During his first term, Donald Trump praised Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte for his murderous “drug war” that often included innocents among its victims; put Vladimir Putin first in what passed as his foreign policy; and unequivocally backed Israel’s anti-Palestinian policies.
Getting a second chance at the presidency, Trump demonstrates daily what he learned about dictatorship from watching his tyrannical heroes in action.
Last year, Duterte admitted to using a death squad of gangsters to murder people while mayor of Davao before taking his “anti-crime campaign” to the presidency in 2016.
In 2017, after the extent of “extrajudicial” killings throughout the Philippines was becoming known, Trump told Duterte in a phone call:
“I just wanted to congratulate you because I am hearing of the unbelievable job on the drug problem. Many countries have the problem, we have a problem, but what a great job you are doing and I just wanted to call and tell you that.”
Duterte now awaits an International Criminal Court trial in the Netherlands, charged with the direct ordering of 76 murders.
But, “The Philippine government estimates that more than 6,252 people have been gunned down by the police and ‘unknown assailants’ in Duterte’s ‘war on drugs,’” according to the BBC. “Rights groups say the numbers could actually run into the tens of thousands.”
Now we have Trump ordering attacks on “drug boats” – and killing their occupants – off the coast of Venezuela – with no evidence to substantiate the claims. In fact, a second strike on the debris of one such boat killed two men clinging to the wreckage.
And, in a twist, Trump has also imitated his avowed enemies. The piratical seizing of a Venezuelan oil tanker is reminiscent of the actions of Somali pirates in the Indian Ocean.
Hey, Mr. Pot, what about that kettle?
Whether or not Putin has any of Epstein’s alleged salacious Trump tapes – or those of his own – Trump continues to play his fawning puppet. A few weeks back, his self-ballyhooed Ukrainian peace plan was exposed as giving Putin everything he wants.
Following Putin’s blueprint, Trump openly plots to annex Greenland [Danish intelligence says the U.S. can no longer be trusted], invade Mexico – on another anti-drug crusade – and launch an invasion of Venezuela or, maybe just inject some covert destabilization.
Anyone who can corral members of the Oklahoma Congressional delegation over the holidays needs to ask them if they really want to go to war with Venezuela or Denmark, and, in the latter case, impose brutal, colonialistic repression upon the Greenland freedom fighters who would likely emerge.
You cannot seek logic where it does not exist. The anti-drug crusading Trump has pardoned Juan Orlando Hernández, former president of Honduras, who was sentenced to 45 years in prison after being convicted for what the New York Times called “a decades-long [cocaine] trafficking conspiracy” and “running his country like a narco-state,” according to prosecutors.
Trump said that “many people that I greatly respect” claimed Hernández had been “treated very harshly and unfairly.”
While we are documenting the kind of people Trump respects, Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine observed, “It’s the same old story from this administration: no plans to actually make our communities safer or more prosperous, only ridiculous – and likely corrupt – schemes to reward wealthy criminals.”
The pro-Putin peace plan followed the similar ballyhooed hooey of an October peace plan for Gaza. Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu was granted all of his wishes – with Trump envisioning his beachfront hotel rising from the ruins and ashes of the completely destroyed Palestinian territory.
And, not coincidentally, the Israelis continue to bomb Gazan civilians and killing anyone that crosses a “yellow line” that some see as a way for Israel to take total control of half of Gaza.
More than 300 Palestinians have been killed since “peace” was proclaimed.
A new corollary to the peace pact would establish “Alternative Safe Communities” of up to 25,000 Palestinians within compounds on the Israeli side of the yellow line. These compounds which would require intense scrutiny for admittance, and, once in, people would not be allowed to leave.
Sana Saeed, a senior producer for AJ+, characterized this proposal as a “concentration camp within a concentration camp.”
In recent weeks, Netanyahu has also launched attacks on Beirut and southern Lebanon and, “At least 13 people were killed and 24 were injured after Israeli forces invaded the Beit Jinn village in southern Syria,” according to CNN.
Israel has become a modern Sparta, a militarized state that lashes out to attack other countries at will, including Qatar when Hamas leaders gathered for ceasefire negotiations.
As if practicing for his current Caribbean carnage campaign, Trump had U.S. forces abet the Israelis in June as they bombed Iran. There are international laws against such attacks – and there should be some congressional oversight in this country.
Make no mistake. Iran is no friend of the U.S. But with a rogue Israeli state possessing nuclear weapons, it makes perfect sense that Iranians feel the need to create their own nuclear deterrence. The threat of mutual destruction kept the U.S. and USSR sane during the Cold War and continues to prevent dangerous escalations between Pakistan and India.
So, by mimicking his heroes by attacking other nations [Putin and Netanyahu] and using a “drug war” as an excuse for extrajudicial killings [Duterte], Trump shows that he was taking notes on tyranny during his first term.
He is now putting what he learned into effect.
