There's a generalization being made here that's only supported by one anecdote. But as anecdotes go, holy hell and fuck that guy. One could have no regard for the most basic human decency and he should still be deposed for abject incompetence as a negotiator/salesperson.
I wouldn't be surprised if Ford said some overtly divisive stuff in his zeal for mining developments. But behavior like Rivet's cannot be laid at Ford's feet. That's the behavior of a man who made a choice long, long ago about what kind of person he'd be.