(ANTIMEDIA Op-Ed) On Wednesday, the New York Times ran what can only be described as a hit piece on China. The writer, Carlos Tejada, points to videos released by China’s state media that target children. The subject of the videos? The Belt and Road Initiative, China’s ambitious plan to establish a permanent trade route linking China, Europe, and Africa.
Whether one is in favour of the decriminalisation/legalisation of drugs or one wants to completely erase their existence, no one of sound mind could argue that drugs should be smuggled, bought and sold on the black market.
The illegal drugs trade is a conduit for violent crime ranging from threats and blackmail on one end of the dark spectrum to homicide, rape, arson and human trafficking on the other. Drug deals are often the bedrock of finance for organised crime syndicates and violent gangs.
Agnes Callamard, the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions has paid a surprise visit to Philippines in order to investigate President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs.
Callamard is well known for taking an unfavourable view of President Duterte’s anti-drug policies and consequently, Duterte has frowned upon the visit as well as the unexpected and therefore undiplomatic nature of the visit.
Far from toning down his remarks about the drug war, Duterte issued a message to drug dealers that typically pulled no punches.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte wears a pilot’s jacket which was presented to him during his “Talk with the Airmen” on the anniversary of the 250th Presidential Airlift Wing, Sept. 13, 2016 at the Philippine Air Force headquarters in Manila.
Presidents Trump and Duterte seem to be well on the road to becoming good friends. With Chinese President Xi’s ‘fondness’ for Trump apparently grossly exaggerated, Putin remaining as distant from Trump as ever and European leaders still looking at the White House hoping to see Barack Obama watering the daisies, it seems that Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte may end up being one of Trump’s best friends in the wider political world.
The two leaders had a phone conversation which both sides claimed was very positive.
Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has offered harsh words for North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un, but cautioned Donald Trump not to go to war with North Korea as it would play into Kim’s hands.
Duterte stated,
“The guy (Kim) simply wants to end the world, that is why he is very happy. He is always smiling. But he really wants to finish everything and he wants to drag us all down”.
He continued,
Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has responded to a recent upsurge in a ISIS inspired insurgency in his country by once again threatening to hunt down and cannibalise terrorists.
Duterte promised to personally hunt down terrorists and after the hunt is complete, he would prepare to eat the organs of a captured terrorist. Duterte described his rather humble preparations for cannibalism by saying,
“…just give me vinegar and salt, I’ll eat his liver”.
While many prominent global politicians have expressed their disappointment in Donald Trump’s many recent policy shifts, one world leader is still singing his praises.
READ MORE: 10 well-known ‘deplorables’ now FURIOUS with Trump
Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has been in Qatar where he spoke of his continued admiration for the US President.
(ANTIMEDIA) South China Sea — Donald Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping have met at Mar-a-Lago, talked, and now seem to want to work things out. That’s fantastic. We should all go into our weekends breathing a little easier and put out of mind a chilling reality.
The war drums are beating in the South China Sea.
Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte is currently leading a Time Magazine Poll of the most influential men and women of 2017. How it is even possible to conduct such a poll at the end of March seems rather counter-intuitive, but nevertheless Duterte is a solid choice.
