"The right way"

by digby




Recall that when Trump took office he called Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte and told him that he thought he was handling the opiod crisis "the right way."

Duterte's moving into a new phase:

President Rodrigo Duterte, whose war on drugs and crime in the Philippines has killed thousands, is reportedly considering a new tactic in his fight: Arming the public.

Duterte wants to distribute guns to “42,000 community leaders, known as “barangay captains,” after consulting with the police and intelligence agency,” as the New York Post reports.

The guns would be free for anyone not involved in illegal drugs; privately purchased handguns would be subsidized. “Duterte has repeatedly said thousands of community officials were involved in the trade, without elaborating.”

From The Post:

Activists and Duterte’s political opponents say the campaign is overwhelmingly targeting users and small-time peddlers in poor communities and accuse police of systematically executing suspects, often based on weak intelligence.
The authorities reject that and say all those killed were drug dealers who put up violent resistance and left police with no choice but to shoot them.Those in favor of Duterte’s plan includes the association of barangay officials. Its president, Edmund Abesamis, told CNN Philippines he believes this “will ease the reluctance of most village chiefs to disclose information on drug suspects — since the captains become targets of the criminal.”

Among its opponents are activist groups that say the government’s aim is to incite terror among the public. A spokeswoman for Rise Up for Life and for Rights said as much, arguing that communities faced more than their share of “tyrannical and fascist attacks” during Duterte’s drug war.

Trump wouldn't have to distribute guns. He could just deputize his pals in the NRA. Don't think he wouldn't like to do it.

At the moment Trump is agreeing to make some lame "just say no" ads so that he can say he told all the people who are dependent on opiods that their president told them not to do it so they can't say they didn't know. You can bet that after a while he's going to bring the hammer down. Sessions is chomping at the bit to do it "the right way."

This crisis at the border is a test of what Trump can get away with against the will of the majority of this country. If he does, it won't end there.

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