A Complicated SCS Status!

A Complicated SCS Status!
By Erick San Juan



In the world of social networking, netizens have several ways of interpreting what does ‘complicated’ means. But in geopolitics, when the situation is complicated, greater tensions may arise and regional conflict is not far from happening.

What complicates the South China Sea issue is the continuing provocations and word wars. The nagging rhetoric of ‘finding a peaceful and diplomatic solution’ to the matter coming from the lead players and those who are outside looking in, seems to be in vain.

We all want to ease the tension and at the same time solve the problem peacefully. But actions speak louder than words and it all ends up to creating more problems than solutions.

The effort that is being done by the PNoy administration via the United Nations is actually a big no-no to Beijing and yet the move for UN’s arbitration in solving the territorial disputes pushed through sans China.

The mere fact that some countries have extended their support for Manila’s move for arbitration, Uncle Sam’s ‘unwavering’  support for such move has added on Beijing’s irritation on its firm stand for bilateral negotiation with other claimant nations. As some pundits see it, the so-called meddling of Washington in the SCS territorial disputes is a direct threat towards China.

From the words of a longtime senior U.S. diplomat J. Stapleton Roy in his Feb. 13 address at the East-West Center in Hawaii – “With China now “locked in a web of disputes” with its neighbors over small but potentially resource-rich islands in the region, the United States finds itself in the awkward situation of trying to reassure our allies at the same time we try to restrain their behavior, because we don’t want tiny little islands in the western Pacific to end up bringing us into a great-power confrontation with China.

The threat of such hostility is real, and these disputes are having direct impact on U.S.-China relations – but it’s an asymmetrical impact, because Americans basically don’t care about these islands. But, in China it is an issue of great nationalist importance, as it is for Japan, the Philippines and other claimants.”

Sadly, our country lacks an ideology that will unite us and fight for our sovereignty  and worst of all, our leaders are obviously kowtowing to the whims of a perceived master. With any significant amount of nationalism left in the country’s populace is not enough to help fight a goliath. That is why the stigma of a faithful ally will never leave us despite the fact that we are always shortchanged courtesy of our past (and present) leaders.

So the policy that is governing this region in relation to China is American-inspired and dominated in exchange for the so-called military modernization but in reality there is nothing ‘modern’  about it but pure military junks.

In the end, such dire situation will leave us in the mercy of the Big Brother because “China’s rise has benefitted all of the countries around it, and as a result they don’t want a containment policy; they want responsible behavior by China so they can expand economic and trade relations, which already dwarf their relations with other countries. But when China behaves badly, then they want the United States to be present because they can’t deal with China on their own. It’s a dynamic that skillful diplomacy should be able to take advantage from.” (Ibid)

Even in the area of skillful diplomacy, the present administration lacks the people with such expertise because we have some ‘foreigners’ manning our government that is why we always end up at the losing end.
                                             And why register your punches? Why do we have to announce in the newspapers the procurement of war materiels? Given the premise that we have the funds, but it will be too late for such purchases coz it will not be delivered asap.
                                          When it comes to fighting for our territories, let’s forget it, until this country will have the backbone to stand on its own by having patriots in the government and will not just follow orders from the outside, we will end up as Phili-finished.

 "Diplomacy without military force is like music without instruments."-Frederick. The Great

Satan's Timetable

Satan's Timetable
By Erick San Juan


Catholics and non-Catholics alike were surprised by the news of the resignation of the current head of the Vatican – Pope Benedict XVI a.k.a. Joseph Ratzinger of Germany at the age of 85.

