People who have called out President Rodrigo Duterte for some of the decisions that he has made may be familiar with this argument from his supporters – ‘Why don’t you be president, if you think you can do better?”
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In fact, one of Duterte’s supporters whom we found using the argument was Kat De Castro, Tourism Undersecretary for Office of Public Affairs. In October 2016, she wrote: “Damn if you do, damn if you don’t. Some people can’t stop being negatrons. If you think you can do better than the President, takbo kayo sa 2022 ha?”
Well, Roselle Firme reposted a rebuttal to that ‘fallacious’ argument.
The point of her rebuttal is that you can still call out the person even if you cannot do their job just like how you call out a teacher who hits students, an accountant who mishandles your money, or a pilot who’s about to crash into a building. Why? Because you know that all these things were not a part of their job.
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In a sense, calling out President Duterte for “promoting vigilante killings, desecrating the Constitution, giving away our islands to China, tarnishing our long-standing alliances, bayad-utang appointments, and spouting out rape jokes in the midst of martial law,” are not a part of his job description as the Philippines’ Chief Executive.
Firme’s post also pointed out how Duterte is also a government employee paid by taxpayers’ money and someone who is not above the law.
Here’s the entirety of her post:
‘WHY DON’T YOU BE PRESIDENT, IF YOU THINK YOU CAN DO BETTER?
^This is a line which has been parroted thousands of times by thousands of dutertards during the past year. It’s a terrible and boring argument. And here’s why:
If a school teacher verbally abuses and hits children, and I call her out, is it right for someone to say “Why don’t you be a teacher if you think you can do better”? I can’t do the job of a teacher, but I KNOW that verbally abusing and hitting children is not part of her job.
If an accountant mishandles my money, and I call her out, is it right for someone to say “Why don’t you be an accountant if you think you can do better”? I can’t do the job of the accountant, but I KNOW that mishandling my money is not part of her job.
If a pilot starts to fly a plane into a tall building, and I call him out, is it right for someone to say “Why don’t you be the pilot if you think you can do better”? I can’t do the job of a pilot, but I KNOW that crashing into a building is not part of his job.
In the same way, I can’t be president. But I KNOW that promoting vigilante killings, desecrating the Constitution, giving away our islands to China, tarnishing our long-standing alliances, bayad-utang appointments, and spouting out rape jokes in the midst of martial law, is not part of a president’s job.
The president is a government EMPLOYEE, after all, paid for by taxpayers’ money. When an employee is doing something he’s not supposed to do, THEN YOU CALL HIM OUT ON HIS BULLSHIT! The president is not a KING or an EMPEROR who is above everything, including the law.
Funny thing is, some dutertards even change the argument into: “Why don’t you be president in the future so you will know what it FEELS like”. Ah so it all comes down to FEELINGS for them, in the same way they supported and voted for Duterte based on the way he made them FEEL, not based on actual knowledge or critical thinking.
All in all, the “Why don’t you be president” argument is a non-sequitur (does not follow), a classic logical fallacy.
Think about this: If PNoy or Leni Robredo did/does the EXACT same things as what Duterte does, will the dutertards remain quiet? I bet not. I know I won’t.’
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“Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president or any other public official, save exactly to the degree in which he himself stands by the country.” ~ Theodore Roosevelt
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.” ~ Theodore Roosevelt
Sources: ( Roselle Firme/Facebook , Kat de Castro/Facebook )
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