Duterte: ‘Filipinos may sacrifice a little bit if US break ties with PH’

[randomradio]

Since Pres. Duterte just said that he would allow Mainlanders to lease PH land for 120 years, that may also include Benham Plateau.

Overall, it's a massive diplomatic win for China.

 

[Sanchez]

Given the dramatic shift of political atmosphere in PH, who would take the land lease seriously? Would the lease not be terminated by the next administration?

It's nice to see PH without the hawkish clown Aquino, But China should not trust Mr. D just by words.

 

[Ayan81]

In your dreams Duterte approval rating from Pinoys are staggering 97 percent

It's more like 50/50 for now, all this talk and tirades coming from him since taking office just brings more confusion to the populace, or It is his plan after all?

 

[Jlaw]

A very good idiom to describe the behaviour of monkeys on the tree
when their mother tree cannot protect them anymore....
This idiom is from an essay written in Song Dynasty 1000 years ago....

View attachment 338798 View attachment 338799

is there a Chinese idiom to describe someone going to a different country and act like he is that country's people and mock his country of birth?

 

[gambit]

You are missing the point as usual. I wasn't talking about SCS, they already have control over that. I'm talking about the Big Blue to the east of the Philippines. That's why I'm talking about the First Island Chain.

You should be.

In geopolitics, the first rule is to exercise control, or at least have prominent influence, of what is closest to you. Not what is far away. A body of water is no different. China does not have prominent influence, let alone control, of the SCS. That prestige of prominent influence still belongs to the US and it would not take long for US to have control of the SCS.

Oil is just one of the many items that is transported thru the SCS.

Look hard at the map and think.

Is the SCS the only way oil could get to the Philippines ? No. Oil could get to the Philippines from the Pacific Ocean.

But why does oil get to the Philippines by way of the SCS ? Because other countries borders the SCS and economics demands the least cost of everything. With so many countries have access to the SCS it make economic and tactical sense to use it. In using something, you raise the value of that something. The more frequent you use it, the more valuable it gets, and the longer you use it, even more valuable it gets. The SCS is equally important to Asia as the Strait of Hormuz is important to the ME.

At least eight countries have direct access to the SCS, and four more is only one degree away from it.

The Chinese are not stupid. The SCS is more urgent a matter than the Pacific Ocean. They can build up in the SCS, but not in the Pacific Ocean. That is a lure China cannot resist. The SCS is within air refueling range of China's rising military air power. The SCS is ALREADY a cut gem from decades of economic lapidary work by so many capitalists from different countries, so why would China ignore it ?

Precisely because China does not have prominent influence in the SCS is why China is taking the diplomatic route with the other Asian countries, and China is playing smart by isolating those diplomatic missions from each other.

Wealth is infinite, but influence is not. Whether it is a person or a country, if one association is allowed to have more influence, the other associations must decrease commensurately. To put it closer to home, once married, the wife have more influence than the friend, even the best friend, on how a man lives. What China can offer the Philippines will most likely not the same as to Viet Nam. So if China is successful in whatever degree of influence to any Asian countries that borders the SCS, those countries will appropriately decrease the value of US friendship. And hopefully to the point where China will have tacit control of the SCS in the future the way the US is today for the SCS.

Look at it this way...You can affect someone's behaviors simply by threatening to call the police and not actually having the police in front of both of you. The US is that way in many potential volatile situations in the world. Someone can hint at US involvement to entice the other party or parties to come to compromises. China seeks that type and level of virtual presence. Beijing want that all any Asian country have to do is either hear or mention Beijing's name in order to get results. No need for a Chinese aircraft carrier sitting off someone's coast.

 

[anon45]

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-p...=topNews&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=Social

Philippines' Duterte likens himself to Hitler, wants to kill millions of drug users

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Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte gestures during a news conference upon his arrival from a state visit in Vietnam at the International Airport in Davao city, Philippines September 30, 2016. REUTERS/Lean Daval Jr
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By Karen Lema and Manuel Mogato | MANILA

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte appeared to liken himself to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler on Friday and said he would "be happy" to exterminate three million drug users and peddlers in the country.

