Excerpt from the Nixon Library's Oral History with Charles Colson

[@richardhoff1626]

Thank you so much for posting. Of all the people involved in this, Chuck Colson is probably the best to interview. Absolutely no agenda, no angle, no axe to grind, no self importance. Truly gives you a sense of what both He and Mr. Nixon wanted to accomplish and where it went wrong. (Qualifying that with that I have never really thought the President was a victim of circumstances. What he did wrong was his fault).

[@charleswinokoor6023]

It took a while, but I figured out who he sounds like or who sounds like him: Gene Simmons. That notwithstanding, it’s an excellent interview. Colson really was a very intelligent person.

[@dermotosullivan3065]

Colson had an IQ of 159

[@charleswinokoor6023]

@@dermotosullivan3065 There you go.

[@jefolson6989]

Lol, I'd have to hear Colson Sing " rock n roll all night, and party everyday" but I hear what you mean.

[@anonymoushuman8344]

John Ehrlichman's 1976 novel The Company is a good read. It is arguably more revealing, as a roman a clef dealing with the deeper context of the Watergate events, than his non-fiction book Witness to Power.

[@patboon4714]

On the wall behind his desk, he had a sign saying, " if you have them by the balls, their hearts and minds will follow".

[@poomped53]

The bit about the mushroom cloud ad in the WaPo and Colson razzing ad-man Haldeman about it is gold.

[@lionelbergen483]

Richard Nixon s affair look so ridiculous today comparing to Current politicians felonies and corruption

[@roc7880]

true. the difference is that back then nomal Republican voters wanted Nixon gone because they were horrified by his conduct.

[@dudermcdude9245]

@@roc7880 Normal Republicans didnt have any idea what he was up against. It was the beginning of Lawfare. Nixon had some crazy people around him along with good people. Despite the Pentagon papers. He had 72 won. He didn’t have any idea about the. Break ins. Funny thing is the CIA knew about the whole thing . They made all the props for Liddy’s Gemstone proposals. The FBI was at the end of. Hoover. Felt got passed over he was pissed at Nixon. Al Haig passed over like 250ngenerals to become a 4 star….All this worked against Nixon.

[@AreYouCoolBro]

@@roc7880 on the contrary. Best president of the 20th century by a mile x 4 trillion + infinity.

[@roc7880]

he knew lots of secrets. and I think he still had in the interview the same grievences as Nixon in 68

[@wynnkidsnannylorivance4111]

I miss Chuck.

[@rrussell9731]

14:50 "Criminals today feel like victims." Often, they are victims of their birth circumstances by being raised by criminals, etc., but that doesn't give them an excuse to be criminals themselves. There's pride in overcoming that.

[@tonywalton1052]

22:56 "yes sir, YES SIR" THAT's the problem with politics. lot's of yes sirs

[@1999glock]

As a student of Watergate, to this day I have never seen an interview with Colson regarding Watergate. Still dont know his actual role in the Ellsberg matter and the Watergate.

[@matthewgabbard6415]

He hired Howard Hunt and was one of the people who wanted to firebomb the Brookings Institute. He was an evil little fascist back then. He got what he deserved and in the end he hid behind religion like they all do

[@dudermcdude9245]

The Pentagon Papers exposed everybody. Crazy period in History. Johnson new to get out…

[@fredhoupt4078]

its amazing how smooth he sounds, having had many years to practice the rationalizations. He placed a great deal of currency in his loyalty to Nixon, regardless of how many laws they both broke. If the old man wanted it, Chuck was there to make it happen. Morals and ethics be damned. Well, history has a way of burning away all the bullshit and lies. What's left behind is often blackened by the process but is closer to the truth. I believe that he stoked the dark side of Nixon's own insecurities. If anyone could have seduced Nixon to believe his own crazy machinations, in the end, self destructive ones, it was Chuck.

[@1999glock]

The man with the secrets

[@georgeflores3552]

Fascinating individual. It’s interesting to find out what laid in Colson’s memory or selective memory. I think to his last breath, he felt he was doing God’s Work, but at the same time kind of upset/regretful that his penance lasted so long. The Lord’s spiteful sometimes.

[@carlospineda5488]

The Lord never is spiteful.

[@richardwatsonjr.5067]

Operative Chuckie.

[@mckernan603]

Tex Colson

[@shikat2371]

He was one of a handful of White House aides who stayed loyal to his old boss right up to the end. He would do whatever Nixon told him to do, even if it would cost him his freedom. But I admired the guy. He was principled and a good lawyer. Strange that I've been asking myself why would such a man do something for Nixon (who was also a lawyer by profession) he knew deep down was illegal.

[@thomaspick4123]

Illegal? What does that mean? When Moses sent Caleb and Joshua to spy out the land with others, was that illegal? When the spies checked out Jericho and R., the seller of cloth hid them, was that illegal? When the Jews murdered themselves at Masada, was that illegal? Was that wrong? When Menachem Begin was a political bomber in Palestine, was that illegal? When Nelson Mandela advocated bombings in South Africa, was that illegal? The Watergate breakin, was it a look for Ellsberg records, or a search for JFK assassination materials? The Kennedy administration gave the nod to the assassination of President Diem in South Vietnam, was that illegal? When Henry Kissinger gave the nod for the assassination of Communist Chilean President Allende, was that an illegal murder?

[@molly5292]

Principled?

[@hannahrenee9870]

Im reading “Who speaks for God?” right now. Can’t believe it was published in 1985, exact same issues today.

[@lrs7777]

Grateful that I transcended from the Orange County GOP. It took Trump to open my eyes.

[@kithsirirubesinghe9202]

Cannot hear... Very bad recording 🤔🤔🤔

[@billk122]

Chuck Colson is very full of himself

[@kevindonnelly2558]

I have never heard such shameless name-dropping. Also, his smile is very insincere and somewhat sinister.

[@richardhoff1626]

Yeah, I hate that name dropping when he happens to have worked with all the people and that is something people would be interested in. I was speaking with Cher the other day and she feels the same way.

[@peterlatourette3547]

I find him straightforward and fascinating to note both he and Malcolm X agree on one potent political point: "The worst enemy of america & the black man is the white liberal" Give them that! Not like the idiotic college presidents of today!

[@Manofpeasable]

One hell of a crook.

[@a.whiteman4182]

Smartest guy in the room.

[@charleswinokoor6023]

Why a crook? That’s a glib and easy thing to type in, but I’m not aware of him being charged with theft.

[@mosesbacke2311]

@@charleswinokoor6023 The definition of "crook" is "a person who engages in fraudulent or criminal practices". That's Charles Wendell Colson.

[@molly5292]

​@charleswinokoor6023 Theft isn't the only crime to be a crook.