 |
Renting Subic to the US Navy?
First Published: Reflections - Philippine Daily Inquirer Publication Date: 13th July 1992 Author's Name: Father Shay Cullen SSC It's an idea that has been around for years - the commercial renting-back of the Subic facilities to the US Navy. Some Filipino politicians have been advocating this kind of deal but do the United States want it and can they afford it? The US Navy might swallow its pride and tow back its dry docks in a shame faced reversal of its orderly departure schedule. Much as the US Navy Brass might wish to get Subic on a commercial basis the question is: will Washington approve? It's an election year and the US economy is sinking further below the waves of high unemployment and the recession ravaged economy. At a time when the US is withdrawing troops and weapons from Europe and closing costly military bases it is hardly an appropriate time to do an about face on Subic. The reality is that the US navy will have a difficult time persuading politicians in the US congress to allocate funds for such a costly reversal and no serious discussion will take place before the outcome of the November elections. Proposing such an deal shows the naivete of some Filipino politicians and their lack of understanding of the political realities of the United States in regard to military spending in the middle of a recession. A global military reduction by the United States the closure of bases in Europe and the elimination of one third of nuclear weapons makes a commercial use of Subic seem far fetched. Allocating money to buy access to Subic will be politically adverse in an election year besides being an even greater loss of face to the United States which is still smarting from the rejection of a new treaty to extend the bases agreement by the Philippine Senate in 1991. The Economist, a respected British journal, says in its July 4 edition that such an proposed arrangement is a question of keeping the Americans without appearing to beg. "By refusing to extend the lease on Subic Bay, the Philippines can claim to have rid itself of its Uncle Sam " complex - and can deal with America as an equal just as Singapore does. If Singapore can agree to give American armed forces ship-repair and other facilities, why not the Philippines?" It asks. Well why not indeed? There are many reasons why not. The most important is that the Philippines should be getting on with the implementation of the conversion of Subic Bay to productive industry that will provide Filipinos with dignified and rewarding work opportunity. The image of the Philippines holding out a cracked begging bowl to the retreating US navy is not a very acceptable one for the new administration of President Fidel Ramos . Despite all the hoopla about the massive contribution of the US navy payroll and spending power to the Philippine economy it has done nothing to reduce poverty and social inequality -it may have in fact exasperated it by inculcating a psychological dependency and inferiority complex in Filipinos. It must be remembered that a military dependent economy is by definition a weak one because while it may provide a static payroll it is not productive and wealth generating except to a very small minority of well connected business men and politicians. The economic growth that can be traced to the presence of the foreign military bases is tiny. In fact the bases probably blocked the greater possibilities for the economic development of the Central and Western Luzon regions. Besides all of this the Philippines bases cannot be compared with the Singapore arrangement as The Economist attempts to do. Singapore is a tiny prosperous enclave and very vulnerable and insecure It craves US protection, political protection more than military. The Philippines on the other hand has never had either despite the long and troubled presence of the US military bases. The recent cuts in US aid to the Philippines is a clear indication of how low the United States regards the Philippines. It's major interests here have departed with the US navy and left behind unanswered social problems and a legacy of AIDS that will continue long after they are gone. The Throwaway children of the US 7th fleet and many of their HIV infected mothers is just one example of the unconcern of US officialdom and moral irresponsibility. When Filipinos realize that the United States always uses other people to further it's own selfish interests then they will throw away the humiliating begging bowl and stand on their own feet poor, unshod as they may be.
Article viewed 533 time(s). Read more: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 | 43 | 44 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 48 | 49 | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 60 | 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 69 | 70 | 71 | 72 | 73 | 74 | 75 | 76 | 77 | 78 | 79 | 80 | 81 | 82 | 83 | 84 | 85 | 86 | 87 | 88 | 89 | 90 | 91 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99 | 100 | 101 | 102 | 103 | 104 | 105 | 106 | 107 | 108 | 109 | 110 | 111 | 112 | 113 | 114 | 115 | 116 | 117 | 118 | 119 | 120 | 121 | 122 | 123 | 124 | 125 | 126 | 127 | 128 | 129 | 130 | 131 | 132 | 133 | 134 | 135 | 136 | 137 | 138 | 139 | 140 | 141 | 142 | 143 | 144 | 145 | 146 | 147 | 148 | 149 | 150 | 151 | 152 | 153 | 154 | 155 | 156 | 157 | 158 | 159 | 160 | 161 | 162 | 163 | 164 | 165 | 166 | 167 | 168 | 169 | 170 | 171 | 172 | 173 | 174 | 175 | 176 | 177 | 178 | 179 | 180 | 181 | 182 | 183 | 184 | 185 | 186 | 187 | 188 | 189 | 190 | 191 | 192 | 193 | 194 | 195 | 196 | 197 | 198 | 199 | 200 | 201 | 202 | 203 | 204 | 205 | 206 | 207 | 208 | 209 | 210 | 211 | 212 | 213 | 214 | 215 | 216 | 217 | 218 | 219 | 220 | 221 | 222 | 223 | 224 | 225 | 226 | 227 | 228 | 229 | 230 | 231 | 232 | 233 | 234 | 235 | 236 | |
