# If it works in the Phillipins should Mexico try the same? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 23, 2016, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-it-works-in-the-phillipins-should-mexico-try-the-same/763748 "2016-08-23T18:10:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2016, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-it-works-in-the-phillipins-should-mexico-try-the-same/763748/201 "2016-09-10T01:08:34Z")
> [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#): > > Well, perhaps its not death squads but the death penalty worked pretty well in China. Uh, unlikely really, and that is because one can not trust the numbers given by the Chinese government. [http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/25/world/despite-a-crackdown-use-of-illegal-drugs-in-china-continues-unabated.html?\_r=0](http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/25/world/despite-a-crackdown-use-of-illegal-drugs-in-china-continues-unabated.html?_r=0) > [@](#): > > Despite a Crackdown, Use of Illegal Drugs in China Continues Unabated > [@](#): > > China’s growing prosperity has turned recreational drug use into an $82 billion annual domestic business, according to the National Narcotics Control Commission. There are 2.76 million drug users registered with the Chinese government, three-quarters of them under 35. Yet even the police admit that such figures convey only a fraction of the drug problem. In October, Liu Yuejin, director general of the government’s anti-narcotics division, estimated the actual number of addicts at roughly 13 million, half of whom are suspected of using methamphetamine, up from nine percent of addicts who were suspected of using that drug in 2008. > > “China is facing a grim task in curbing synthetic drugs, including ‘ice,’ which more and more of China’s drug addicts tend to use,” he said, using the street name for crystal methamphetamine, according to the state-run China Daily newspaper. China has some of the world’s harshest drug laws: those caught trafficking large amounts of drugs can face the death penalty, and the police have the authority to send casual drug users to compulsory drug rehabilitation centers, which human rights groups say are little more than labor camps. > Continue reading the main story > > Although heroin is the most commonly used illegal drug among rural Chinese, the country’s booming cities have become major markets for methamphetamine. A study of sewage in four megacities, published last year in the international journal Science of the Total Environment, reported that meth was omnipresent in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. In Beijing, the greatest concentration was found at a treatment plant serving the city’s highest density of nightclubs and bars, while China’s wealthy coastal cities in the south were determined to have the highest total consumption of meth, cocaine, ecstasy and ketamine, according to the study. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2016, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-it-works-in-the-phillipins-should-mexico-try-the-same/763748/202 "2016-09-10T01:17:33Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > Again the straw men are on sale for you to use them so much, > > It has happened often enough that not taking that into account is foolish. No straw. You were saying that this was a likely outcome. Remember, history rhymes? And you seem to think that this democratically elected guy with a 90% approval rating that is doing something that you don’t like, somehow rhymes with a military coup. Your bad at rhyming. > [@](#): > > The point is that even then many of the few that looked at election had doubts about them but most nations did accept that those military guys were democratically elected, the evidence for using fraud came later. > > [Military dictatorship in El Salvador - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_El_Salvador_%281931%E2%80%9379%29) > > Indeed, they “worked” by using military power and repression, that still required that a good number of Salvadorans were there supporting it. And I can tell you that that was the case then, the propaganda of the cold war was very effective in convincing many that supporting the military guys was a good idea. Just about the same kind of misled support for authoritarians is what we are seeing in the Philippines today. Can you rhyme that with coup and junta? > [@](#): > > And once again you only show how ignorant you are, as I pointed out the elections that took place then were not contested or declared fraudulent as the candidates then were not much different, the point is that the military guys had the support to get elected. And methods like that and systems like that were prevalent in Latin America. Yes the elections in South Korea were about as contested as the ones in North Korea. Plenty of people voted in them and I suppose a lot of people even voted for the military dictator. They were never declared fraudulent either (elections that picked people that were friendly to the US government were rarely called fraudulent), that didn’t make them free and fair elections. > [@](#): > > Well, what you point there and with enphasis shows only to all about how ignorant you are. > > [Portugal’s Example: What Happened After It Decriminalized All Drugs, From Weed to Heroin](https://news.vice.com/article/ungass-portugal-what-happened-after-decriminalization-drugs-weed-to-heroin) Is ignorant your word of the day or something? Can you debate without insulting because it makes debate pretty tough when you keep calling me ignorant any time you think you have a rebuttal. I mean seriously, what percentage of SDMB do you think DON’T share my deep and telling ignorance of El Salvador’s political history? ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2016, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-it-works-in-the-phillipins-should-mexico-try-the-same/763748/203 "2016-09-10T01:25:53Z")
