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Body count rises as Philippines president calls for drug addicts to be killed

asiancorrespondent.com

91–100 of 353 posts

Re: Body count rises as Philippines president calls for drug addicts to be killed

#91
post #31

Wow, think about it. On one side we have Elon Musk, who wants to build a city on Mars, make interplanetary travels quick and cheap and he's doing it, there are people who want to kill you for your skin or hair colour. There is PM of Portugal who decriminalised drugs (saying: "drugs break families and relations, and so is facebook. We're not going to ban facebook") and there is a president who kills drug addicts, peop…

"The future is already here, it is just not evenly distributed."

http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/681-the-future-is-already-he...

And it likely never will be. Unfortunately.

Re: Body count rises as Philippines president calls for drug addicts to be killed

#92

Earlier quoted context omitted.

well you're right, but as a side note multiple US presidents have authorized target killings in an undeclared war in countrys that are not part of this "war" with civil casualties .... and both got reelected .... I'm from germany, we're helping because our government does nothing in stopping the use of Rammstein Airbase as drone satellite uplink. So we are also partly responsible. :( food for thought

That's true but besides the point. Imagine Obama, Bush or Clinton calling on national TV for the killing of all drug addicts and pushers. > I'm from germany, we're helping because our government does nothing in stopping the use of Rammstein Airbase as drone satellite uplink. So we are also partly responsible. :( > food for thought Definitely, but totally OT.

It's not far from it, only they use the word 'terrorists'. Which is even more vague. And of course they kill indiscriminately whoever happens to be in a given targeted area.

Re: Body count rises as Philippines president calls for drug addicts to be killed

#93
post #9

So, I can kill anyone and claim they were an addict? Who is going to prove me otherwise? It's dissapointing that people see this as something to do with drugs, while in reality it's just a green light for a killing frenzy.

That was my first thought as well, but then I realized normal people aren't just waiting with stow away guns waiting for the day they can go on a killing frenzy. The type who are like that are possibly connected to drug as wells (as either addicts or part of the criminal machine) which means they are more likely to go into hiding lest they be killed themselves. Yes, maybe some murderers will slip under the radar, but…

[deleted]

Re: Body count rises as Philippines president calls for drug addicts to be killed

#94

As usual, mostly western commentators sitting on their high horses pointing and pontificating with no idea of local context or understanding. First of all, Duterte was elected overwhelmingly with a clear mandate of using brute violence to clear out drug dealers. He was clear about it and he is delivering on that mandate. I have to accept, he has made a PR error by not calling them terrorists. At which point, he will…

Societal change, or "needed reforms" are accomplished regularly without indiscriminate use of force. See e.g. India, South Africa, the Civil Rights movement...

This isn't even mentioning the regular and continuous reforms that happen as the institutions of mature democracies manage change.

Re: Body count rises as Philippines president calls for drug addicts to be killed

#95
post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People are not responsible for those they didn't vote for. I know, must be a German thing, but how am I responsible for those sick bastards I disagree with, even if most of the others agree? My persuasion powers are limited.

I think thats really a german thing. Swiss media regularly makes fun of you because your society feels so disconnected to the politics. IMO if the majority of the society does not agree, it is also their fault if they still let it happen. Its (some kind of) democracy after all.

I live in Switzerland.

Re: Body count rises as Philippines president calls for drug addicts to be killed

#96
post #28

Addicts in Asia are not the same as in west. They are worst. They will do anything to get drug. They will get into your house, put knife on your throat and take your money and jewelry. Police can't do anything because they are lazy and corrupt, unless there's a body.

So the solution is to allow people to kill random strangers and then claim that they killed an addict? Or even better, they will kill competitors/people they don't like and then claim that they killed an addict.

That's exactly what every big war nation does, except usually OUTSIDE their own country, with people they have no relation with.

Not saying it's good, but if a country decides to kill its own people to fix some problems, that is somehow suddenly a huge topic while other nations invade other countries and kill more civilians than terrorists?

