Brazil president blames crisis on “white people with blue eyes”

This is not a satire. The story comes from the Financial Times. There is video at Sky News. It’s also discussed at American Thinker.

Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Thursday blamed the global economic crisis on “white people with blue eyes” and said it was wrong that black and indigenous people should pay for white people’s mistakes.

Speaking in Brasília at a joint press conference with Gordon Brown, the UK prime minister, Mr Lula da Silva told reporters: “This crisis was caused by the irrational behaviour of white people with blue eyes, who before the crisis appeared to know everything and now demonstrate that they know nothing.”

He added: “I do not know any black or indigenous bankers so I can only say [it is wrong] that this part of mankind which is victimised more than any other should pay for the crisis.”

Mr Brown appeared to distance himself from Mr Lula da Silva’s remarks. “I’m not going to attribute blame to any individuals,” he said.

[end of excerpt]

Da Silva undoubtedly felt licensed to make this kind of statement given the race and background of the current U.S. president, who for 20 years followed a pastor who declaimed, “White folks’ greed runs a world in need.”

A. Zarkov writes:

Of course da Silva’s remark violates the basic of rule of diplomacy—a head of state should never insult or make a head of state, or, in this case, a head of government, uncomfortable at a public forum. Brown should have walked off the platform immediately, had his ambassador lodge a protest, and demand an apology. At the very least Brown should call a press conference and rebuke da Silva. He should point out that many benefits, such as modern vaccines, that Brazil enjoys come from white people. Every day white people suffer a new indignity and at some point the kissing has to stop. Atlas needs to shrug.

LA replies:

Why should Gordon (“Dead White Man Walking”) Brown feel offended? Doesn’t he agree with Da Silva and Obama that the white man’s greed runs a world in need?

Charles T. writes:

If da Silva is talking about white liberals exclusively, then I might agree with him. However, I doubt that ideology is what da Silva is basing his comments on. His comments at this point indicate a racial motivation.

Kevin V. writes:

The Brazilian president’s statement is just amazing. Imagine a world in which the U.S. had already summoned the Brazilian Ambassador in Washington D.C. for a lecture and an expulsion. We are led by weasels.

Mark A. writes:

Something occured to me as I read this: we, as white people, are a minority in the world. (About 20 percent I think.)

Dimitri K. writes:

It seems that many non-whites believe that whites are in control. Which is sort of reasonable. Whites rule through compassion, advice, providing with help and services. He is not silly, that president; that’s what he really thinks. Maybe we whites will be better off if we really stop ruling others and start caring about ourselves instead.

Adela G. writes:

Regarding Da Silva’s remarks, you write: “Why should Gordon (“Dead White Man Walking”) Brown feel offended?”

Why, indeed. Brown is probably too relieved at not receiving a gift of Toni Morrison’s novel, The Bluest Eye, to be offended by Da Silva’s remarks.

March 28

Tim W. writes:

I know a Brazilian fellow who is here working on a degree. He dislikes Obama because he reminds him of Lula.

I don’t expect Lula to have to apologize the way Japan’s Prime Minister Nakasone did back in 1986. Not too many people remember this little flap, but Nakasone suggested that America’s average academic performance level is held down by our large minority population. He had to back down a few days later, mainly because Western media and political leaders (not the Japanese) were outraged. But Gordon Brown and our leaders will just meekly accept Lula’s insult.

For the record, Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party is not a leftist party as some Americans assume. They use the word liberal in the classical sense, describing free markets and so forth.

LA replies:

Listed at this search page at highbeam.com are many articles on the Nakasone kerfuffle, which can be read in their entirety with free trial registration. But I think they all repeat the same information in the link from the Harvard Crimson provided by Tim. One interesting thing is that he agreed to invest in black owned businesses and direct other capital their way. The usual shakedown. I’m very disappointed (22 years later) that a Japanese leader fell for this. Of course it was an impolitic statement and as a national leader he had no choice but to apologize, but he enters the VFR Hall of Fame for having spoken the truth.

Here’s what he said:

Nakasone was quoted Monday as saying Japan has a higher “intelligence level” than the United States because all Japanese are of the same race.

“The level in the United States is lower because of a considerable number of blacks, Puerto Ricans, and Mexicans,” Nakasone was quoted by two Japanese dailies as telling a group of fellow Liberal Democratic Party politicians. A party official later said the premier was referring to the literacy rate.

And guess what? I just googled the sentence above about U.S. level being lower etc., in order to get the full quotation, and the the only result was the same Harvard Crimson article. I guess it’s the only U.S. publication with free online articles going back that far.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at March 27, 2009 12:46 PM | Send