79-04-B1

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Quite a while ago I did a broadcast about the coronation of Emperor Bokassa I of the Central African Empire. This is one of the newly emerging African States. It is also one of the poorest nations in the world.

Nevertheless, Emperor Bokassa spent about $25 million to mark his entry into royalty. As I recall he imported from France 36 matched horses to pull his gold-and-jewel-trimmed carriage. His bejeweled, gold crown was also made in France as was his equally bejeweled golden throne.

Emperor Bokassa is a kindly but extravagant soul. He allowed his cabinet to watch while several prisoners were executed by being clubbed to death with rifle butts. If they'd refuse to watch they'd have joined the prisoners.

Just recently he bought a million dollar villa in Switzerland. It will be a handy hideaway if his one-and-a-half million subjects ever decide to do a little clubbing on their own.

I thought you 'd like to know that the Administration in Washington has asked Congress for $658,000 in foreign aid for Emperor Bokassa's Central African empire which I'm sure means for Emperor Bokassa.

Here is an item for those who still believe the Senator from Massachusetts is right and that we should have government-run medicine in America. A doctor in New Hampshire who previously practiced in England under their socialized medicine plan tells of a 28-year-old Englishman who waited for a submucous resection of the nose for eight years. He'd still be waiting but his doctor finally told the hospital authorities he'd do a write-up of the case for the Guinness Book of Records if they didn't O.K. the operation.

He probably wouldn't have been the record holder long if he had sent the story to Guinness. It seems there is a woman in Clitheroe Lancashire, England, who has been waiting for a bone operation since 1957.

The admissions officer at St. Thomas hospital in London admits that most of the 3,500 patients now waiting for admission will probably never be admitted. One can only presume they will have left this mortal soil before the hospital gets around to them.

Now some information we didn't have when the TV news was showing the riots in Iran on a daily basis. Boris Ponamarev (PO-NO-MAR-YEV) of the Soviet Unions Politburo has stated happily that Iran is traveling the road already taken by Angola, Ethiopia and Afghanistan. That is a road of course that leads to Moscow.

I'm sure Mr. Ponamarev isn't surprised. A report reveals that while the Soviet Union was posing as a responsible power, cautioning other nations (including our own) not to interfere in Iran; the Soviet underground radio was beaming messages in Iran calling for a holy war and telling the Iranians how to organize riots, make gas bombs and hand grenades.

Meanwhile, back in Russia where meat is a scarce item, here is the latest joke. "Can a horse run from Leningrad to Moscow? In theory yes; in reality, no. He'd be eaten in Kalinin (KA-LEEN-YIN) which is between Leningrad and Moscow."

This is Ronald Reagan.

Thanks for listening.

 

Details[edit]

Batch Number79-04-B1
Production Date6-Mar1979
Book/PageN/A
Audio
Youtube?No

Added Notes[edit]