Extra Judicial justice....

[robert angel]

https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2018/05/world/el-salvador-police-intl/

A lot of the USA liberal politicos, some other nation's politicians and members of the United Nations, have been giving Philippine President Duterte a lot of criticism for his no nonsense approach to drug dealers, users and to crime and corruption at ALL levels.

Basically he's told them quit using, get (available) rehab and if you're a dealer or govt. official, you'd better quit or leave town. Those who don't, and resist with weapons, are often shot dead.

Duterte was mayor of Davao City for many years. Now that he's president, his daughter is mayor.

We have a house there and then as now, that's the only large city where I could walk at three AM in even the poorest parts and not worry about patting my ass to make sure my phone and wallet are still there. Chances are I might see the 'night people' picking up paper and plastic to recycle and very well mannered prostitutes, for whom the city requires weekly health checks to stop STDs from becoming a problem. But I never worry about my safety there.

But after someone is arrested a couple times for stealing or drugs, they're basically told to leave Davao or risk great harm. Most straighten up, leave or are killed.

As President, Duterte has removed the highest ranking Judge, has greatly increased policeman wages to reduce temptation, while removing the corrupt ones. Same with the military.

He's gone after the most prominent families that have long run almost everything of value with corruption, as well as gone after sectors of the Chinese and other nation's people who've illegally exploited the Philippines for generations.

He's not popular with them, but even before he made college free for everyone and made them feel safer, he was enjoying the highest approval ratings of any President in their history. Still is.

Being the nation with the 4th highest number of English speakers on earth as well as being high up the ranks of English speakers who speak at a high proficiency rate, the 100 million person nation, which due to it's geographical placement is know as "The Gateway to Asia" they might have a promising future.

Meanwhile other nations and organizations attack his methods, and those relatively few old Filipino families, who own basically everything, from power utilities, malls, housing developments and corporate agriculture, while paying little if any taxes, would love to make him disappear.

I'm surprised he's still alive. He insulted the Pope, the last US President and a whole bunch of other people of great power and influence, while engaging in careful dialogue with the Russians and Chinese.

To call him 'politically incorrect' is a vast understatement.

So would the leaders of many foreign nations, who aren't able to exploit Filipino labor or ignore import and export laws like before.

I'd you told me ten years ago that this would be happening, I'd have told you that you were totally insane, that corruption in the Philippines was so deep that it's roots were in the core of the earth and it'd be easier to take white off of rice than to change the hundreds of years, and that corruption was simply the 'way of life' and would always be.

[Wildstubby]

After reading (part) of that story, I consider the source. Cripes, the if you want to get down to it, the US funded Saddam Hussein back in the 80's while he was taking on the Iranians. I view Trump and Duterte through the same prism. They are like the 'Guy From Boston'. They both 'have the balls to say what you are thinking!'

[Jhengsman]

https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2018/05/world/el-salvador-police-intl/

A lot of the USA liberal politicos, some other nation's politicians and members of the United Nations, have been giving Philippine President Duterte a lot of criticism for his no nonsense approach to drug dealers, users and to crime and corruption at ALL levels.

Basically he's told them quit using, get (available) rehab and if you're a dealer or govt. official, you'd better quit or leave town. Those who don't, and resist with weapons, are often shot dead.

Duterte was mayor of Davao City for many years. Now that he's president, his daughter is mayor.

We have a house there and then as now, that's the only large city where I could walk at three AM in even the poorest parts and not worry about patting my ass to make sure my phone and wallet are still there. Chances are I might see the 'night people' picking up paper and plastic to recycle and very well mannered prostitutes, for whom the city requires weekly health checks to stop STDs from becoming a problem. But I never worry about my safety there.

We were staying in Pasay City Manila a few weeks ago, the family is based in Las Pinas and I was  around there for  most of my previous trips. In any case beyond all the building one thing I did notice was all used the water bottles on the streets. With that $0.05 redemption in most states I am used to the more industrious homeless as well as profession crews hunting that high value trash on the streets of Los Angeles.

