Any halfway rational superpower, in particular the United States, would seemingly have very little that’s worthwhile to gain from lending material and moral support to a brutal thug like Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte. This person actually brags about establishing vigilante gangs of the most violent sort for the supposed purpose of “fighting crime.” Duterte glories in his role as a national leader who views the commission of mass homicide as a perfectly “normal” instrumentality of governance.
Duterte’s reprehensible tyranny is viewed in Washington, D.C., as a worthy ally against ISIS. America may soon be undertaking airstrikes on Filipino soil against that Islamist outfit, thus thrusting America into the welcoming arms of “tough guy” Duterte. Manila’s primitive ruling brute has oceans of human blood on his hands but that fact doesn’t seem to bother today’s U.S. policymakers. He has been elevated to the status of major ally and worthy friend of the U.S. national security state.
Duterte is a murderous thug. He does not warrant our friendship and support.