Here is how it happened: “Monsignor Oscar Sanchez Barba from Guadalajara in Mexico, while in Rome for the announcement of the date for the canonization of the Blessed Lupita Garcia, and a nun who gave an eye-witness account of Pope Benedict’s announcement of his resignation said: "We were all in the Sala del Concistorio in the third loggia of the Apostolic palace. After giving the date for the canonization, the 12th of May, the pope took a sheet of paper and read from it. He just said that he was resigning and that he would be finishing on February 28." "We were all left … [he tailed off, lost for words] The cardinals were just looking at one another. Then the pope got to his feet, gave his benediction and left. It was so simple; the simplest thing imaginable. Extraordinary. Nobody expected it. Then we all left in silence. There was absolute silence … and sadness.” (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/feb/11/pope-resigns-live-reaction)

And the storm that hit the Vatican City with a few strikes of lightning on the day of the Pope’s resignation is like a scene from a film. Is it something tragic or ominous on the future of the Catholic Church and the rest of humanity?

Ominous or not, the mere fact that the Church hierarchy has been bombarded with scandal after scandal, from the VatiLeaks, Vatican funds secretly invested with the military industrial complex, other bad investments that lead to bankcruptcy, crimes against humanity and sexual abuses. Was the Pope already exhausted from all these and had to leave his post?

The internet has been loaded with several speculations as to the real reason of the Pope’s resignation. As an observer of events unfolding, I discussed this matter several times in my daily radio program (@DWSS 1494khz AM, Mon to Fri @ 5:30p.m.) and on tv guesting at GNN since last year through the corroboration of our staunch listeners and televiewers from all these years. Too much speculations which are half-truths but the truth of the matter is, Satan’s timetable to get the control from his lackeys has come.

Yes, the real third secret of Fatima which a copy was given to me in Econe, Switzerland by Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre is happening. Some of the people in the Roman Catholic Church leadership has withdrawn these facts from the faithful and now they are suffering from the consequences. Like a fresh meat, parasites have been eating the flesh slowly from within and the fact that it was ignored to the benefit of the few. Now they cannot stop the deterioration any longer. The forced resignation of Joseph Ratzinger is actually paving the way to what was prophesized – the coming of the False Prophet and the AntiChrist.

The successor to the Holy See as what was predicted will take the name of Petrus Romanus and/or Peter the Roman. A few names were already given as to who will take the throne from Benedict XVI. But as what the information that we gathered has stated from here and abroad, the next Pope will be a Jesuit  but not our very own Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle and probably from the United States – Cardinal Timothy Dolan from New York City. Remember, that the College of Cardinals is now being dominated by the Jesuits and it is not far out to have a Jesuit as the next Pope. Dolan is using the quote "Ad quem ibimus." meaning- "To whom shall we go?" in his Coat of Arms. This was the same quote of St. Peter in Acts. This is the reason why he will be named Petrus Rumanus according to his biography. The Knights of Malta and other secret organizations inside the Vatican will support Dolan.

The signs of the times are written for all of us to see, it is scary but the world still has time to pray and repent. As we enter the Lenten Season, let us reflect and be reminded of the sufferings of Jesus Christ and in the end triumphant to his Resurrection.

 May Lord God bless us all through the Holy Spirit!

Painting in the East, Fighting in the West

Painting in the East, Fighting in the West
By Erick San Juan


Spheres of influence and balance of power, two equally significant words that led to two world wars that the present humankind might be wittingly or unwittingly repeating the scenario from several decades ago. Will the black water snake (in Chinese astrology), signifies that the next battleground will take place in the South (or East) China Sea? But ominous or not, the crisis of war is in the offing.

Words and acts of provocation seemed endless coming from China (the so-called bully in the region) and the Philippines (the so-called troublemaker). Since late last year, Beijing through its state-run media has labeled our country’s leaders as the troublemaker. But if one will analyze the turn of events, it was actually Beijing who has been doing acts of aggression. From sending out patrol boats on regular routines on the contested areas, to changing its e-passport, to declaring that all foreign vessels that will pass its ‘territorial waters’ will be inspected. So now, who is making all the troubles?

In so doing, some pundits say that all these bullying around will lead to their planned scenario of going to war in order to unite their citizenry against an outside enemy and avoid a civil war within.
                  
