39 Comments
User's avatar
Thomas's avatar

Marcos won't be making videos of Hyundai Koreans being humiliated in chains.

Aurelian1960's avatar

Your TDS is back. Get on your meds.

Jetcal1's avatar

Good thing they weren't illegal Americans in Korea.

Imprisonment for not more than 5 years, fine, and deportation.

Thomas's avatar

Yeah you won’t be able to find a real example of any American being imprisoned at length for overstay. Maybe some overstaying English teachers get deported.

The Korean government certainly isn’t posting deportation humiliation porn videos of Americans, much less of employees of companies investing in Korea.

Decline and Fall of the USA, chapter 47.

Tom's avatar

Weird how actually enforcing the law somehow makes us look weaker.

Thomas's avatar

There were more respectful ways of doing it than the humiliation videos.

Of a piece with insulting other allies like India, Canada and Denmark

campbell's avatar

",,,Subic Bay back in its US Navy heyday...."

That floating drydock is.....outstanding ( hehe....stands out!) yep, "more" "faster"

Re-constituting Subic is a huge positive step in the right direction

..

Flight-ER-Doc's avatar

Is it? Or are we playing Charlie Brown with Lucy holding the football? Once someone kicks me in the teeth, I'm not giving them a second chance.

Andy's avatar

Its not really the same thing though. Its at most a chance to repair or another foreign option for certain new builds very close to Chinese overt influence.

michael hopper's avatar

That floating drydock was still rusting away at Inactships in Pearl Harbor last time I saw it.

Aviation Sceptic's avatar

Very strong historical and familial ties to the PI. Marcos was bad but had created an "institutionalized" framework of corruption that allowed business to be conducted with caveats. When he was shown the door, the PI became a corruption "free fire zone" that made doing business by U.S. companies nearly impossible dollars and sense wise and risk of falling afoul of the U.S. "foreign corrupt practices act". Indonesia and the fall of the Suharto regime is another example. Korea has a national reputation for institutional corruption, Marcos Jr. is fruit that has not fallen far from the tree, so it is no surprise the two nations have found common ground. Like it or not, it is the way of the world, especially in Asia. Deal with the world as it is, try to change it when you can, but "needs must when the devil drives". Trust but verify and realize that the company official you just "bought" just might not stay "bought" so keep an eye on him.

Jim Lowder's avatar

Wise words indeed, Sceptic.

Andy's avatar

Would be nice to have more public debate on how those laws have or have not benefited the nation and other nations. Not enough gets written on the topic and its become wildly relevant again in the past decade.

Aurelian1960's avatar

What do you think the average taxpayer is going to say? What's the limit on institutional bribery?

sid's avatar
Sep 10Edited

Oh my!

Just look at all that oil in the water!!!!

https://www.tiktok.com/@flip.six4/video/7200103190308736298

Don't scoff. There are plenty of folks in the USN, DoD, State, (the rest of the swamp), who take this seriously...

https://youtu.be/c7I3__dFyGQ?si=mHPMGn4V4E0Ukos3

Karl H Bernhardt's avatar

Right now this is just a big fat target for China to attack. We need to station Naval ships in Subic (as well as Cam Ran Bay Vietnam).

corsair's avatar

They don't need to be stationed but rotating in/out of there on the regular they are. Subic NS is now Subic Freeport Zone; I believe Cubi Pt is also included. USMC pre-positioning just signed agreement to move their stocks there.

Bradley A Graham's avatar

If we could train the rock apes at the old Upper MAU camp to fight with us, the ChiComs wouldn't stand a chance.

Jim Lowder's avatar

More. Better. Faster. ... God speed, and may God Bless the USA, the Philippines, and our special relationship.

One of the most moving sights I have ever seen are the Filipino and American headstones side by side in one of the military cemeteries: Smith, Bumanglag, Jones, Reyes...

...and f*** the f***ing commies!

Andy's avatar

I find the WWII memorial in D.C. very out of place in feel, but the picture of it I like the most is the column of the Philippines included among the states.

Captain Mongo's avatar

Great news. Now, about Olongapo.....

SPQR's avatar

And let's throw Clark AFB in there. I think permanently garrisoning US forces in the Philippines is a fantastic idea. Should have never withdrawn.

sid's avatar

This makes immutable sense.

But, let's learn from past mistakes...

https://www.usni.org/magazines/naval-history-magazine/2018/december/disaster-cavite

Start ...today... integrating a robust modern AAW defense for these facilities...

https://youtu.be/-df1XAWbHYA?si=Zg-jfVrt_RozHUh9

And make sure there is a strong Intel/I&W infrastructure, because as a D-0 target, the enemy will do his best to strike the first, "IT CAME OUT OF NOWHERE!.. vote...

https://youtu.be/RcyEBHXC_YQ?si=DuVmR-3AZok6S8yQ

Brettbaker's avatar

Wonder if we should buy frigates from there as well! US-made gear on a Phillipino hull sounds like a good combo.

Andy's avatar

We need sealift ships really bad and those are the kind of ships yards like this could help us the most as we don't have many large yard options.

Brettbaker's avatar

Only thing is that we probably will have people wanting us to build more sealift ourselves, since those ships have commercial use as well.

Andy's avatar

Well, I am thinking specifically of LMSRs. We also need to look at what we need when. By that measure we need someone building subs for us and that won't happen.

Brettbaker's avatar

Yep. Same thing that keeps us from adopting an uparmed FRC for the Navy. Forward-deployed FACs and diesel subs would be great for presence/deterrence missions, but "not good enough, for reasons".

Randy (Rando) Needham's avatar

Thanks, Sal, for this piece of positive news.

Nurse Jane's avatar

CDR Salamander, good morning!

Today is Tuesday 10 Sept 25.

Now I understand why you needed a 10 day reset!

In about 1985-1986, our NUWEPS Officer just returned from Subic Bay. I was asked to leave the room. I complied.

My shipmates did not want me to see what was in those photos…

I’m all for a little cooperation from South Korea, but can they cooperate “Legally”, please…

Good Job posting these pictures!

Have you identified any places Chinese Submarines can “Hide”?

We have to know?

SubicbaypirateCG31Alum's avatar

Walang katapat lokasyon in WestPac IMHO to counter the red menace.

Jetcal1's avatar

This might be a good time to negotiate a outchop hull painting contract before the yard is fully ramped up and might have some spare capacity.

Robert Yates's avatar

The problem with putting a lot of infrastructure in Subic is its proximity to China. It is likely to disappear about 5 minutes after a war with China starts.

Aviation Sceptic's avatar

There is a non-zero chance that any industrial / ship building infrastructure put in place may "change ownership" in an "unexpected" manner as the political and international influence winds shift. It's a known risk, which can be mitigated IF it is treated seriously. As previously noted from our previous administration, the PI is not the only player in this scenario prone to foreign policy shifts...

Robert Yates's avatar

I wasn't really thinking about changes of ownership. Instead of 5 minutes, I should have said the flight time of Chinese missiles.

Aviation Sceptic's avatar

I concur 100%. Your view is the tactically sound assessment. My addendum is more of a mid / long term consideration.