[robert angel]

While price inflation has been nationwide, it seems that wages and the price of living is less overall in Davao than Manila. But I marveled at how in the early hours of the morning, there would always seem to be people picking up things to recycle for profit, things that in many nations, people couldn't care less about.

We live in Georgia, and in no small way due to Coca Cola being headquartered here, there are NO laws that require, nor offer any deposit refund for plastic, glass or aluminum containers. Some people do save large amounts of cans and recycle them on their own for profit.

When we are up in Michigan, we always forget initially that every can or bottle we toss in the trash is govt. mandated (marked) for ten cents a piece, and even small convenience stores will take large plastic bags full of cans and bottles, giving the ten cents apiece. I think the dime apiece is the highest in the nation.

It's odd that all the beverage containers we toss in Georgia have the deposit amount for other states marked on them.

[Jhengsman]

I don't know for how long this article will remain available. But The Weekly Standard published this two weeks ago'


The Killa In Manila


Mohammad Ali's legacy still lives. After the  2016 Presidential  election most of the anti Duterte press sort of dried up.  Filipinos who had been fuming as the rest of the world were criticizing them in a  "how could you?" mode must have had a chuckle at the rest of the world calling almost half of Americans deplorable

[robert angel]

I don't know for how long this article will remain available. But The Weekly Standard published this two weeks ago'


The Killa In Manila


Mohammad Ali's legacy still lives. After the  2016 Presidential  election most of the anti Duterte press sort of dried up.  Filipinos who had been fuming as the rest of the world were criticizing them in a  "how could you?" mode must have had a chuckle at the rest of the world calling almost half of Americans deplorable

That's a helluva an article, really painting Duterte in many complex tones, really in layers, as a Machiavellian character intent on becoming a dictator, intent on running the Philippines as his own autocracy.

I see a strong minded individual who'll take strong measures based on his principles, one who seeks to reform corruption and increase the quality of life for those previously not really getting a fair deal, but not  as someone who wants to be a dictator.

I can see and agree with some points, but I think that like most outsiders, they not only do not have 'all' their facts right, but that there's a bias in there as well.

Small potatoes, but for one, the alleged half billion USD value casino deal with Macau (China) was debunked. Not happening. A number of other 'details' seem to be unsubstantiated and at best, nuanced by opinion.

I am concerned about any nation becoming overly involved with China on infrastructure developments, because for starters, they don't give anything away for free and on top of that, they often try to retain involvement long after the concrete's dry. Then again, most foreign nations do, to varying extents.

If you read up on it, you can see how the deep pocketed Chinese really have their hooks deep into S. & C. America on major infrastructure projects.

But I think few of Duterte's supporters or detractors could disagree that he's pretty much given his forces govt. authority, 'legitimacy' if you will, to kill off the drug trade.

Or that he's just as happy to deal with and buy weapons from the Russians and Chinese as he is to use US military weapons, tech and 'boots on the ground' when he feels like it. Like most politicians, I think he not only talks too much, but that he also speaks using both sides of his mouth. No wonder the world compares him to Trump.

I'm not saying I'd suggest the same approach against drugs would be feasible in the USA (effective preventitive to start and rehabilitation after a problem's established, rather than spending more billions on a revolving door prison system would be a better start IMO) but at least 64,000 US citizens died of drug overdoses just last year. And it's getting worse. That one year's body count is far more than the number that died during the entire Vietnam War.

Now that US drug overdoses are increasingly outside the ghettos, and more in the much ballyhooed 'heartland' of middle America, maybe they'll be some movement in that direction.

White lives matter! 

Meanwhile, the USA's population has the largest percentage of any nation's in prisons, a large % of them for drugs and like the numbers killed in Vietnam, a disproportionate number are/were minorities.

In the meantime, I think we'd be surprised at the number of US citizens who would embrace the approach Duterte's taken being used here.

Simply put, I think that a lot of people feel that extreme problems require extreme solutions.

