From the Archives: President Lula of Brazil blames global crisis on the white/blue-eyed man

UK PM Gordon Brown shakes hands with Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (R)

Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has blamed the global economic crisis on "white people with blue eyes," according to theFinancial Times.

He went on to say that black and indigenous people should not have to pay for a crisis started by only white people. Specifically, Lula is quoted as saying:

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.

“This was a crisis that was fostered and boosted by the irrational behaviour of people who were white and blue-eyed, who before the crisis they looked like they knew everything about economics, but now have demonstrated they know nothing about economics,” he said, mocking the “gods of wisdom” who had been bailed out by the State.