> [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#): > > No straw. You were saying that this was a likely outcome. Remember, history rhymes? And you seem to think that this democratically elected guy with a 90% approval rating that is doing something that you don’t like, somehow rhymes with a military coup. Your bad at rhyming. > > Can you rhyme that with coup and junta? You did as you are wrong on what I reported; read it again, the election came after the Junta and unless you have evidence the candidate did get the most votes with no need of fraud back then, the point was that decades later the military guys did resort to fraud as their strong arm rule began to not be accepted by most people. > [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#): > > Yes the elections in South Korea were about as contested as the ones in North Korea. Plenty of people voted in them and I suppose a lot of people even voted for the military dictator. They were never declared fraudulent either (elections that picked people that were friendly to the US government were rarely called fraudulent), that didn’t make them free and fair elections. Of curse, but that does not take away that still most people did vote for the winner. > [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#): > > Is ignorant your word of the day or something? Can you debate without insulting because it makes debate pretty tough when you keep calling me ignorant any time you think you have a rebuttal. > > I mean seriously, what percentage of SDMB do you think DON’T share my deep and telling ignorance of El Salvador’s political history? :rolleyes: Pointing at your ignorance on an issue is not an insult, you are not only wrong on this, but also wrong on even this side point. The problem happens when nothing is learned once the ignorance goes away. Instead of looking at the evidence you always reach for alrternative explanation, an explanation that was not mentioned by me, hence me pointng at your repeated straw men. Anyhow, there is a lot of items were you are wrong, even on your attempts to counter what was reported. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2016, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-it-works-in-the-phillipins-should-mexico-try-the-same/763748/204 "2016-09-10T01:35:48Z")
Among the items that you were clearly wrong was that affirmation of yours about just being “ONE” country were drug decriminalization was attempted. It clearly shows that you should rethink a lot of your say-sos. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2016, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-it-works-in-the-phillipins-should-mexico-try-the-same/763748/205 "2016-09-10T02:10:50Z")
So when the plan has completely and fully “worked” (whatever that means), we can expect a peaceful transition of power to the next lawfully-elected administration, right? Huh? Right? ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2016, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-it-works-in-the-phillipins-should-mexico-try-the-same/763748/206 "2016-09-10T02:49:57Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > So when the plan has completely and fully “worked” (whatever that means), we can expect a peaceful transition of power to the next lawfully-elected administration, right? > > Huh? Right? You are being sarcastic, but that rethorical question has to be commented about. If it was a different nation I would point at how the past history of the nation would tell us how possible is to see a transition to the next lawfully-elected administration. Unfortunately this is the Philippines and much to the chagrin of the OP, there is another, more relevant example of a democratically elected guy that became a dictator. While many also suspected that Ferdinand Marcos later victories were obtained by fraud, a referendum in the 80’s showed that voters supported the dictator by 88.02%. Sure, the Dictator did put a fake candidate against him, but the reality is that most people did vote for the then dictator. > **[1981 Philippine presidential election and referendum](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_presidential_election_and_referendum,_1981)** > > Ferdinand Marcos > KBL > Ferdinand Marcos > KBL > The 1981 Philippine presidential election and national referendum was held on June 16, 1981. President Ferdinand E. Marcos of the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL) defeated retired general and World War II veteran Alejo Santos of the Nacionalista Party in a landslide victory. Most opposition parties boycotted the election as a sign of protest over the 1978 election for the Interim Batasang Pambansa (National Assembly), which they condemned as fraudulent.... Back to the “good old times” for many? And the roll eyes :rolleyes: goes to the voters of then, although many did boycott the elections the turnout was very heavy, and even taking the fraudulent efforts by Marcos into account the bastard showed that he had a lot of support back then. Until Aquino showed with his own life how bloodthirsty Marcos had become. The hope for the Philippines is that at least, historically speaking, they are capable of big changes in a few years; although it took a revolt to make sure that Corazon Aquino (the widow of the opposition leader) was allowed to become president as many observers did report that Marcos only did win in 1986 by committing fraud. Still, IIRC the results were close, even in the numbers reported by observers and the opposition that showed Aquino as the winner. Meaning that while most **did** choose democracy, a good number of Philippinos back then showed that they still did love to live under a recognized dictator. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2016, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-it-works-in-the-phillipins-should-mexico-try-the-same/763748/207 "2016-09-10T05:20:35Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > Pointing at your ignorance on an issue is not an insult, . . . However, your persistent use of the words “ignorant” and “ignorance” in this thread has gotten to the point where it is less a comment on a specific understanding by a poster regarding a specific phenomenon and much more a dismissive label that treads the line of personal attack. Knock it off. Just post what you believe to be the facts and omit your commentary on what you believe your opponent to know or not know. [/Moderating] ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2016, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-it-works-in-the-phillipins-should-mexico-try-the-same/763748/208 "2016-09-11T01:56:47Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > Uh, unlikely really, and that is because one can not trust the numbers given by the Chinese government. > > [http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/25/world/despite-a-crackdown-use-of-illegal-drugs-in-china-continues-unabated.html?\_r=0](http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/25/world/despite-a-crackdown-use-of-illegal-drugs-in-china-continues-unabated.html?_r=0) Yes it came back but they don’t kill drug users anymore. They just put them in jail like we do. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2016, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-it-works-in-the-phillipins-should-mexico-try-the-same/763748/209 "2016-09-11T02:13:10Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > You did as you are wrong on what I reported; read it again, the election came after the Junta and unless you have evidence the candidate did get the most votes with no need of fraud back then, the point was that decades later the military guys did resort to fraud as their strong arm rule began to not be accepted by most people. So wait. A junta takes over by military coup and then has an election that you think is rigged and so NATURALLY when someone first comes into power by winning the most votes and has a 90%+ approval rating, you think “well geez, I’ve seen THIS movie before” :dubious: > [@](#): > > Of curse, but that does not take away that still most people did vote for the winner. Depends on who you believe. The military junta claims that they got over 90% of the vote while there were violent riots in the streets by college students and the military was massacring dissidents in Kwang Ju. YOu would start crying every time you got off at Kimpo airport because there was so much ear gas in the air that you would be affected if you hadn’t developed a tolerance by living in Korea. > [@](#): > > :rolleyes: > > Pointing at your ignorance on an issue is not an insult, you are not only wrong on this, but also wrong on even this side point. The way you do it? Of course its meant as an insult. Who in their right mind would call someone ignorant because they didn’t know what happened in a fucking banana republic 50 fucking years ago? Seriously, what percentage of the SDMB do you think knows El Salvador’s political history from 50 years ago? Because you are either saying they are all ignorant or you were really just trying to insult me. > [@](#): > > The problem happens when nothing is learned once the ignorance goes away. Instead of looking at the evidence you always reach for alrternative explanation, an explanation that was not mentioned by me, hence me pointng at your repeated straw men. What explanation. Why do you speak so opaquely? Do you think someone will think you are smart or something? > [@](#): > > Anyhow, there is a lot of items were you are wrong, even on your attempts to counter what was reported. Like what? Your method of argument is so fucking ridiculous its making me fart. here let me try your method of argument: Anyhow you’re wrong about so much stuff and even when you try to rebutt things that I say, you still manage to prove that the ignorant can never really stop being ignorant because they revel in their ignorance. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2016, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-it-works-in-the-phillipins-should-mexico-try-the-same/763748/210 "2016-09-11T02:17:35Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > So when the plan has completely and fully “worked” (whatever that means), we can expect a peaceful transition of power to the next lawfully-elected administration, right? > > Huh? Right? Why wouldn’t there be? The president is currently limited to a single 6 year term in office. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2016, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-it-works-in-the-phillipins-should-mexico-try-the-same/763748/211 "2016-09-11T02:19:22Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > Among the items that you were clearly wrong was that affirmation of yours about just being “ONE” country were drug decriminalization was attempted. It clearly shows that you should rethink a lot of your say-sos. What “say so”? What difference does your little factoid make? ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2016, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-it-works-in-the-phillipins-should-mexico-try-the-same/763748/212 "2016-09-11T02:21:30Z")
> [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#): > > What “say so”? > > What difference does your little factoid make? You were wrong, it may not make much of a difference to you, but many others will take that into account as it is clear that you are not reconsidering even that say so. For it then would follow that since other nations are doing a more humane solution that is actually a working one; you, for that matter, should condemn Dutarte and the ones that support him as his efforts are more likely to lead to failure, not only in the drug war front, but also in the democratic side of things. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2016, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-it-works-in-the-phillipins-should-mexico-try-the-same/763748/213 "2016-09-11T02:31:01Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > You were wrong, it may not make much of a difference to you, but many others will take that into account. What difference does it make that I was wrong about the number of countries that dealt with their drug problem by giving all their addicts drugs? How does that impact my argument that President Dutarte’s policies might also work to reduce crimes associated with drugs? Sure, there are problems with extrajudicial killings but as a previous poster pointed out, this can be the lesser of two evils. If you could reduce the murder rate in El Salvador by 95% (El Savador’s murder rate in 2012 was 20 times that of the USA and 7 times that of the Philippines) by killing the drug traffickers that terrorize the country, why wouldn’t you immediately assume that anyone suggesting such a thing actually wants to become a dictator? ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2016, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-it-works-in-the-phillipins-should-mexico-try-the-same/763748/214 "2016-09-11T02:33:31Z")
> [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#): > > So wait. A junta takes over by military coup and then has an election that you think is rigged and so NATURALLY when someone first comes into power by winning the most votes and has a 90%+ approval rating, you think “well geez, I’ve seen THIS movie before” > > :dubious: It is clear that you are missing the history of the Philiphines. So, yes I have seen that movie before. Dutarte can also say that he is limited to 6 years, that did not stop Marcos from taking over after being elected democratically. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2016, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-it-works-in-the-phillipins-should-mexico-try-the-same/763748/215 "2016-09-11T02:40:00Z")