Analysts believe that China's politburo is rushing to neutralize the man-made disaster that their in. China now despite it's control of media, can't hide the truth that it's rocked by so many scandals over officials amassing property holdings inside China and abroad. Too much graft and corruption, where families of the China's super elites are keeping their billions of dollars (translation-dumping their dollars) abroad like in the Philippines where their money are allegedly parked and getting interests but not circulated through the banking system to avoid scrutiny by FATF-financial task force. The continuing poverty in China is real and the growing disparity between the rich and the poor is increasing. This is the reason many analysts, China experts and critics believe is the reason for the Chinese politburo and the PLA- People's Liberation Army's aggressiveness and provocative behavior. They believe that China is painting a rosy and patriotic picture to their citizenry to neutralize the possible unrest from within and blame the US and corrupt officials for their predicament.
                                                                       
Or perhaps, in the words of David Arase of Nanjing University – “Soon after taking power at the 18th Party Congress, Xi Jinping ceremoniously led the new Politburo Standing Committee to view a museum exhibit in Beijing entitled ‘The Road to Renewal.’  It chronicled China’s descent into the ‘century of humiliation’ following the Opium War and, since 1949, its subsequent revival and rise to power under the leadership of the Communist Party. Perhaps this visit was Xi Jinping’s symbolic pledge to the Chinese people to rectify past injustices and return China to the unchallenged primacy it once had in Asia before the arrival of Western imperialism.”

The world cannot blame the new Chinese leader if this is his goal for the Chinese citizenry but he should consider the reality that China is part of a community of nations who wanted peace above all. Maybe the new leader has forgotten the ‘soft power’ approach in achieving his plan.

But there’s no stopping China’s rise to power in the region as shown by its military might that is being projected to its rival – the mighty Uncle Sam, that is the main reason to the endless saber rattling. In order to balance the power in the region against China’s rise, US has to turn (pivot) to the Asia-Pacific region and establish its sphere of influence once again with its allies.

Unfortunately this move by the 'big brother'  was welcomed with open legs by our present administration not thinking much of the consequences that it will bring to his ‘boss’, the Filipino people.

Our country has been getting all the bullying from China while Uncle Sam’s doublespeak has becoming more and more irritating- that they want a peaceful resolution to the territorial disputes.  Although its actions like the present Cope North is actually to show Beijing that American influence in the region is still intact and growing strong a.k.a. containment of China.

Again, like a broken record, PNoy and people in his loop should be wary and come up with a strategic plan if ever any eventualities will erupt in the region or the scenario cited by rankopedia.com will be a reality and millions of Filipinos will possibly die.

With predicate already laid, while our country’s leaders and politicians are already in the election mode, we are being raped with consent by the superpowers. This country will end up as Phili-finished if we will not get our act together. Most of our neighbors are preparing for war. What about us? Who's minding the store?

From Pearl Harbor to Pearl of the Orient

From Pearl Harbor to Pearl of the Orient
By Erick San Juan

It was on December 11, 1993, when Tubbataha Reefs was inscribed in the prestigious list of the World Heritage Site of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for its outstanding universal value to humankind.  In 2006, the size of the Park was expanded thrice its original size from 33,200 to 97,030 hectares through Presidential Proclamation 1126. This has caused for the re-nomination of the Tubbataha Reefs in the World Heritage List in 2009 to include the Jessie Beazley Reef, an adjacent reef located northwest of the original two atolls. The Tubbataha Protected Area Management Board (TPAMB), the sole policy-making body of Tubbataha, salutes the brave men and women who have generously shared their lives to keep Tubbataha a living heritage for the present generations and to come. (http://tubbatahareef.org/blog/590) This is just one of the so many wonders of nature that God has given to the ‘Pearl of the Orient’ (Philippines) to protect and conserve for all humanity. Unfortunately on its twentieth year as one of the world’s protected areas, an ‘accident’ happened that up to this time major news network has been following its development.

