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sanshee
sanshee
1080 posts

Re: More on Duterte / Philippines
Apr 13, 2017, 21:33
Feel like saying something a bit 'banal' here.
Seeing footage of the prisons, there are fifty or so crammed into rooms designed for about ten.
Everyone akimbo, falling asleep piled on top of each other, all very insanitary, soaring heat, a breeding ground for all sorts.
Even if you do believe Duterte has 'no choice', what about those working in such conditions?
Never mind they'll get paid less than a kid here doing a paper round, probably liable to infect everyone 'on the outside' they come into contact with.
Also, I don't believe the little shit is immune to a bit of bribery here and there.
Never mind chewing the fat over 'his methods', is he even 'consistent'?
phallus dei
583 posts

Edited Apr 14, 2017, 04:03
Re: More on Duterte / Philippines
Apr 14, 2017, 04:02
I've not seen the video you mention, though I don't doubt that it's as bad as you describe. Horrible prison and work conditions, government bribery, etc. is a fact of life for the Third World (and parts of the developed world). Duterte certainly isn't breaking any records there. Rather than directing our criticism at individual leaders, I think a better approach would be to fault the dominant economic and political system, which condemns the majority of humanity to a life of misery. Perhaps a multipolar world will offer more opportunities for the subaltern to develop. By trying to wrest the Philippines free from American hegemony, Duterte is working hard to create such a multipolar world.
sanshee
sanshee
1080 posts

Edited Apr 14, 2017, 09:54
Re: More on Duterte / Philippines
Apr 14, 2017, 09:11
phallus dei wrote:

I've not seen the video you mention, though I don't doubt that it's as bad as you describe. Horrible prison and work conditions, government bribery, etc. is a fact of life for the Third World (and parts of the developed world). Duterte certainly isn't breaking any records there. Rather than directing our criticism at individual leaders, I think a better approach would be to fault the dominant economic and political system, which condemns the majority of humanity to a life of misery. Perhaps a multipolar world will offer more opportunities for the subaltern to develop. By trying to wrest the Philippines free from American hegemony, Duterte is working hard to create such a multipolar world.


No obscure source, I saw footage of the prisons on the telly news.
I know telly news is dismissed by some but I'm sure this was real.
A woman prison officer, tiny, looked like she weighed about 7 stone, telling us things 'have got worse' with the mass rounding up of anybody and everybody.
Not singling Duterte out but he's the topic of the thread.
As for the 'bribery' bit, my point is he will be in the pocket of some *drug lord* or other, Mexican governments were/are? notorious for it.
There will be some 'selection' as to who's a problem and who isn't.
I do think you maybe give him too much credit tbh.
EDIT: And, no one is guiltless of whipping up 'nationalist rhetoric' when it suits.
Spit out the word America like you're clearing a cancer in your throat, even spelling it with 3 Ks don't really feed the babies.
The *bogeyman* travels in all directions.
phallus dei
583 posts

Re: More on Duterte / Philippines
Apr 14, 2017, 14:38
You are right, we mustn't deceive ourselves into thinking that Duterte's hands are clean. Like all politicians, he is forced to make strategic decisions in the "real world."

In terms of corruption, Transparency International gives the following score to the Philippines (higher is better): 34 (2012); 36 (2013); 38 (2014); 35 (2015); 35 (2016). These rankings consistently place the Philippines in the bottom third of nations. Such is the condition that Duterte faced when he came to power in 2016.
http://www.transparency.org/news/feature/corruption_perceptions_index_2016

So yes, I assume there will be cases where he conveniently "looks away" when it comes to the corruption of his friends, and other cases where he has to form an alliance with a monster just to survive.

Although we shouldn't lose sight of Duterte's faults, we can only judge their severity when we place them within their broader contexts. These are: the conditions of the Philippines before Dutuerte came to power; how the Philippines and Duterte compare to other Third World nations / leaders; and what is the Philippines' position within global balances of power. After judging Duterte from these perspectives, I feel that, flawed as he is, Duterte is still a force for good.

I actually don't have any problem with nationalism, providing that nationalism isn't expressed through the economic and political destabilization of other countries. Increased nationalist sentiment would be especially vital for the Third World, giving them pride in their own abilities and culture. I am sure the Philippines have much more to contribute to the world other than being an American military base and site for sex tourism. I'm sure Duterte thinks so, too.
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