Posted on 10/25/2023 3:49:00 PM PDT by McGruff
President Biden said Wednesday that the US military is willing to fight nuclear-armed China on behalf of the Philippines after ships from the two Asian countries collided near a disputed, unpopulated island in the South China Sea.
“The United States defense agreement with the Philippines is ironclad. Any attack on the Filipino aircraft, vessels or armed forces will invoke our mutual defense treaty with the Philippines,” Biden said during a joint press conference at the White House alongside Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
On Sunday, two of Manila’s military ships collided with a Chinese vessel that sought to block them from reaching the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, which is strategically located along important commercial shipping routes but also submerged at high tide.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
And Clark Airbase.
Let’s see, where else can we find a war. How aboit Somalia?
> Who is going to lease freighters for wartime convoy duty ? <
I looked it up. There are now around 180 ships in our Merchant Marine. Something like 800 more merchant ships are owned by American companies, but are registered abroad for convenience. These ships are not part of our Merchant Marine.
We could lease them, but the lease would carry a hefty wartime premium. We could buy them, but it would be a seller’s market.
Now here’s the real kicker. When those foreign-flagged ships need protection, the US Navy runs to their defense. So the ship owners get all the protection with none of the responsibility.
Roger that.
October 25, 2023
https://www.reuters.com/world/california-governor-newsom-meets-chinas-president-xi-2023-10-25/
Biden: Chairrman Xi, sir, is it okay if I make a few tough sounding comments about your country? - elections coming up and all. You understand. Well, I guess not but ....
Xi: Shut up! You disgust me. Do what you’ve got to do, but don’t ever forget who’s in charge here.
I’ve grown into a cynic. As G Washington said as he left office stay away from entangling alliances.
We are broke and yet give billions away to countries that we absurdly claim are allies but have never given a dime or a life in defense of USA. Some have even killed Americans in false flags intended to suck us into other wars.
When free speech is muzzled the truth is hidden.
Kaylee Mcenany just called Newsom a lying greased hair weasel that needs kept far away from WH on Jessie. No truer words ever spoken.
US and Philippines have a Mutual Defense Treaty.
Doesn’t matter what Brandon says.
Communist China has been our enemy since their commie revolution. They are sworn to defeat us. And we as a nation of dumb a$$es have been buying their cheap products via Walmart and everyone else so they could afford to build a modern military. And here we go getting involved in Afghan and Ukraine wars to bleed our economy and military dry.
This is the war to fight, but we are so weak and involved in so many places I don’t think it’s going to happen.
Soon it will be time to sit in the middle of a room away from all glass, remove all sharp objects from our pockets, place our heads between our legs, and kiss our a$$es goodbye. For a nuclear WWIII will be knocking on our door.
“When those foreign-flagged ships need protection, the US Navy runs to their defense. So the ship owners get all the protection with none of the responsibility. “
This has been the story with every US “Ally” for the last 70 years.
And even for things like Ukraine, the EU is the one supposedly threatened, and the USA has to pay for it all.
One of the guys my brother was good friends with when I lived over there as a dependent was the son of the guy who owned “Paulines”, which was the one with a crocodile pit in it, IIRC.
I am torn on this. I alway liked Filipinos. I hate leaving them to the mercies of the Communists.
The only thing he will fight is the urge to defecate in the oval office.
Fight them for a bigger percentage, maybe.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutual_Defense_Treaty_(United_States%E2%80%93Philippines)
and
https://avalon.law.yale.edu/20th_century/phil001.asp
I wasn’t using the word protectorate in a legal sense. It is the way the US views and treats the world. Europe, South Korea, Japan are other examples. They are all quite capable of sending their own tax dollars on defending themselves, but instead we spend our tax dollars to defend them. It is military welfare.
We will always go to war for Disputed Island.
Prepare to sacrifice your life so that the mangrove swamps of Disputed Island will remain free from Eastasian warmongering.
Also believe in the Nine Narratives.
Excuse me, I am being handed a note.
Always believe in the Ten Narratives.
Where are the trolls
Philippines (it’s not “the Philippines”) is working with us to add either 3 or 4 more bases on their territory, adding F-16’s to their much neglected until recently Air Force (tho’ it was still enough to bomb a city of over 200,000 to mostly rubble*), adding a nice big US Coast Guard cutter to their Navy, etc., and is strategically not that far from Taiwan. We can’t expect much offensive help from Philippines in the event of a dustup over Taiwan, but they can be helpful in many other ways.
* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Marawi
Historically, that model is truly disastrous. FF to the present and add nukes. Then you have real fun.
That doesn't mean Europe, for example, can't do more. The original NATO 2% guideline is probably about right for them, but that still leaves a considerable need for the US as big dog.
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.