Since January 17, when the USS Guardian ran aground in the Sulu Sea specifically in the Tubbataha Reef, several options were given and considered to remove the minesweeper with lesser damage to the reefs. And finally, Navy engineers decided their only option is to destroy the 225-foot ship by cutting it up and hauling it away on a barge, instead of trying to drag it off the reef or lifting it as what were previously considered. (http://www.dailymail.co.uk )

Now that the salvaging has started and apologies were given and accepted by both parties, the question remains – why is the said USS Guardian minesweeper in the area in the first place? I am pretty sure that I and the rest of the Filipino nation including UNESCO and the true environmentalists deserve an honest-to-goodness answer.

Unlike the recent visit of some representatives from the ICC - International Conservation Caucus, some pundits and observers alike thought that the good solons will help in resolving the Tubbataha disaster, namely, US Representatives Gregory Meeks, Vern Buchanan and  Eliot Engel, members of the so-called influential ICC.

The above-mentioned US Congressmen together with Matthew James Salmon and Thomas Anthony Marino and headed by US Congress Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Ed Royce had an hour meeting with Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, Energy Secretary Carlos Petilla and Environment Secretary Ramon Paje last January 29 at the DFA office.

What could be the agenda of the six US solons of the Congress Foreign Affairs  Committee that they did not discuss even a bit the Tubbataha issue? The mere fact that one of the ICC’s thrusts is to protect the world’s ecosystems, the lack of concern on the Tubbataha Reef protected ecosystem is really a big puzzle to many. Or, there are other more important issues that they tackled that the rest of us are not allowed to know.

With such lack of transparency of what’s going on, the public can’t help but speculate.  We thought that the present administration will not allow the Filipinos to be in the dark when matters of great importance are being carried out by the people that we voted into power. With the delay in salvaging the US minesweeper in Tubbataha is actually a good copy that there is more to what meets the eye. Is the hacking of the USS Guardian will give enough time to also haul some war loots that were buried in the area? And the ‘timely visit’ of Japan’s Foreign Minister in the country is suspect for something else. Are the war loots more important than saving hundreds of meters of protected reefs? Treasure hunters are asking.

The port visit (February 2) of the USS Cheyenne, a nuclear attack submarine belonging to the US Pacific Fleet, on Subic Bay in Zambales, the former US naval base is another recent ‘incident’ that can be considered by some pundits as laying the predicate towards a possible untoward incident in the South China Sea or any part of the region.

Beijing did not approve (for the nth time) any arbitration or multilateral solution to the territorial disputes in the SCS, so the move of PH to seek the mediation of the United Nations is a big no-no. In the midst of the growing tension between Manila and Beijing and the port visit of US nuclear attack submarine is something to consider by foreign policy experts (is there one?) in the Palace.

Like a broken record, this writer wants to help the government by considering this: that the continuing saber-rattling of G2 (China and the US) here in the region, using us as their pawn is a masterpiece that some of our high ranking officials has failed to see. That in order to avoid conflict in their own backyard (in China and in the US), they will create an outside enemy and will force their citizenry to unite against this ‘virtual aggressor’. Presto, civil war in China will be avoided and so is a possible second revolution in the US. We have to remember that both nations US and China are like twin brothers wherein their economies are intertwined that when one collapsed, the other followed.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

Julio Amador III in his article "What our China problem Really Means" said: China can just ignore our arbitral proceedings through the United Nations UNCLOS. Such is the nature of an anarchic international system, which knows no master beyond the nation-state. Dating back to ancient Greece, the dictum that the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must is still a key point in the study of international relations. We could be the epicenter of conflict in Asia if our leaders will not learn how to read between the lines and just follow the dictates of a perceived master.                                 

"Kawawa naman tayo."

Pivoting to a Possible War

Pivoting to a Possible War

By Erick San Juan

 

 

''If this Japanese wolf again attacks America's Pearl Harbor or Australia's Darwin, how do you know it wouldn't receive another nuclear bomb? The world would hail if Japan receives such a blow.”

