Philippines' Duterte likens himself to Hitler, wants to kill millions of drug users

[Ulmita]

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte appeared to liken himself to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler on Friday and said he would "be happy" to exterminate three million drug users and peddlers in the country.


His comments triggered shock and anger among Jewish groups in the United States, which will add to pressure on the U.S. government to take a tougher line with the Philippines leader. Duterte recently insulted President Barack Obama and in a series of remarks he has undermined the previously close relationship between Manila and Washington.


In a rambling speech on his arrival in Davao City after a visit to Vietnam, Duterte told reporters that he had been "portrayed to be a cousin of Hitler" by critics.
Noting that Hitler had murdered millions of Jews, Duterte said: "There are three million drug addicts (in the Philippines). I'd be happy to slaughter them.


"If Germany had Hitler, the Philippines would have...," he said, pausing and pointing to himself.
"You know my victims. I would like (them) to be all criminals to finish the problem of my country and save the next generation from perdition."
Duterte was voted to power in a May election on the back of a vow to end drugs and corruption in the country of 100 million people. He took office on June 30 and over 3,100 people have been killed since then, mostly alleged drug users and dealers, in police operations and in vigilante killings.
His comments were quickly condemned by Jewish groups.


Rabbi Abraham Cooper, head of the Simon Wiesenthal Center's Digital Terrorism and Hate project, called them "outrageous".
"Duterte owes the victims (of the Holocaust) an apology for his disgusting rhetoric."
The Anti-Defamation League, an international Jewish group based in the United States, said Duterte's comments were "shocking for their tone-deafness".


"The comparison of drug users and dealers to Holocaust victims is inappropriate and deeply offensive," said Todd Gutnick, the group's director of communications. "It is baffling why any leader would want to model himself after such a monster."
EX-PRESIDENT'S WARNING
Two days before the Philippines election, outgoing President Benigno Aquino had warned that Duterte's rising popularity was akin to that of Hitler in the 1920s and 1930s.


"I hope we learn the lessons of history," Aquino said in widely reported remarks. "We should remember how Hitler came to power."
Duterte has been scathing about criticism of his anti-drugs campaign and has insulted the United Nations and the European Union, as well as Obama, at various times in recent weeks.


On Friday, reacting to critical comments on his war on drugs by U.S. Senators Patrick Leahy and Benjamin Cardin, Duterte said: "Do not pretend to be the moral conscience of the world. Do not be the policeman because you do not have the eligibility to do that in my country."


He also reiterated there will be no annual war games between the Philippines and the United States until the end of his six-year term, placing the longstanding alliance under a cloud of doubt. It also may make Washington's strategy of rebalancing its military focus towards Asia in the face of an increasingly assertive China much more difficult to achieve.
Still, U.S. Defence Secretary Ash Carter, speaking before the latest remarks from Duterte, said Washington had an "ironclad" alliance with Manila.
A senior U.S. defense official, also speaking earlier, told reporters that the United States had a long enduring relationship with the Philippines regardless of who was president.


"It's going to continue to survive based on what we think are strong U.S.-Philippines common security interests, so we’ll be engaging President Duterte further," the official said.


Malcolm Cook, a senior fellow at Singapore's ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute, said the U.S-Philippines alliance was not necessarily at risk, but Washington could seek to focus on ties elsewhere in the region.
"We are all in some sense becoming, by necessity, desensitized to Duterte's language," he said.
"Diplomatically, the U.S. would say they'll continue to work with him and the alliance is strong. But it's whether they'll continue to strengthen that alliance or not."


(Additional reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee, Yeganeh Torbati in San Diego and Marius Zaharia in Singapore; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)

dude is definitely sick

[Blobfish]

Thats because

[kyoloco]

his honesty is refreshing

[Justpassing]

his honesty is refreshing

Yeah I respect the man for telling it like it is.

[lonely zergling]

Drug users are unworthy anyway so let him purge his country. I support this.

[Independent voter]

He's killing communists too. The Cold War is still going on in the Philippines.

[Vilendor]

I hate playing worldpolice. If the people living there agree with him it's their choice. It's not like he took/keep the power by force, he was elected for promising what he does.

And what's the other option? Bring them more democracy USA style?

I guess time will tell the truth, either his country turns into a drug free paradise or he will be remembered as Hitler 2

[caervek]

I don't see a problem :S

Media compare him to Hitler, he counters by saying that while Hitler murdered millions of Jews he instead will exterminate millions of drug dealers (an obvious exaggeration).

Good luck to him.

[NED funded]

Are this really drug users/dealers? Because they don't seem to care about the validity of the killings, given that they allow vigilantes.

[Bakis]

He did not even get the numbers right. He is such a joke.
Might be related to Trump.

[Ulmita]

The problem is that the drug users are sick people who need hospitals and psychological support to regain their lives and not execution.

[Deleted]

The problem is that the drug users are sick people who need hospitals and psychological support to regain their lives and not execution.

Drug users are not sick. Stop trying to strip people of any responsibility for their own situations when they mess things up for themselves.

[ItachiZaku]

I support this. Good on you, el Presidente. /Salute

[Azadina]

Are this really drug users/dealers? Because they don't seem to care about the validity of the killings, given that they allow vigilantes.

Anyone they disagree with. No evidence even needed.

[LilSaihah]

Anyone they disagree with. No evidence even needed.

To be quite honest I'm not sure Duterte's clever enough to realize he could be doing political purging.

[ParanoiD84]

Can go after all the terrorists in the philippines to while they are at it, i know one group beheaded 2 canadians some weeks back there. ISIS affiliates or something.

And he should hurry killing of as many as possible now before he gets assassinated.

[Aggrophobic]

That guy needs to be removed. In one way or another, befor it's getting out of hand. If it has not already.

[chrykoolaid]

Drug users are unworthy anyway so let him purge his country. I support this.

do you even realise that drug addiction is a medical issue , yet you condone his methods of killing people that just need help. I really question you fucking morals as a human being you sadistic prick

infracted - minor flaming

[Deleted]

That guy needs to be removed. In one way or another, befor it's getting out of hand. If it has not already.

He was democratically elected though.

Or is democracy only good when we agree with who gets elected?

[Dr Assbandit]

He was democratically elected though.

Or is democracy only good when we agree with who gets elected?

It's all well and good when you elect someone while over-emotional based on the promises they offered, but when you start losing loved ones in the crossfire and discounted as "casualties" then they will realize the folly of electing someone with so little regard for human life.

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Drug users are not sick. Stop trying to strip people of any responsibility for their own situations when they mess things up for themselves.

So according to you do we only have one chance in life to make it with absolutely no margin for mistakes for poor judgement or bad luck?

Somehow I doubt you yourself are perfect and devoid of flaws, and have never made any mistakes in your life. In which case if you have, you are just a silly hypocrite for making that statement then.

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Drug users are unworthy anyway so let him purge his country. I support this.

Do you smoke cigarettes? drink alcohol perhaps? marijuana? Or have family members that do?

If your answer was yes to any of the aforementioned then you are basically advocating for purging yourself and those you know that do as well.