PACIFIC the Mission Impossible

To some military strategist, influence in the sea is power. According to Alfred Thayer Mahan, It is essential to the welfare of the whole country that the enemy must be kept not only out of our ports, but far away from our ports. Sea power or the naval power in terms of military is the ultimate defense of nations since war and invasion started in our human civilization. Nations today are always strengthening their power in terms of high technological warfare in order to advance in speed and fire power against the infiltrators of their country. We can only imagine the area of responsibility of Russia in the northern side of the world that spans a vast area of land, sea, and space. Before and during World War 2 pacific is a lucrative place to invade in terms of economics and military strategic point for military bases. Indeed, during the time of the cold war soviet influence operation against the US military are busy operating their research and reconnaissance in the Pacific region. After World War 2 US occupied some islands in the Pacific that ironically US did get more island invasion through diplomacy compared to China with the Marxist ideology that their invasion are more in aggression. Thus, US get the upper hand in getting the sympathy of the general public in the Pacific. During the time of Douglas Mc Arthur, Philippines is an arena of both military and political war. Japan who invaded the Philippines for a period of time did not get the general sympathy of the public at that time. As such, America took the opportunity to act as the savior of Philippines at that time in which literally they saved a lot of Filipino lives.

But if you look at in a political view, Philippines is just a playground of many nations trying to get the land and sea and the Filipino hearts. Today the bargain and diplomatic war continues and it seems that the intensity is becoming complicated. Political friction between nations are intensifying that the role of ASEAN is fading knowing that the ASEAN protocols are only good in historical presentation and dancing. The political friction and tension in the Pacific is like the Kingdoms in Europe during the time of the French Revolution. What is the worst case scenario when tension will arise in the Pacific, all the political entities that surrounds the American ideology will have the reason to rally against the US. Given that the 7^th fleet is hovering around the Pacific, every country that is interested in the Pacific will have the reason and the opportunity to show power in the seas Pacific. In the writings of Simon Winchester after the US military withdraw their bases in the Philippines, China has the opportunity to creep in the political mangroves of the Philippines. The Senate of the Philippines likewise rejected the presence of the US troops in the Philippines at that time which gives both positive and negative effect. Positive effect because no one will focus their military and political “targets” in the Philippines because US presence is not in the Philippine islands or in the negative view Philippines will be at risk in terms of the manmade and natural disaster that will visit the Philippine area of responsibility.

The Subic Bay Naval base is a strategic and useful base of the US during the cold war. It is also a strategic point for deployment of US military to Vietnam during the war in Vietnam between the North and the South. The conflict between the north and the south of Vietnam started only when the ideology of capitalism and communism flows to the minds of the Vietnam citizens. Come to think of it that capitalism and communism are only ideas but it causes the war between the south and the north of Vietnam. Same is true in the Philippines during the time of Douglas Mc Arthur. The problem of the Pacific countries are so weak in their national ideals that Pacific countries tend to adopt what are the “visiting missionaries” will tell them to do in their lives. Missionaries in the history of Asia and the Pacific are not only the religious missionaries but also the political ideology missionaries that divide the minds of the people in the pacific region. Specifically, that was what happened in the war in Vietnam. The ideologies that penetrated the minds of the Vietnam people ignited the war in Vietnam that ironically they are in one country and they are all Vietnam citizens. I would say again that Asia and ASEAN regional countries are the breeding ground of the several ideologies created by Marx and Smith. Likewise during the time of the Pinatubo eruption in the Philippines the US base in Subic also ejected their Military facilities. Today, US military presence is in Japan and Korea that they have an uncomfortable military strategic point against China. From Vietnam War to the future of wars in the Pacific, Philippines is the strategic point of US against any antagonist that will come their way.

The US 7th Fleet Pacific Command

Though Guam and Hawaii that is a US territory and it is very near to the Philippine islands still the archipelago of the Philippines is a lucrative place for military point of rally for the US fleet. Just imagine when the US 7^th fleet will refuel in Guam compared if they have refueling station in the Philippines they can save cost if we think business wise. Moreover, their reach of their military planes for example will be wider and the deeper in the Asian and Euro Asian region that is why China and Russia are so afraid of. Again it is all about business. Since Asian and Euro Asian region is the new place of world market in the future and the emerging market of today. ASEAN countries specifically Thailand is pronounced by many geopolitical analysts as the “Hub” of ASEAN integrated market. As a simple economics, where there is market there is money, where there is money there is war. War is money as I suppose, ironically yes. Since before time, Pax Romana and today Pax Americana, American 7^th fleet is always guarding the Pacific seas to make sure that the merchants passing the seas of the Pacific will be safe and the neighboring land areas will adhere to the international maritime protocols.

Without the 7^th Fleet Pacific seas will be a sea of pirates with no rules but only to terrorize the merchants passing along the Pacific. If we think that the Pacific will be crippled in terms of business and logistics without the 7^th Fleet the picture at the moment is becoming more politically complex with the presence of China and Russia who are also desperate to own territorial seas and lands in the Pacific. In my previous blogs regarding the Pacific, I mentioned that China who is the giant in Asia did not owned much of the territories in the Pacific but rather the US that is from the West. Thus, Russia is also behind China in sneaking and prying new rich territories both land and sea. But with the continued presence of US in the territory, Russia and China still needs to win the minds of the people in Pacific region just like winning the minds of the people in Afghanistan. I always emphasize in my previous blog regarding world order that invasion is not literally by physical land or sea but the minds of the people. This is what US get an upper hand. China is a big country in Asia but they did not win the hearts of the neighboring Asian countries and the countries along the Euro Asia and the Silk Road. Instead, as Asian countries we ourselves are in a geopolitical conflict not knowing who are our allies, some with the capitalism and some with the communism.

IS YOUR MISSION POSSIBLE OR IMPOSSIBLE?

PACIFIC MISSION

The greatest question today in terms of the Pacific islands and the seas is who owns and influence in terms of the geopolitical aspects in the vast seas of the Pacific. Is it the US who guarded the seas since and before the Japanese war?

In the year 1987 a company named RAND is with a military contract with the US to operate their facilities and technology in Subic American Base in the Philippines. The company is taking care of the ASEAN and the Philippines communications to Washington with the research information aid with the USGS. During the time of the Pinatubo eruption RAND warned US government and the military that the area in Subic is not a strategic point anymore knowing that the natural disaster of the Pinatubo Mountain is at the heat. But the mission of US still continues in the Pacific. The 7^th fleet is still at the Pacific Rim together with the USS midway and the USS Abraham. The research of USGS is always in line with the command in the pentagon in terms of the geological research in the region of the Pacific. Thus, if China will also conduct their research in the Pacific, we have nothing to be afraid of because everyone is doing research in the seas and lands of the pacific. But then again whose mission is the Pacific? Is it the mission of the Americans, Russians, or Chinese? Or your Mission is just impossible to achieve that your country is in a dilemma of two huge super powers that as an ASEAN countries we own the territory but we don’t own the power of the seas of the Pacific.

Is your Mission Possible or Impossible? Or you are just feeling the political friction?