His comments triggered shock and anger among Jewish groups in the United States, which will add to pressure on the U.S. government to take a tougher line with the Philippines leader. Duterte recently insulted President Barack Obama and in a series of remarks he has undermined the previously close relationship between Manila and Washington.

In a rambling speech on his arrival in Davao City after a visit to Vietnam, Duterte told reporters that he had been "portrayed to be a cousin of Hitler" by critics.

Noting that Hitler had murdered millions of Jews, Duterte said:


"If Germany had Hitler, the Philippines would have...," he said, pausing and pointing to himself.

"You know my victims. I would like (them) to be all criminals to finish the problem of my country and save the next generation from perdition."

Duterte was voted to power in a May election on the back of a vow to end drugs and corruption in the country of 100 million people. He took office on June 30 and over 3,100 people have been killed since then, mostly alleged drug users and dealers, in police operations and in vigilante killings.

His comments were quickly condemned by Jewish groups.

Rabbi Abraham Cooper, head of the Simon Wiesenthal Center's Digital Terrorism and Hate project, called them "outrageous".

"Duterte owes the victims (of the Holocaust) an apology for his disgusting rhetoric."

The Anti-Defamation League, an international Jewish group based in the United States, said Duterte's comments were "shocking for their tone-deafness".

"The comparison of drug users and dealers to Holocaust victims is inappropriate and deeply offensive," said Todd Gutnick, the group's director of communications. "It is baffling why any leader would want to model himself after such a monster."



EX-PRESIDENT'S WARNING

Two days before the Philippines election, outgoing President Benigno Aquino had warned that Duterte's rising popularity was akin to that of Hitler in the 1920s and 1930s.

"I hope we learn the lessons of history," Aquino said in widely reported remarks. "We should remember how Hitler came to power."

ALSO IN WORLD NEWS

• U.S. close to suspending Syria talks with Russia as Aleppo battle rages
• Pentagon chief calls U.S. alliance with Philippines 'ironclad'

Duterte has been scathing about criticism of his anti-drugs campaign and has insulted the United Nations and the European Union, as well as Obama, at various times in recent weeks.

On Friday, reacting to critical comments on his war on drugs by U.S. Senators Patrick Leahy and Benjamin Cardin, Duterte said: "Do not pretend to be the moral conscience of the world. Do not be the policeman because you do not have the eligibility to do that in my country."

He also reiterated there will be no annual war games between the Philippines and the United States until the end of his six-year term, placing the longstanding alliance under a cloud of doubt. It also may make Washington's strategy of rebalancing its military focus towards Asia in the face of an increasingly assertive China much more difficult to achieve.

Still, U.S. Defence Secretary Ash Carter, speaking before the latest remarks from Duterte, said Washington had an "ironclad" alliance with Manila.

A senior U.S. defense official, also speaking earlier, told reporters that the United States had a long enduring relationship with the Philippines regardless of who was president.

"It's going to continue to survive based on what we think are strong U.S.-Philippines common security interests, so we’ll be engaging President Duterte further," the official said.



(Additional reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee and Yeganeh Torbati in San Diego; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)

I predict lots of bloodshed and drugs being as present as ever. He seems to be eager to kill millions of Filipinos to fix the drug problem. I don't think he'll do anything but spill alot of blood and drive his country into chaos, just like Hitler.

 

[gambit]

The point is we are about to loose an ally and a friend. The Filipinos has shed blood with and gave their lives for Uncle Sam. Please @C130 stop this talk about we don't need the Philippines talk why the hell do you think we have maintained presence there for more than 100 years?

Gentlemen I for one is not very familiar with how Geopolitics work, I have been to the PI though when I was in the service and when I do business trips. The Filipino Soldier can hold their own and many of them I consider my friends to this day. Give them the weapons and they will give you a run for your money.

We screwed up lets accept it and the Filipinos got fed up with our BS, we must do something to fix things. Hell I can name a few countries who are recipients to massive aids from the US of A and yet these countries always manage to stab us in the back every time they have the chance. If it was up to me, I'll give them all the weapon short of Nuclear ones and arm them to the teeth.

