Being the leader of any nation requires several abilities and qualifications. The first is a dedication to the people of that nation and a focus on security and national welfare. The second is a promise to support the laws and principles of that country; keeping tradition and national heritage at the forefront of his or her policies. The third requirement is an ability to have diplomatic skills which will allow negotiations with the leaders of other nations, both friend and foe.
The newly elected President of the Philippines is Rodrigo Duterte. He won the election in May based on a single promise; to stop the drug trade. On June 30, Duterte launched operations by his security forces and those the press call ‘vigilantes,’ to murder suspected drug dealers. To this date, more than 2,400 individuals have died in the raids.
President Obama has questioned his actions, asking if there were violations of human rights when they were killed and not indicted by the country’s legal system. Duterte responded. A meeting between the two leaders had been scheduled Tuesday during the meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in the Lao capital of Vientiane. Because of Duterte’s malicious attack against President Obama, the meeting has been cancelled.
“You must be respectful. Do not just throw away questions and statements. Son of a whore, I will curse you in that forum,” Duterte told a news conference.
“We will be wallowing in the mud like pigs if you do that to me.”
If this sounds like a man who shares Donald Trump’s weak temperament, you are not wrong. He is an attack dog. He used the same phrase, “son of a whore,” to describe the American Ambassador to the Philippines, and Pope Francis when he made a visit to the small nation. Duterte was angry because the pope’s procession tied up traffic.
President Obama was kind, referring to Duterte as a ‘colorful man,’ and said that he only attends meetings which offer productive results. Then he spoke about crime, and his hopes for discussion in the future.
“The issue of how we approach fighting crime and drug trafficking is a serious one for all of us. We’ve got to do it the right way,” he said.
“Undoubtedly, if and when we have a meeting, this is something that’s going to be brought up. And my expectation, my hope is that it could be dealt with constructively.”
This is how international relations are handled intelligently. What could we expect for a “thin-skinned” Donald Trump? Rash decisions.
Trump, like Duterte, is no match for intelligent and informed individuals such as President Obama and Hillary Clinton. Trump began as a bad joke in 2015, and continues to become a joke which is no longer humorous.
Serious times require serious people. Trump now speaks with tools he previously denounced; prepared speeches and a teleprompter. We will not be swayed by this attempt to portray the failed businessman as qualified or even rational candidate. We know Donald Trump, and what we know is not pretty.
Do your friends and family a favor and re-post this. Thank you.
Op-Ed
By James Turnage
Follow me on twitter: @jamesturnagenov
The Truth With No Restrictions 