> [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#): > > Why wouldn’t there be? The president is currently limited to a single 6 year term in office. I’ll take a wild guess and speculate that extrajudicial killing that starts out targeting criminals will move on to people who are accused of sympathizing with criminals by being opposed to the extrajudicial killing of people who may or may not be criminals, and some political opponents of the current administration could be so accused. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2016, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-it-works-in-the-phillipins-should-mexico-try-the-same/763748/216 "2016-09-11T02:45:07Z")
> [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#): > > What difference does it make that I was wrong about the number of countries that dealt with their drug problem by giving all their addicts drugs? You insistence of being only one nation would lead to the idea that just because only one did try and it is looking to be successful that that would not be of much use since only one country did it. As it turns out there are more than just one that are doing more humane solutions than the ones Duterte are using. And with better outcomes really. > [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#): > > How does that impact my argument that President Dutarte’s policies might also work to reduce crimes associated with drugs? Because, as the evidence in the video showed the war on drugs being done mostly as a punitive action (that is, mostly the stick and not the carrot) leads nations to the corruption of their institutions. > [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#): > > Sure, there are problems with extrajudicial killings but as a previous poster pointed out, this can be the lesser of two evils. If you could reduce the murder rate in El Salvador by 95% (El Savador’s murder rate in 2012 was 20 times that of the USA and 7 times that of the Philippines) by killing the drug traffickers that terrorize the country, why wouldn’t you immediately assume that anyone suggesting such a thing actually wants to become a dictator? Because on the way to fight the monsters that way, the history I checked tells me that the ones fighting the monsters will become one. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2016, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-it-works-in-the-phillipins-should-mexico-try-the-same/763748/217 "2016-09-11T06:15:45Z")
> [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#): > > Your method of argument is so fucking ridiculous its making me fart. > > here let me try your method of argument: Anyhow you’re wrong about so much stuff and even when you try to rebutt things that I say, you still manage to prove that the ignorant can never really stop being ignorant because they revel in their ignorance. NO. Given that Gigo was already Mod Noted for his behavior, your attempt to use his “method of argument” means that you are violating a Mod’s instructions. So, if you do not want to incur a Warning, you will knock off this bullshit now. [/Moerating] ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2016, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-it-works-in-the-phillipins-should-mexico-try-the-same/763748/218 "2016-09-11T15:37:05Z")
> [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#): > > Well we’ve got the philippine police saying that they ARE invstigating murders and we’ve got you saying nuh-unh. Do you have a cite? Or do you just know in your heart that this must be true. Because the critics of these extrajudicial killings aren’t making this claim and they aren’t claiming that some significant percentage of these killings is of innocents. You can go believe self-reporting, it’s notoriously unreliable. There’s at least some segment of murders not being investigated because of how the victim would be framed. What the hell do you think extra-judicial killing even means? Do you think it comes with an extra side order of justice? > [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#): > > People didn’t sell drugs on the street in your neighborhood, did they? The street isn’t the only place we’re talking about, are we? We’re talking about the entirety of a country. > [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#): > > You are assuming there was some significant amount of rule of law there to be removed. No, I just know which way is backward to disorder. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2016, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-it-works-in-the-phillipins-should-mexico-try-the-same/763748/219 "2016-09-12T18:29:40Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > It is clear that you are missing the history of the Philiphines. So, yes I have seen that movie before. Dutarte can also say that he is limited to 6 years, that did not stop Marcos from taking over after being elected democratically. I assume you mean Marcos (you do mean Marcos don’t you? You are incredibly opaque in spelling out exactly what you mean). So tell me. What did Marcos do BEFORE declaring martial law and becoming dictator that would be analogous to what Dutarte is doing now. You say that these extrajudicial killings are a sign that Dutarte is going to become a dictator and all you do is point to the fact that dictators have existed in other countries so this popularly elected President with ridiculously high popularity is also likely to become a dictator (mostly because you don’t like what he is doing). ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2016, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-it-works-in-the-phillipins-should-mexico-try-the-same/763748/220 "2016-09-12T18:48:17Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > I’ll take a wild guess and speculate that extrajudicial killing that starts out targeting criminals will move on to people who are accused of sympathizing with criminals by being opposed to the extrajudicial killing of people who may or may not be criminals, and some political opponents of the current administration could be so accused. That is a wild guess indeed. Why would someone with a 90% popularity rating have to kill political opponents? Because they hurt his feewings? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-it-works-in-the-phillipins-should-mexico-try-the-same/763748.md?page=10) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-it-works-in-the-phillipins-should-mexico-try-the-same/763748.md?page=12)