At Least He's Not Your President

There is something to be said for the strategy of owning the names you are called to defuse the bite of what otherwise might be an insult. But, it is still a stunningly bad idea for a country's highest elected official, Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, to compare himself to Adolph Hitler, because as part of Duterte's drug war he wants to emulate the way Hitler carried out the Holocaust by killing several million of his own citizens.

Every now and then, someone compares himself to a Nazi leader to praise some of the arguably good things that allegedly happened during that regime: trains running on time, national pride and unity restored, or a hyperinflation driven economic collapse halted.  But, Duterte want to emulate the part of the Nazi regime that is universally condemned.

He said:

"Hitler massacred 3 million Jews. Now there is 3 million, what is it, 3 million drug addicts (in the Philippines), there are," he said in a speech in his hometown of Davao City. "I'd be happy to slaughter them. At least if Germany had Hitler, the Philippines would have (me). 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."

His numbers are several million too small, but his message is nonetheless atrocious. And, apparently, this comment is just one of a long line of controversies that overall paint Duterte as an unbalanced and corrupt leader.

He shot and killed two people accused of kidnapping while he was a Mayor, and has also made many other concerning comments:

He's joked about not being able to join the gang rape of an Australian missionary, cursed out the Pope, called both US President Obama and the US Ambassador to the Philippines a "son of a bitch," and told police they can kill drug dealers if they fight back.

It's a tough call, but Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte might even be worse than Trump, although the men are cut from the same cloth.