Africa is a Country

Boris Johnson is the new Lord Mayor of London. That’s the same Boris Johnson who described Africans awaiting a Tony Blair trip to Africa as “flag-waving picaninnies” and “tribal warriors [breaking] out in watermelon smiles” in his newspaper column in 2002. Earlier, writing about South Africa, he equated the racist, violent apartheid dictatorship with post-1994 democracy: “the minority tyranny of apartheid [has been] followed by the majority tyranny of black rule.” And Johnson agrees with “historian” Niall Ferguson, that the problem with Britain’s former colonies is “… not that we were once in charge, but that we are not in charge any more“. For a full report of his “gaffes,” see here. The BBC also compiled a list of his public utterances. See here. (This includes some repugnant views on blacks and Africans (let’s not talk about Asians, Pacific Islanders, Liverpool, Portsmouth) he has written down or uttered and then usually offered so-so apologies for). BTW, for his first public speech as mayor-elect he had this to say about officials left from the previous administration: “If there are any dogs in the manger … then I will have those dogs humanely euthanized.” He is now promising to “bring people together” and to “unite London” as Mayor of London. P.S. He also plays fair. HT: Wendy Willems.