 

The abovementioned quote is from Senior Colonel Liu Mingfu, Chinese Military officer of the National Defence University as a reaction to the growing tension between China and Japan over the disputed territories in the East China Sea.

 

Liu said, "What makes it a very complicated situation is the ‘meddling’ of Uncle Sam (again?) by dragging Australia in to the picture." Col. Liu is actually warning Australia not to follow the US or Japan into any military conflict with China. A wise advice?

 

He elaborated further by using a figure of speech ''Australia should never play the jackal for the tiger or dance with the wolf,” for him, ''America is the global tiger and Japan is Asia's wolf and both are now madly biting China.” Of all the animals, Chinese people hate the wolf the most. 

 

And to put weight on what he actually meant  he added, “China was a peaceful nation but it would fight to the death if seriously attacked.”

  Liu concluded that his views do not represent China's government policy but he said that they were consistent with what mainstream Chinese political and military leaders think, if not what they say.

(Translation- Perhaps it was the Chinese government who ordered him to openly inform Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard as she prepares to deliver a speech for Australia's national security.).                         Again, the world is witnessing an exchange of rhetorics a.k.a. a ‘war of minds’ in the midst of growing tension in the China Sea (both South and East). If not taken with much caution by countries involved, it might lead to ‘war of arms’ soon.

 

With so much hostilities brewing in the said region, the rest of the world is watching the cofluence of events with nervousness. For there is a reason to be anxious because what the world is witnessing right now is a repeat of what had happened before the Second World War. Alliances are in the making while arms race is ongoing especially the almost simultaneous change of leadership both in China and in Japan while Obama is now on his second term.

 

These leaders are in the works in strengthening their country’s military capabilities in the middle of a global economic downturn. Even US President Barack Obama has allegedly metamorphosed according to critics as Mr. good guy Jekkyl into President Hyde. If this is the case, the world has to be prepared for the possible scenarios that might lead to a regional conflict. Like what Col. Liu said of a plot that would justify a nuclear attack.

 

The pivots that will create the war.

 

The much-hyped US pivot to Asia-Pacific has intensified the already tensed situation in the region, and now – it's Japan’s pivot to the south.

 

As what Richard Javad Heydarian wrote in his article on atimes.com : “After decades of self-imposed pacifism, Japan is beginning to carve out a new role in regional maritime affairs. Newly elected Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has launched a charm offensive across the Pacific, with Australia, India, Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam among the countries Tokyo is bidding to align against China's rising assertiveness. Abe has vowed to revisit Japan's pacifist constitution, re-calibrate its security alliance with the United States, and steer the  establishment of a so-called "democratic security diamond". It is a proposed strategic alliance of like-minded Indo-Pacific countries that share similar anxieties about China's growing naval might.”

 

PM Abe’s so-called ‘democratic security diamond’ is about his vision of “a strategy whereby Australia, India, Japan, and the US state of Hawaii form a diamond to safeguard the maritime commons stretching from the Indian Ocean region to the Western Pacific. And, he is willing to invest ‘to the greatest possible extent, Japan's capacities in this security diamond.’

 

China is likely at the top of Abe's foreign agenda, though not only for economic reasons. Last year, in a controversial essay published before the parliamentary elections, Abe expressed his commitment to forge ahead with a more muscular and assertive foreign policy aimed at containing China. (Ibid)

 

The new Japanese PM is doing his rounds in visiting some ASEAN countries. He actually visited Australia (a non-ASEAN country) first because “Canberra's significance lies in its status as the other spoke - together with Japan - in the US-based "hub and spokes" alliance network in the Pacific.

 

The three Pacific powers - Japan, the US, and Australia - have been in a constant state of interaction and cooperation under the Trilateral Security Dialogue (TSD), while the 2007 Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation has served as a linchpin in the evolving Japanese-Australian strategic partnership.” (Ibid)

 

That is why  Col. Liu Mingfu seems nervous when he warned Australia because this growing ‘security diamond’ alliance will actually contain China in the process.