Now guys please mellow down with the rhetoric's and all that this is not about China and what have you, this is about the relationship between the PI and USA.

@gambit sir, were you ever deployed to the PI? May I have your opinion on the matter sir?

I have been TDY-ed to the PI, but never deployed there.

Here is my take on this...

The US is among the few countries in the world that have far less experience with neighbors than we Americans think we do. Even island England have more experience at being neighbors to other countries. We have only two neighbors: Mexico and Canada.

In geopolitics, neighbors, even when separated by a body of water, influences each other, from the tangibles like trade to the intangibles like thoughts. When neighbors rubbed each other wrong, the effects are immediate, powerful, and long lasting. When was the last time we have any problems with Canada ? And the most difficult issue between US and Mexico is illegal drugs. Whereas between the Euros and the Asians, their relations deteriorated down to outright warfare in their respective continents, even as recent as in our lifetime.

This is why ordinary Americans are so often puzzled as to why some people do not like or even hate US. When I say ordinary Americans, I mean those not like you and I who have been overseas for long periods of time. I mean Americans who have never left the country, the state, or even the county.

What is it like to be a Pole in relation to Russia ?

Here is a joke for that...

- A Pole freed a genie from a lamp and was granted three wished by the genie.

- The genie asked: " What is your first wish ? "

- The Pole replied: " I want a powerful China to invade Poland. "

- The genie replied: " Your wished is granted. "

- China was made overwhelmingly powerful and invaded Poland.

- The genie asked: " What is your second wish ? "

- The Pole replied: " I want China to invade Poland again. "

- Puzzled, the genie said: " Your wished is granted. "

- China invaded Poland again.

- The genie asked: " What is your third wish ? "

- The Pole replied: " I want China to invade Poland again. "

- Despite being really puzzled, the genie complied: " Your wished is granted. "

- China invaded Poland again and this time lay waste to whatever remained of Poland.

- The genie asked: " Why did you want such a fate for Poland ? "

- The Pole replied with smile: " China had to cross Russia six times. "

It is a bitter joke revealing of how Poland regards Russia.

Collectively speaking, we Americans do not have that kind of attitude towards either of our two neighbors or any associations outside of our borders. We do not know what it is like to reflexively be suspicious of anyone, friend and/or foe. So when a country turned against US, I do not see it so much as true animosity towards the US but more like a necessity in the face of a greater threat. These countries and their peoples are used to such turnabouts. We, who have only two neighbors who themselves are practically US states, are always puzzled as to why would anyone betrays US no matter how much good will and benefits we heaped upon them. It is not so much a 'betrayal' as it is political expediency in the face of immediate overwhelming odds.

The Filipinos are facing two immediate threats: China and their own internal turmoil.

Which threat is more immediate ? Unfortunately, their own fellow citizens who are in the illegal drugs business.

Next is China. Not only does China want, China is also putting markers by way of that threaded lines.

China, Korea, Japan, and the Philippines, however they responded to each other, do so from a position of natural suspicion. We view Canadians and Mexicans in more favorable light than how these Asian countries sees each other -- negatively.

The US is in no danger of losing the Philippines as an ally. A temporary dip in friendly relations -- maybe. But hardly a definitive severance. Duterte cannot hold the history of Americans in the Philippines as a club over the Filipinos and as a smear against the Americans for long. Those times, in comparison to the immediate Chinese threat, are useless in the long run. Duterte may say something about the Philippines once was a US colony, but that will not stop the flow of Filipinos trying to get to the US for better lives.

The average Filipino may inherit his ancestor's natural suspicion about any outsider, but when he weighs the differences between the US and China, he has to come to a comparison and who is more palatable, and China will come out the loser. All we have to do is let Duterte take the Philippines down the path of Venezuela and let the Filipinos take care of Duterte.

We may not be the perfect ally, but then who is or can be ? Just like the joke with the Pole who is willing to suffer three times so that Russia can suffer six times, an imperfect US will be regarded as better than China.