The Philippines kicked the US out in 1992, but we're supposed to rescue them now?

In 1992, the government of the Philippines summarily kicked the United States out of military bases we had had there for decades, at Clark Air Force Base and Subic Bay naval base: http://www.nytimes.com/1991/12/28/w...-base-at-subic-bay.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm The timing was horrible! We were trying to keep the lid on Communist China while Russia was still falling apart and very dangerous. We needed those bases in the Far East to keep that part of the entire Pacific theater stable, and we paid the Philippine government a great deal of money for the privilege (even though we had liberated them from the Japanese with many American lives in WWII), but instead the Philipinos stabbed us in the back and threw us out!

But now that they've had a big hurricane, we're supposed to come charging to the rescue with ships and planes full of all kinds of aid materiel, probably followed by hundreds of millons of dollars' worth of aid?

(*)(*)(*)(*) THE PHILIPPINES! It's past time that we showed ungrateful, hateful countries like the Philippines and Iraq and others that they can't just curse us, throw us out, and **** in our faces, and then have us come running when they get in trouble. We need another dependent pest hole like the Philippines like we need another hole in our wallets....

 

I am also torn. My 1st response was let them handle the affairs in this situation, then my slurpie sugary side said what about the hungry homeless needing medical attention.

I settled on sending a couple of medical ships and food, limited action. Let the rest of the world step up. Hey China sent some big money.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...nYDwBA&usg=AFQjCNERMSFgd_Nns67F-LUw-_PdfeBJ1Q

 

As it should be. I see China leading the way.

 

Placing nationalism over humanism ? this is exactly how Hitler thought , nicely written OP

 

Over 10,000 people could be dead.
Whole cities were devastated.
100,000s of people are displaced, no water, no electricity, no shelter.

I don't care what our relations are, and you are incredibly wrong about the state of Phil-US relations, there are so many HUMAN BEINGS suffering in a country that has been a close ally for a very long time.


Add to that the FACT that you seem to be deeply ignorant of Philippino-American relations. The Phils are one of the most pro-US countries in that particular area and one of our closest non-NATO allies.

 

It is sad to see the OP, as it paints my country in a very bad light. The United States is far more than the world police...we are also the Nurse than steps in the help. I find it nice to see our floating cities put to a use other than destruction.

 

It really bothers me to be in agreement with you about anything considering the general nature of your politics and ideology but -- damn it! -- I am once again in general agreement with you. We have to stop doing this.

 

(*)(*)(*)(*) happens.

 

And maybe this is just an example of times when things transcends politics

 

In my view it's the natural position for anyone who cares about liberty generally to ignore state boundaries, because individuals are what matter, not the states that rule over them through the use and threat of force. Those who agree with these sentiments should think about giving a little to these people.

Personally I really like Kiva microfinancing because if you have a bit of spare capital lying around you can loan someone the resources to build a store, for example, and once they apply their labor to that capital themselves and gain a living they pay you back the loan in installments regulated by Kiva reps in each community.

It's neat because it costs you practically nothing. Through shares you can obtain a 7% rate of growth per year. The only real cost of Kiva is that you lose that opportunity and so are 7% worse off. That's nothing. That's like a bank fee. Consequently, a single block of capital might last through dozens of projects before it's depleted.

 

Yep!

 

The United States, you must understand, is a Christian County! Jesus wept!

 

Oh sure. In point of fact large numbers of people traumatized in one fell swoop is very disturbing -- to most of us anyway -- and I, for one, emotionally bled when the Japanese suffered from that double whammy earthquake and tsunami a couple of years ago. It looks like this is easily comparative and because the Philippines -- due to its separate island's structure -- has comparatively more dirt poor people and isolated villages and hamlets and so forth the real numbers of dead might be significantly higher yet.

 

Yes micro-financing has made a major difference in the existence of poor people around the world.

 

Really? Like, seriously?

 

So you think the people threw us out, or some corrupt politician?
You think the innocent should suffer from a poor decision made over 20 years?

We are AMERICANS. This is what we do.

To bad someone needs to tell you that, and thank God you or one like you is not in charge.

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Well said.

 

A few more posts with that kind of insight and penetrating depth and you, too, can probably get a Nobel Prize, for Literature. Go back to sleep. I was only trying to communicate to people with at least a functioning notochord....

 

Really, like seriously?

 

So you are claiming to have a funtioning notochord?

 

He keeps it in the pisspot under the bed in case it should come in handy to choke someone starving.

 

Yeah, the list is close to endless where the US has stepped above policy, ideology and other considerations when people are hurting. Sadly these events are rarely recognized by the world media because bad news sells. And many of those countries do try to reciprocate. During Katrina, the offers for assistance the US received was huge and in some cases touching. But because the US is such a well resourced nation, there was little anyone could offer that the US actually needed.

 

C'mon... try just a little harder... you've almost made it out of water!



Anyway, back to those with human intelligence... We Americans don't owe the Philippines a damn thing! They haughtily threw us out at one of the worst times imaginable for us.

China? What's the big "powerhouse of the Pacific" doing to help their next-door neighbor? The offer in this link suggests $100,000. Meanwhile, in the same link, the United States is already committing to a reported $20,000,000 in humanitarian aid. What a great opportunity for all you gushing, bleeding-heart hyperliberals to empty out your wallets -- GIVE IT TO HELP THE PHILIPPINES! Get it? http://blogs.wsj.com/searealtime/20...dest-aid-to-philippines-after-typhoon-haiyan/

You hyperlibs can spend YOUR money on the Philippines! Oooh, you're on Obama's welfare-suck already and don't have any extra "spare change"? Then keep your mouths shut and don't make any commitments YOU can't pay for yourselves. We taxpayers don't have any "spare change" for countries that hate our guts and treat us like ****!

 

There's lovely! Let's hope we all have a friend like that when we're stuck down by global boiling!

 

Yes. it was both touching and heartwarming that other nations offered us help in our time of need.