down on all the other groups of "whites" as well as blacks, hispanics etc etc

Originally Posted By: From Wiki

Supporters of Nordicism and Germanism consider Nordic people (Scandinavians, Germans, British and Dutch) to be superior, shunning those of Southern and Eastern Europe (who may have darker features and different cultures), including mostly Spanish, Italians, Portuguese, white Latin Americans, Lusophone white Africans, and Russians, along with anyone whose ethnic heritage is not European.

In the United States, the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) is the group most associated with the white supremacist movement. Many white supremacist groups are based on the concept of preserving genetic purity, and do not focus solely on discrimination by skin color. The KKK's reasons for supporting racial segregation are not primarily based on religious ideals, but some Klan groups are openly Protestant. The KKK and other white supremacist groups like Aryan Nations, The Order and the White Patriot Party are considered Anti-Semitic.

The whole "I like those who are like me, and I hate those who are different" really makes my skin crawl. They are walking around and experiencing the world with narrow tunnel vision - how much more grand and marvelous the world would appear if they removed the racist goggles and saw the entire panorama. /rant

[mitchpee 10]

It's not even about racism here. Religion, political ideology, social class standing....I deal with people every day who automatically make assumptions based on these factors. I'm with ya MB makes my skin crawl.

[Go Native 70]

From Federation in 1901 (when the Australian states formed a federation to become one nation under one constitution and federal government) up until the early 70's Aus had a 'White Australia Policy' when it came to immigration. This came about in part due to the racial issues surrounding a major influx of Chinese during the gold rush era in the 1850's. It was relaxed for a time in the years following WWII because the Aus population was somewhat decimated in the war, at least when it came to skilled working age men, so they allowed immigrants from the more darker skinned peoples of the Mediterranean, areas like Italy and Greece. By '73 the policy was finally abolished during a period when many Vietnamese refugees were escaping to Aus in the aftermath of the war there. By '75 Aus passed The Racial Discrimination Act making the use of any racial criteria for any official purpose illegal. Anyway the White Australia Policy was certainly not a highpoint in Aus history. Of course there's certain elements in Aus who would love to see it return...

[HelperElfMissy 42]

Some people love to live in the past GN.

They are also the same people afflicted with the tunnel vision goggles.

And the "I know better than you (even if you can prove your point with science)" gene.

The rest of us can just wait for them to die out while educating our children for diversity.

[Mantas 3]

Originally Posted By: Tubby Beaver

Of course, most other people also generalise and pigeon hole but I've always wondered where these "Super Whites" considered themselves from that they don't appear to give themselves a label.......do they just think that they are "American" with no ethnic prefix? Is that what makes them look down on all the other groups of "whites" as well as blacks, hispanics etc etc

You raise a very good point TB. It's not a lot different here in Oz either. It always amuses me what people's definition of an 'Australian' is. I wouldn't say it's an outwardly malice racial thing with most people , more of descriptive term for anyone not of Anglo blood. I like to challenge them by asking them what an 'Australian' looks like.
Usually what they describe is an Englishman They are not happy when I point that out to them.
I tell them that an 'Australian' is anyone holding an Australian passport, nothing more.

[NoFakie 45]

I always thought American Christians were basically apolitical until Reagan's first campaign. The so-called religious right is only about thirty years old.

 

Some of Nixon's policies are far more liberal that anything you'd get now.

[mitchpee 10]

Originally Posted By: Mr Wiggles

I always thought American Christians were basically apolitical until Reagan's first campaign. The so-called religious right is only about thirty years old.

Some of Nixon's policies are far more liberal that anything you'd get now.

Which? Maybe economic, but politically he was very dead set in a right-wing religious shell.

[NoFakie 45]

Originally Posted By: Ralph Nader in 2002

President Nixon put forth a national minimum incomes plan as a start in the abolition of poverty in America. Congress rejected it, and the comprehensive national health insurance plan he offered, and the proposal to emphasize rehabilitation of drug addicts instead of such heavy reliance on incarceration. With glowing words, Nixon signed into law the Occupational Safety and Health Agency, the National Environmental Protection Act, NEPA, and legislation creating the Environmental Protection Agency and the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Nixon sent legislation to Congress that would have given the District voting representation in Congress-a goal verbally supported by the Democrats but never backed by any serious campaign during the past three decades. Would any Democratic politician in 1970 ever have predicted that Richard Nixon would be a favorable standard for comparison with today's party leaders?

Nixon may have first used the phrase "war on drugs", but he introduced the methadone program. His war on drugs was on demand and demand-fuelled crime.

I'm not saying he was a hero by any definition, just that there has been a massive shift to the right since the 1970s. People might say the f word on television now, but that does not mean society is more liberal. It is the complete opposite. Look at all the money Obama took from Wall Street.

[mitchpee 10]

Originally Posted By: Mr Wiggles

Originally Posted By: Ralph Nader in 2002

President Nixon put forth a national minimum incomes plan as a start in the abolition of poverty in America. Congress rejected it, and the comprehensive national health insurance plan he offered, and the proposal to emphasize rehabilitation of drug addicts instead of such heavy reliance on incarceration. With glowing words, Nixon signed into law the Occupational Safety and Health Agency, the National Environmental Protection Act, NEPA, and legislation creating the Environmental Protection Agency and the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Nixon sent legislation to Congress that would have given the District voting representation in Congress-a goal verbally supported by the Democrats but never backed by any serious campaign during the past three decades. Would any Democratic politician in 1970 ever have predicted that Richard Nixon would be a favorable standard for comparison with today's party leaders?

Nixon may have first used the phrase "war on drugs", but he introduced the methadone program. His war on drugs was on demand and demand-fuelled crime.

I'm not saying he was a hero by any definition, just that there has been a massive shift to the right since the 1970s. People might say the f word on television now, but that does not mean society is more liberal. It is the complete opposite. Look at all the money Obama took from Wall Street.

Oh yeah, it's called the Neo-con movement that Reagan really precipitated. Integrating Christianity and free-market principles to be associated with each other for decades to come. You rarely find someone who understands the complexities of a free market and where it's benefits and inherent drawbacks are. Too bad really. This country could be a lot better.

My gripes with Nixon is he was completely ignorant to the world. He was a cold-war president and like all of them in that era they looked at the world like a chess board and made political decisions abroad that took a lot of innocent lives.

I agree with you completely no politician is a golden child, Obama has really disappointed me and I have a hard time favoring any one democrat or republican. Much better to look past the party identification and look at the issues at hand..