Philippines' Duterte orders occupation of isles in disputed South China Sea

[rangerrebew]

Philippines' Duterte orders occupation of isles in disputed South China Sea


By Manuel Mogato | MANILA

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday ordered troops to occupy uninhabited islands and shoals it claims in the disputed South China Sea, asserting Philippine sovereignty in an apparent change of tack likely to anger China.

The firebrand leader, who on the campaign trail joked that he would jet ski to a Chinese man-made island in the South China Sea to reinforce Manila's claim, also said he may visit a Philippine-controlled island to raise the national flag.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-southchinasea-philippines-idUSKBN1780NR

[thackney]

Competing claims...

[skeeter]

It would be hilarious if all half dozen other countries claiming islands in the So China Sea decided to simply occupy them as China has.

[Cyber Liberty]

This might be interesting.

[r9etb]

This might be interesting.

Kinda like the Balkans were interesting, a little over a century ago....

[Cripplecreek]

Kinda like the Balkans were interesting, a little over a century ago....

We really don't need the hassle of one of our allies stirring up crap.

[r9etb]

We really don't need the hassle of one of our allies stirring up crap.

True. 

I think the Balkans comparison is pretty reasonable, though.  It's rather disturbing to see Great Power games starting to heat up again.  It's not exactly the same as before, of course, but if you put China in the role of Germany in the latter half of the 19th Century, the US and EU in the role of the Entente powers, and Russia in the role of, well, Russia ... it's a little eerie.

[Cyber Liberty]

Kinda like the Balkans were interesting, a little over a century ago....

Yes, I'm afraid so.  The thing is, wars in the far East will probably lead to a lot more blood.

[dfwgator]

Yes, I'm afraid so.  The thing is, wars in the far East will probably lead to a lot more blood.

"The Eastern world....it is explodin'......"

[Cyber Liberty]

We really don't need the hassle of one of our allies stirring up crap.

Worse than allies stirring up crap.  I remember when they were our colony.

[r9etb]

Yes, I'm afraid so.  The thing is, wars in the far East will probably lead to a lot more blood.

Yup.  For one thing, China has a real army and a real navy.  It's been a good long while since the Great Powers went head to head, and weapons are orders of magnitude more effective now than they were then.

[Cripplecreek]

Worse than allies stirring up crap.  I remember when they were our colony.

Sometimes I wish we had made our possessions and territories into states but that just means more crazy people running for office and more crazy people voting.

[EC]

Worse than allies stirring up crap.  I remember when they were our colony.

Irritating, ain't it. 

[geronl]

We really don't need the hassle of one of our allies stirring up crap.

Duterte is not an ally

[skeeter]

Sometimes I wish we had made our possessions and territories into states but that just means more crazy people running for office and more crazy people voting.

Any way you look at it, the legacy of Imperialism is destroying the west today.

[corbe]

Any way you look at it, the legacy of Imperialism is destroying the west today.

   #1 Example the Sykes–Picot Agreement 1916

[geronl]

Any way you look at it, the legacy of Imperialism is destroying the west today.

The US isn't and wasn't imperialist

[skeeter]

The US isn't and wasn't imperialist

The US played at imperialism for a very brief period at the end of the 19th century. And we ended up with Spain's colonies in the western hemisphere & asia.

I also consider slavery a by product of European imperialism. 'Nuff said there.

And western Europe is being socially decimated by immigration preferences granted citizens of their former colonies.

[skeeter]

   #1 Example the Sykes–Picot Agreement 1916

Had to look that one up, but yes that would be one very good example.