Re: Body count rises as Philippines president calls for drug addicts to be killed

#97

As usual, mostly western commentators sitting on their high horses pointing and pontificating with no idea of local context or understanding. First of all, Duterte was elected overwhelmingly with a clear mandate of using brute violence to clear out drug dealers. He was clear about it and he is delivering on that mandate. I have to accept, he has made a PR error by not calling them terrorists. At which point, he will…

> The fact is, you do not get radical progress pandering to western styled hypocritical democracy or "human rights". It the reality. A harsh one. So what's the progress towards then? A totalitarian dictatorship that murders people? That's hardly progress of any sort. I'm quite happy to stay on my high horse if that means arguing for the rule of law and basic decency, both things which Duterte has thrown out the windo…

>It's a stupid, petty argument that is continuously peddled by figures in non-Western countries as a justification for doing whatever they like.

Thomas, you may not not realise you have just written a one line thesis for the justification of colonialism.

"You brutes have no idea to run a society. We'll come show you how"

Of course, you most likely do not think in such nasty terms however, that is the translation.

You're a 20 year old Aussie (I checked your website). You know the history of your country so I will not have to educate you on the result of preventing people "doing what they like" with regard to their culture and customs.

Are you/your ways superior to the people that voted him to do EXACTLY what he is doing? You called his one week old government "totalitarian". Forgetting he was elected for a 6 year term. Is that system they like stupid and petty too? Or should they come take instructions from you? Your country?

Re: Body count rises as Philippines president calls for drug addicts to be killed

#98

As usual, mostly western commentators sitting on their high horses pointing and pontificating with no idea of local context or understanding. First of all, Duterte was elected overwhelmingly with a clear mandate of using brute violence to clear out drug dealers. He was clear about it and he is delivering on that mandate. I have to accept, he has made a PR error by not calling them terrorists. At which point, he will…

Violence seldom leads to anything productive. Crime at the level in Philippines is not there because there are a few bad apples. It's because there are structural reasons which drive crime. Sadly, in Philippines case the only method to put a permanent end on the crimelords would be to petition legalization of drugs in UN.

Re: Body count rises as Philippines president calls for drug addicts to be killed

#99
post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are we making the leap that Trump supports killing drug addicts? We could invoke Hillary if we want with her famous statement, "What difference does it make?" This has nothing to do with Trump or American politics. Not a single candidate in the US has called for the extra-judicial execution of drug dealers or users. Trying to draw an equivalence to Trump is absurd.

As a non-American I find the Trump/Hillary rhetoric extremely weird. Many "liberals" seem to think Trump is Adolf Hitler reincarnate (which is absurd -- he's just a populist). Many "conservatives" seem to think Hillary is an "SJW" (which is equally absurd -- it's evident a lot of her more progressive stances are window dressing rather than deeply held convictions). Trump is an opportunistic buffoon, Hillary is cold a…

I agree with everything you say, apart from a part at the end.

> ... and neither of them is going to openly do stupid drastic things like telling civilians to murder other people in the streets.

Sure, that's valid. But while I'm no fan of Hillary, she is, as you said, cold and calculating, which I posit as the major difference between the two. Trump is hotheaded and impulsive, and while we'll never see him (knock on wood) condone senseless killing in the street, he HAS expressed a plethora of outlandish statements (later retracted), so little out of his mouth surprises me.

This does not oppose your description of the two, other than Trump can say ~anything, Hillary won't.

Re: Body count rises as Philippines president calls for drug addicts to be killed

#100
post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hitler was also democratically elected. What will happen in the Philippines now is that anyone who any grudge with anyone will just kill that person and label him a drug dealer.

You really think the main reason people aren't grudge killing each other because they are afraid of getting caught ? Look at the murder case % that goes unresolved even in the US - IIRC it was ~40% ? If you wanted to kill someone and were smart about it's probably not that hard to do - unless it's your spouse or something similar that makes you an obvious suspect - in which case it will also look suspicious to anyone…

I suspect that very few murderers study the murder case solve rate in their local area before murdering someone they hold a grudge against.

On the other hand, if the President of a country says to kill drug dealers and addicts, quite a few people will go ahead and do that, thinking that it's now justified.

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