Posted on 08/29/2016 9:34:04 PM PDT by jcon40
Good question.
Everything seems to be building to some sort of crisis but its not at all clear what it is. Very odd.
yep
No the philippines doesn’t have a strong military.
but unlike the US we have a president with balls.
ROFL!
You gotta be kidding me.
It has been reported hundreds of times .. ISIS (and others) respect power and might, which is not to mean numbers of military exclusively.
Rodrigo Duterte has the most believable delivery when he makes a statement.
He told his cops about a week or so ago ... "If you think you're going to be shot (by drug Lords in a firefight), for God's sake ... shoot first" ... (slightly paraphrased)
And I believe Donald Trump is cut from the same cloth. (The cops know who the bad guys are)
Thanx for the ping, Bob.
The Philippines can’t “confront” China militarily, they are not even a gnat to China’s military.
Hillary will fix all of this when she becomes President. /S
Of course the Chinese understand that we *can* stop them...but won't.Certainly not under a Rat President.
I admire their sand, and they are justified, but they should be careful about their mouth writing a check that their ass can’t cash.
I lived there for several years, and I appreciate and admire Filipinos and their country. I don’t want to see them get bloodied, because I have a feeling China is looking for someone to exercise its military on.
Most wars start with battle lines being drawn. It is clear that’s what is happening here. I doubt China wants a war with Japan, Australia, India, Taiwan, and the Phillipines, not to mention the United States.
China has too much to lose if it antagonizes the whole world, which then shuts it out of the marketplace. It has grown fat on those markets, and will quickly degenerate to third-world status if they close.
And all for what? So China can claim some worthless chunks of coral in the South China Sea? Doesn’t make any sense.
By the way, we would do well to remember that it was tiny Serbia that struck the spark that ignited World War I.
its kabuki shadow theater, posturing for home consumption.
there won’t be any wars, at least any shooting wars. Chinese enjoy being rich and won’t let a few nationalist hotheads upset the cash flow.
“And all for what? So China can claim some worthless chunks of coral in the South China Sea? Doesn’t make any sense.”
It makes complete sense. The 9-dash line will allow the Chicoms to control the trade routes to all of Asia from Eroupe and the Middle East. Much of the shipping to SE and E Asia, especially the raw materials and foodstuffs needed by Japan and ROK, and the resources shipped out of SE Asia go through the South China Sea. China has already told the world that the sea and air routes through the area are under their jurisdiction. Such control, if unchallenged, could leverage our allies in the region.
“Sure seems everyone is lining up for a fight ... Lots of bluster .... And announcements of who’s on who’s side.”
Another sign of impending war is surplus males. See any countries with too many young men?
“Chinese enjoy being rich and won’t let a few nationalist hotheads upset the cash flow.”
Don’t underestimate Chinese racial pride.
The two Chinese characters often translated as “middle kingdom” would be better translated as “the country that is the center of everything.”
Those same trade routes are used by every other Southeast Asia and Pacific Rim nation. Do you seriously think they’re just going to let China put a stranglehold on those arteries? China won’t have anything to ship anywhere if its markets dry up, which is exactly what would happen if it started a shooting war.
The Chinese are too greedy to cut their own throats.
I am reminded of a scene from Shakespeare:
Glendower: I can call spirits from the vasty deep.
Hotspur: Why, so can I, or so can any man; But will they come when you do call for them?
Duterte is calling spirits, he certainly has no significant military force to back up his words.
I heard that Japan and Vietnam are taking the side of the Philippines in this dispute.
No, but Vietnam can inflict some pain on them.
We made the mistake of underestimating the Vietnamese before.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.