 

It seems that every leader in this region has not wasted time in preparing for a possible conflict, and we know that China is doing the same. But the nagging question is, is the Philippines ready for such eventuality? Unfortunately, the country (especially the ruling party) is very much attuned to the coming mid-term elections. So what else is new?

 

Then again, are we going to reach that scheduled election day?

The U.S. Never Left PH

 The U.S. Never Left PH

 by Erick San Juan 

 

For the past few months, the country has witnessed incidents that could lead to the nagging question, do we have the US military bases again? But on second thought, they never left, and worst, they have the whole archipelago as their base a.k.a. military outpost in the region.

 

From dumping ‘toxic waste’ to our waters, to finding a drone in our shore, to destroying precious reefs in Tubbataha and these are just the recent ones.

 

For the record, the US military bases left some two decades ago but it seems that the provisions in the said Military Bases Agreement (MBA) which was signed in 1947 were still very much in effect.  Like the “US maritime vessels shall not be subject to the navigation laws of the Philippines.” There must be a memory lapse somewhere and they forgot that the said agreement was no longer in effect. 

 

This happened recently when the US Navy minesweeper ran aground on a coral reef at the Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park. Angelique Songco, head of the government's Protected Area Management Board that supervises the marine park said that the marine park's management would file a formal protest with the US government over the behavior of the Guardian's commander who prevented park rangers from approaching the vessel.

 

She said that park rangers were not allowed to board the ship for inspection and were told to contact the US Embassy in Manila. Their radio calls to the ship were ignored, she said.

 

"The ship's commander ordered a general alert and deployed personnel into battle position when our rangers tried to approach their ship to assess the situation, forcing them to back off," she said in a phone interview.

 

"They were well inside the marine park, stuck in the North Atoll of Tubbataha, and we were being prevented from coming close," she said. (Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer/ Asia News Network 1-20-2013)

 

Such show of arrogance is a masterpiece of how some Uncle Sam's officers treat its ally and holds true the perception that we are its ‘doormat’ in this very strategic area in the Pacific.

 

With its world renowned high-tech radars and other military hardware, why in the world did the ship hit the reef? And why is it in the area in the first place? Many questions left unanswered (as of this writing). But one thing is clear here, incidents like this will happen in the future and the government will just be contented for whatever reason that the US government will issue.

 

The fact that we don’t have the MBA anymore is not an assurance that US will follow our country’s laws and constitution at that, remember, we still have the Mutual Defense Treaty and the Visiting Forces Agreement, both pacts were in place for the continuous US troops’ deployment here.

 

This is the legacy of our past leaders, kowtowing to a perceived master and entering agreements that are very one-sided. After we did our role as Uncle Sam’s cannon fodder in WWII here in the region, what we got were treaties that has benefitted only their interests. We were shortchanged in the process and now history is being repeated by people who never learned from the lessons of the past.

 

As what UP Prof. Roland Simbulan critically wrote in his book, The Bases of Our Insecurity – “It is the US bases’ Philippine location in the South China Sea that places all the countries of Asia within their reach. Essentially, these bases are launching pads for wars in Asia: they are springboards for interventions.”

 

This was written in 1983 but the present scenario of US military’s pivot to Asia-Pacific with the Philippines as its springboard is a good copy that they will never leave us in order to complete their ‘operation’ in the region.

 

And with “the presence of the installations and their operations in the Philippines were not enough, our people are forced to become accomplices in US wars and acts of aggression, our lives endangered, our aspirations destroyed and our future strangled.” (Ibid) Translation – we are like a huge magnet attracting more enemies and putting the whole country in the crosshairs.

 

With this scenario in effect, our relationship with China is not getting any better as our leaders began parroting the dictates from the West that we have to show acts of aggression and/or provocations against China.

