"We are a strong country in a rather sick world. … Our problems are not so much racial as radicals wish to make them."

P. W. Botha Politics See all quotes by P. W. Botha →

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More by P. W. Botha

“The acceptance of vertical differentiation with the built-in principle of self-determination must apply on as many levels as possible.”

“The white people who came here lived at a very much higher standard than the indigenous peoples, and with a very rich tradition which they brought with them from Europe.”

“I am sick and tired of the hollow parrot-cry of “Apartheid!” I’ve said many times that the word “Apartheid” means good neighbourliness.”

“Because you could not translate the word apartheid into the more universal language of English, the wrong connotation was given to it.”

“Nelson Mandela can rot in prison until he dies or I die, whichever takes longer.”

“We do not want chaos in South Africa.”

Resonant Thoughts

"There do exist enquiring minds, which long for the truth of the heart, seek it, strive to solve the problems set by life, try to penetrate to the essence of things and phenomena and to penetrate into …"

— G. I. Gurdjieff

Philosophy

#truth

"It is not reasonable they should be solely employed in the study of the Greek and Latin authors, and having no curiosity to become acquainted with the writers of their own nation, remain always strang…"

— Charles Rollin

Education1661–1741

#writing

"“You and your ancestors treated the world like a fucking great toilet bowl. You shat in it and boasted about the mess you’d made. And now it’s full and overflowing, and you’re fat and happy and black …"

— John Brunner

Literature1934–1995

#happiness

"But they did not want to listen and this nice fellow Bethmann, who has no inkling of the world out there, this miserable Jagow who tries to get by on malicious little tricks and has never even seen Fr…"

— Bernhard von Bülow

Politics1885–1936

#language