It's funny, but I have never met a group of people anywhere similar to Filipinos, who can be fiercely fghting amongst each other, but when another nation  'butts in' and criticizes  their country, they stop the fighting between themselves and attack that foreigner in unison. I'm not sure what that means, but I find it amusing. Maybe it's really patriotism, pride.

Other than the Thrilla ('Killa') in Manila rhyme association, I was kind of thrown a bit by the reference to Muhammad Ali, (a beloved legend in the Philippines) but although off base as to the handling of drug problems, I was glad to see another boxing champion, one I never particularly cared for, namely Floyd Mayweather, visiting a number of places in the Philippines.

Looks like he was received very, very well, and that he showed a lot of class and respect to Filipinos, even allowing selfies and autographs, something he supposedly doesn't usually care for. But he and his crew had a great time, carried themselves quite admirably. And while the Filipinos can be very fast to pick up on foreign celebrity misbehavior/slights, the locals really seemed to enjoy Mayweather and company's visit. Maybe this shows that the USA media has been putting an unfair 'spin' on Mayweather - - I don't really know, but the Philippine visit as depicted was nice to follow.

[Jhengsman]

I think you talked President Duterte back onto the American news. At least the google bot picked up a search by me and now I am bombarded with Duterte sexually harasses some poor OFW in South Korea while the other crazy pinoys cheered him on




It was a despicable display of sexism and grave abuse of authority,” Filipino senator Risa Hontiveros said.

[robert angel]

I think you talked President Duterte back onto the American news. At least the google bot picked up a search by me and now I am bombarded with Duterte sexually harasses some poor OFW in South Korea while the other crazy pinoys cheered him on




It was a despicable display of sexism and grave abuse of authority,” Filipino senator Risa Hontiveros said.

I don't know who's got a worse reputation for crazy comments about women--Trump or Duterte. They both tend to put their mouths in gear before their brains.


But the above link about Duterte kissing that young lady on the lips was blown way out of proportion, even the woman said so herself.


Picking up searches...


Anytime we visit, type something or surf somewhere on line--chances are it's being picked up--leaving cookies--or at least crumbs behind. Inquiring minds want to, and DO know.


Even if you melted your computer's hard drive in acid--a record remains. Same with phones--location, amongst other cell phone data, is always available--one reason why removable batteries are increasingly rare in phones today. If you crash your car off a remote cliff, someone reports you missing and your cell#, they'll find you.




I sometimes use a supposedly anonymous web browser, or even a VPN (virtual private network) and yet when I am looking at things like wristwatches, just for one example--the exact watch I fancy is on my wife's facebook in an ad quickly. I don't even have a facebook account.


Then, some things my wife looks at, I see on sites I go to.


"You can run, but you can't hide" is truer than ever today. CCTVs are almost everywhere (often disguised) and it won't be long before biometric eye pupil screeners are common.


No two people have the exact same distance between their pupils--it's a more accurate indicator than fingerprints, and the tech to screen that USCIS has used for years, has become much less expensive. It's the reason why they almost slapped the hat off my head last time I passed through a Chinese airport.


Between technology in neighborhoods, on line and via phones, as well as anytime you use a credit or debit card, "Living off the grid" is a lot harder. An old grad school buddy I hadn't heard from in twenty years, called me yesterday because he saw my name as an online reference for someone I hired a few years back.


At least now we have a standing offer to visit New Mexico!

[utopiacowboy]

At least now we have a standing offer to visit New Mexico!

New Mexico is awesome. I love New Mexico but those people don't know what a trash can is.

[robert angel]

New Mexico is awesome. I love New Mexico but those people don't know what a trash can is.

Nicest people I ever met overall were in Idaho. I thought that maybe there was some kind of law requiring everyone to smile and wave to each other.

Made Disney world seem somber. Better scenery too.

I remember being lost out in the middle of farm country and changing course, backing out of a driveway.

The home's owner was almost pulling in, with his wife and kids. I could've wrecked us all. That close. Guy gets out of his truck and I thought: "Oh sh!t - - he's gonna slowly put me through the grinder and feed me to the hogs."

He comes up and says:*Are you OK? "