 

The continuing saber-rattling of G2 (China and the US) here in the region, using us as their pawn is a masterpiece that some of our high ranking officials has failed to see. That in order to avoid conflict in their own backyard (in China and in the US), they will create an outside enemy and will force their citizenry to unite against this ‘virtual aggressor’. Presto, civil war in China will be avoided and so is a possible second revolution in the US. We have to remember that both nations US and China are like twin brothers wherein their economies are intertwined that when one collapsed, the other followed. We could be the epicenter of conflict in Asia.

 

If PNoy and people in his loop will not heed our warning, this country will be just what I have been saying, Phili-finished!

Asia-Pacific, the Next Battleground?

Asia-Pacific, the Next Battleground?
Erick San Juan


If this happen, people will be repeating history that has caused millions of lives in the past. We are talking here of the centenary of the First World War and in the same period a hundred years ago when the brewing regional conflict has started and dragged the rest of the world into a world war and after which laid the foundations for the Second World War.

At present there are several flashpoints that can trigger a conflict in this region and like before, two superpowers are involved here that has established their ‘clout’ either economically or militarily (or both). Virtual alliances are formed and if ever a conflict will start, such alliances will surface and then another war begins.

In our past article (can be seen @ericksanjuan.blogspot.com), we cited the brewing conflict between China and Vietnam over the disputed area being claimed by Vietnam in which China (also as claimant) has started its oil exploration. And now, with Japan over the disputed islands of Senkaku (in Japanese) and Diaoyu (in Chinese).

This tension between China and Japan intensifies as the United States showed its support for Japan, an ally which in fact, as stated by some pundits believe that US is using Tokyo as strategic tool to put pressure on Beijing. Actually, like any other ally in the region, US and Japan have this Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security that they will jointly help each other in times of aggression from an outside enemy.

Sounds familiar?

Yes, same holds true in the Philippines with our Mutual Defense Treaty with the US and its offspring - the Visiting Forces Agreement, any misunderstanding with China will surely intensify because of our relationship with Uncle Sam. And how Uncle Sam is using this territorial dispute to contain China, or worse to provoke China into a war via a witting pawn like our country.

Through such military agreements, nations like ours are forced to ride the arms race bandwagon, without thinking that we are also using our precious resources that will dig our own grave. Remember – everything is for sale in the US and we will never be treated equally as an ally, we will always be an inferior ally and a willing slave to a perceived master, allowing to be shortchanged in the process.

When are we going to wake up and assert our right as an equal partner? Sadly, this can only happen if we will have a true Filipino ideology and unite.

Political – Economic – Strategic Crisis

A few days ago, three prominent analysts discussed the issue over Press TV (http://www.presstv.com/detail/2013/01/10/282827/uk-empire-after-war-with-russia-china/) and one of them, from Executive Intelligence Review (EIR) Mike Billington. He sounded the alarm (like what we have been warning since the middle of 2012) that any day now, or maybe weeks, an impending war is in the offing.

“This could be literally any day or any week if these wars are kicked off through an attack on Syria or Iran or perhaps, even to start in Asia as it has [had] in the past.” (Mike Billington)

The Sino-Japanese dispute is just one of the other brewing clashes in the region, specifically in the South China Sea where the Philippines is also one of the claimants trapped in the web of economic and geopolitical turmoil.

Just like what was pointed out by the analysts over Press TV, the situation in the Asian region, may it be in the Middle East or in the Pacific region, is like a ticking bomb, a time bomb that was planted by some evil genius in the US via the military-industrial complex.

The timer was already set through the arms race, translation – countries are in their buying spree mode of war materiel in spite of economic hardships and the global economic downturn. And like what we have been saying so many times now, that how the military-industrial complex is cashing-in hard-earned money from developing countries just to protect their sovereignty against an imagined aggressor.

There is now a race against time, when humanity is faced with the reality of an impending war. Any miscalculation or plain stupidity could light the bomb that will explode into a global war.

 Scary indeed!