In celebration of the Philippine Government showing how wimpy they are and bowing to some startup terrorist group in Iraq over a Filipino hostage I give you:
A short history of the Philippines as understood by an ex US sailor who loves Filipinos.
1) America lifts yoke of Spanish rule from PI (The country name Philippines comes from King Philip of Spain).
2) America turns over control to Filipino rule giving them their independence.
3) America fights against Japanese and is forced to retreat resulting in the "Bataan death march".
4) MacArthur returns and liberates PI (Philippine Islands) from vicious Imperial Japan rule.
5) America puts Filipinos back in power once again and sets up bases to defend it.
6) Filipinos allow a lunatic, greedy dictator (Marcos) to take control for decades without fighting for their own welfare.
7) Philippines limps along remaining a 3rd world country while other more devastated countries during world war 2 grow into thriving economies (i.e. Japan, Germany, most of Europe).
9) People finally oust Marcos.
10) Philippines thanks the US for the defense of their homeland and infusion to the economy by kicking the US out of Subic Bay and Clark Air Force base in order to try and convert them to some sort of industrial complex or a Disneyland Philippines (it was actually bantered about, don't laugh).
11) People elect a corrupt B movie star with no governing experience for president (Estrada).
12) Somehow get rid of Estrada and put in power Arroyo, who initially seemed optimistic but has done virtually nothing.
13) With the US out of the country a thriving terrorist network forms in southern Philippine islands. Also involved with several plots (including assisting Ramsey Yusef with 93 WTC bombing and an abandoned attack of hijacking 10 planes and blowing them up over the pacific).
14) Arroyo seeks US help with extremist terrorists in south PI. US obliges. Corruption throughout country continues and Arroyo has done nothing to quell it.
15) Arroyo and PI government shows appreciation for all the aid, support, homeland defense and liberations of their country by America by caving and showing how much they truly don't understand they are setting themselves up to end up back under a dictatorial regime or totally at the mercy of threats.
Oh, well that's how I understand it all anyway.
I love Filipinos and have been there numerous times, but IMHO it's time to cut ties with them. They seem to not want to develop further and would rather just remain a corrupt 3rd world country with officials who continuously rape the coffers of the nation.
It's sad to see a people resign themselves to such treatment when they have such potential.
As one who first visited the Philippines in 1981 and every year (at least once) until 2000. They retired to live their (US Navy) I have a couple points of issue with your list.
6) Filipinos allow a lunatic, greedy dictator (Marcos) to take control for decades without fighting for their own welfare.
While it is true he was their President. It is also true he had a lot of proping up by the US Government and wouldn't have survived as long as he did without our assistence. I suggest reading "Waltzing with a dictator," if you can still find the book. Very well written, factual, and sorts the lies from the truth of US involvement.
10) Philippines thanks the US for the defense of their homeland and infusion to the economy by kicking the US out of Subic Bay and Clark Air Force base in order to try and convert them to some sort of industrial complex or a Disneyland Philippines (it was actually bantered about, don't laugh).
In fact both Subic and Clark are thriviving industrial centers today. Subic ( I live about 50 miles from its front gate) hosts FEDEX'S Asian trans-shipment hub and employs approx 50% of the number of workers the the Navy did. All the support companies for FEDEX and many inport-export companies also moved in and in and total employment is about 140% above anything that the Navy provided.
In addition the City is clean, safe, and all the girlie bars are long gone.
In short it is a rouseing success without the US Navy.
BTW thanks for the trackback.
Posted by: Marc on July 19, 2004 11:37 PM
Digger,
Read your historical account about the Philippines and it's all bull, you are a typical uneducated American that thinks he has a monopoly of opinions that do not reflect the real historical truth about the country.
Firstly, America occupied the Philippines, as it was bought from Spain for 20,000,000 dollars, after the battle at Manila Bay between your Admiral George Dewey and the Spanish Admiral Patricio Montojo on May 1, 1898. News of the defeat was heralded all over America, and the "the rustling of geography books could be heard all over", as you, and your lot were so ignorant, you did not even know where the Philippines was, "you dumbass". Hey have you ever heard of the Hare-Hawes Cuttnng Bill
and susequently the Laurel-Langley Agreement? These two pacts were forced upon the Filipinos so as America could and did continuously "exploit the countries' vast natural resources and enter into any
and all types of business you desired to get into". Does your damm stupidity allow you to think why America should build the military bases,the largest and biggest outside of the U.S.., it certainly was
not built to protect the Philippines who, to begin with did not have any enemies, it was to protect the humongous exploitative business concerns America had in the country, and to make her the first line of defence in case of an American invation, since it was so large it literally contained every type of arsenal diplicative of what you had in the Mainland. In short, you idiot, the Philippines was a "pawn" to be first attacked in case of agression against your country. Its people like you, who now call for "cutting Ties"
with the Philippines that make a great country like America a shame to the world community.
And now you talk about corruption, think deeper you fool!
Posted by: great thinker on February 12, 2005 08:58 PM
"In fact both Subic and Clark are thriviving industrial centers today. Subic ( I live about 50 miles from its front gate) hosts FEDEX'S Asian trans-shipment hub and employs approx 50% of the number of workers the the Navy did. All the support companies for FEDEX and many inport-export companies also moved in and in and total employment is about 140% above anything that the Navy provided.
You are full of shit."
PLEASE READ: http://www.tdctrade.com/shippers/vol27_4/vol27_4_air_02.htm
Our country may be full of shit and the likes, thus we are considered 3rd world. But our country still has a lot to be proud of.
"15) Arroyo and PI government shows appreciation for all the aid, support, homeland defense and liberations of their country by America by caving and showing how much they truly don't understand they are setting themselves up to end up back under a dictatorial regime or totally at the mercy of threats."
When has the US really given aid w/o anything in return? Well, that's human nature after all. What disheartens everyone nowadays is how the US perceives itself as a "World Leader" when in fact the US is just a very big example of how greed consumes people. Remember that YOU are not America - the natives are. YOU are conquerors of a foreign soil. Although our country still has so much to learn, we are still a country of LOVE and not hate unlike the US. If you do not know yet by now, a number Filipino nurses and caregivers are working there to care of your old and dying people and those that you have no time to take care of.
We may be a land of corrupt leaders and people, but we are learning, slowly but surely. But what I can say is, we are still better off. We are OK - don't worry. ;)
Posted by: bryan on May 11, 2007 08:11 PM
