Posted on 02/11/2020 5:13:55 PM PST by Starcitizen
It wasn’t one Filipino leader, it was the Philippine Senate playing negotiating games and delaying renewing the bases lease. And then the volcano blew up. And then the US told the Philippine Senate to get stuffed, seeing as the bases were effectively destroyed, or unusable for years and would require many billions in repairs.
The bases were popular with the people as a whole. They got stiffed by their politicians, as usual.
Its not a problem with a single politician, but with the leadership class as a whole. Personalities, individuals, dont usually matter that much. The US has the same problems.
As for good Philippine presidents, they have had a few low key but very effective ones since Marcos. They could not solve every problem, but most have made good progress.
Cory Aquino presided over the restoration of the political system, and over an economic recovery that restored per capita GDP to pre-depression levels (depression of 1982-86, it was terrible) in three years.
“Tabaco” Ramos solved the electricity problem, and, arguably, started the economic boom, still ongoing, due to infrastructure upgrades in his time.
Gloria Arroyo has been slagged often for corruption, but its indisputable that the current very high rate of growth started on her watch.
“Noynoy” Aquino continued prudent fiscal policies (even if it went too far, as in “noynoying” infrastructure investments), and political reforms. Arguably a person such as Duterte could not have won before 2016 as the popular will would not have been permitted a fair-ish outlet. And then there was the highest rate of real growth the country has ever seen.
“” “” Lots of Communist Chinese Shabu (Meth) labs and shipments to the Philippines. Filipinos drug users die, while the Communist Chinese drug pushers amazingly escape back to China.”” “”
Third world problem.
oh no.....what are all the govt check accepting expats going to do now that the US is kicked out...no more commissary...no more hospitals.....I hope they enjoy their commie paradise....
The US isn’t pouring in much money.
$300-400 million a year in all sorts of aid.
Thats less than 1/2 of 1% of the Philippine budget.
Third-world problem, but the filthy Communist Chinese are responsible for the Opioid Epidemic here... shipping that shit into the US through USPS and Mexico.
Communist China is the World’s Problem.
“” “” The US isn’t pouring in much money.
$300-400 million a year in all sorts of aid.
Thats less than 1/2 of 1% of the Philippine budget.”” “”
Yep, and that means Philippines aren’t as corrupt as them say they are.
Foreign aid mostly come bigly to the places giving the most kickbacks.
I will continue to draw my US pension and happily spend it in this “commie” paradise. Its not “commie” of course (at all), and its certainly not a paradise. But its got more than its share of semi-paradisiacal spots. Life is a beach.
You make great points, but my question is...So what? I’m not trying to be snide, either.
PI, more importantly Duterte, doesn’t want us there, fine. He’ll soon realize where all his money is coming from and going when all the US personnel move out. He’ll soon find himself and his country slaves to either China or Russia and they won’t be throwing the cash or the aid around like the US and the US military personnel do. Of course, he won’t be the one that will feel the full weight of his decision or the debt trap that he seems to be creeping into, it’ll be the small business owners, landlords and all the other folks that make a living off the US military.
Amazingly, if you travel through the Middle East, i.e. Dubai-Doha, when you go through those airports(which are pretty effin’ nice) all you see are Filipino’s working in almost every job.
“” “” Third-world problem, but the filthy Communist Chinese are responsible for the Opioid Epidemic here... shipping that shit into the US through USPS and Mexico.
Communist China is the World’s Problem.”” “”
US has the similar drug problem, Chinese or not. That’s a matter of supply and demand. Capitalism works even in illegal trade.
After the big bases closed and Ferdy went it was harder to generate the corruption. Around Subic there was an entire industry built on graft and theft.
It’s really hard to imagine a more moronic response. You’re whining about communists in another country, and you decide to try to thwart them by attacking the few Americans that live there. That’s pretty pathetic, really.
The US gives the PI very little aid in truth.
My calculation is under 0.5% of the Philippine budget.
This isn’t the 1950’s anymore. Its not even the 1980’s.
There aren’t a lot (relatively speaking) of Filipino employees or landlords paid by or through US spending.
As for those employees in the ME - there are millions of Filipinos employed there - and elsewhere. Nearly all of them work for private employers, not the US government.
This has to do with issues caused by Duterte’s decisions on dealing with drug cartels which are are serious problem some background here in later comments
:http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3815492/posts
I don’t get this forum. Folks claim they want an end to endless wars and defense agreements obligating US forces. Then when other countries offer an opportunity to do so (Iraq and the Philippines) people here get angry.
One mans imprudent defense agreement is another mans sacred cow.
This particular defense agreement is my sacred cow.
Where do all those GIs, sailors, airmen/women, and Marines spend their money? In all those restaurants, bars, clubs, shops and renting a place to stay. Being assigned to the Philippines isn’t like being assigned to a base in a ‘high threat area’. The military can live off base, away from the rules and regulations of living in on-base housing and a cheaper cost to the US military.
“” “” As my parents would say, “Do you know everybody?” Duterte has been a pain in the ass for a long time.”” “”
Yep, they are right.
I think some people here still like Brazilian Bolsonaro too.
There are very very few GI’s, sailors, etc around the PI these days. A tiny number (in the dozens) permanently and the very occasional exercise or ship visit.
Most corruption even then had little to do with the bases.
That was penny ante relatively, even then.
Visible locally, but that was just a tiny part of the country.
In Marcos day the big stuff was foreign loans for infrastructure projects that got skimmed, commodity cartels such as for sugar and coconut, illegal gambling, and drugs.
Besides the usual stuff like business licences, building permits, and evasion of customs duties.
>After the big bases closed and Ferdy went it was harder to generate the corruption. Around Subic there was an entire industry built on graft and theft.
Even with the redevelopment of Clark/Subic, Dutae is only are allowing Communist Chinese companies there. Mainly gambling and casinos, with tens of thousands of Chinese workers. Anyone else, like South Koreans or Japanese need not apply.
Remember Dutae turned Boracay into a Communist Chinese-only resort island.
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