Time Refuses to Celebrate Duterte

Thanks to the help of netizens across the globe Duterte won the vaunted Time's 100 Most Influential People online poll for 2017.

What a cause for celebration! 

Only Time doesn't think so.  Instead of celebrating Duterte they have decided to rebuke him for his war against drugs.

Hilariously Time has dumped cold ice all over the heads and shoulders of Duterte's supporters by enlisting former Colombian President Cesar Gaviria to pen a missive reprimanding Duterte for his war on drugs.

Since Duterte's inauguration last year, some 7,000 people have been killed. His ironfisted strategy alarms governments, human-rights organizations and faith-based groups while winning high approval ratings at home.

http://time.com/collection/2017-time-100/4736340/rodrigo-duterte/

This is the same man who penned an op-ed in the NY Times which provoked the ire of Duterte just two months ago.

http://www.businessinsider.com/rodrigo-duterte-calls-colombia-president-idiot-over-drug-war-op-ed-2017-2

Leila De Lima also secured a spot in the top 100 but instead of celebrating her Time used the opportunity to offer a second rebuke to Duterte.

Leila de Lima knew with whom she was dealing. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte (dubbed "Duterte Harry") has insulted Pope Francis, told U.S. President Barack Obama to "go to hell" and expressed regret he did not go "first" in a gang rape. Since last June, when Duterte took office, some 7,000 people have been killed in his merciless anti­drug campaign. Most opposition politicians have kept their heads down, knowing Duterte is both terrifyingly brutal and massively popular.

In February she was jailed. 

It is a disturbing testament to the current solidarity among strongmen and the global surge in impunity that de Lima's cause has not been more embraced. 

http://time.com/collection/2017-time-100/4736274/leila-de-lima/

All in all its a triple threat.  Duterte is twice condemned and alleged to have been the cause of the death of 7,000 people and De Lima is posed as his righteous opposition who has been jailed not for running drugs out of Bilibid Prison but for being "Duterte's most vocal critic—a role her friends call suicidal."

Even 4chan founder "moot" got a positive write-up when he won the 2009 poll and the users of his site hacked the results to shoot him all the way to the top.  Time took it all in good stride and had Rick Astley pen the article on "moot."  If you don't remember Rickrolling was popular at that time and all thanks to 4chan which made having Rick Astley write his article both appropriate and humorous.

http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1894410_1893837_1894180,00.html

Not so for Duterte. The author, Cesar Gaviria, is appropriate but the subject matter is grim.

There are two things Filipinos can learn from all this.

1. The Time 100 Most Influential People online poll is meaningless.  Anyone can win if enough votes are cast.  In the case of "moot" anyone can win if they know how to hack the system.

Besides do you really think the most influential people in the world are on this list?  Is Samantha Bee more influential than financier and banker Nathaniel Rothschild? Never forget the words of British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli:

“The world is governed by very different personages from what is imagined by those who are not behind the scenes.”

2. The world does not want to celebrate Duterte. They want to rebuke him.

If the whole world keeps telling you everything is wrong perhaps you had better start considering the possibility that they may be on to something. Don't let pride blind you to reality.