[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]
[av_heading heading=’Flirting with allies or enemies’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY SONIA D. DAQUILA
[/av_heading]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=’custom’ color=’#0a0a0a’]
Monday, January 9, 2017
[/av_textblock]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=’custom’ color=’#0a0a0a’]
TAKING trips aboard fast crafts from Bacolod City to Iloilo City and back gives me several options what to do for the one hour and a half trip: to continue working on my book, to check papers, to watch a movie or to sleep.
Yesterday, the boat was rocked by turbulent sea and I’m already done with the revision of my book, I couldn’t check papers or sleep. Thus, I decided to watch the movie played for the nth time, Air Force 1. It’s about the President of the United States of America and the Russian terroristic, high-jacking story. Expectedly, the protagonists are the Americans and the villains, the Russians. I listened to the USA President’s speech on terrorism and saw its impact on the antagonists’ passionate declaration of loyalty to their cause.
This reminded me of the most powerful countries, America and Russia, divided by opposing ideologies: democracies versus totalitarianism. Thus in 1947 President Harry Truman declared the USA containment policy, “to support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation…by outside pressure.” This led to the Cold War arms race between these two leading countries in their production of lethal armaments. There was also the race in conquering the space and other planets by sending astronauts and cosmonauts to the moon.
Accepting the reality that in the final world war no one will win, in 1972 President Richard Nixon and Soviet premier Leonid Brezhnev signed the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty (SALT I), to prohibit the manufacture of nuclear missiles by both sides.
In 1985 Russian Premier Mikhail Gorbachev’s term began. He had to address severe economic problems and growing political agitation. Gorbachev introduced two policies that redefined Russia’s relationship to the rest of the world: glasnost or political openness, and perestroika or economic reform.
USA President Ronald Reagan’s speech at Brandenburg Gate in Berlin challenged Premier Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down the Berlin Wall that divided the East and the West Germany. Indeed, in November of 1989 the wall came crashing down amidst jubilations. Ideologies, nevertheless, cannot be eradicated easily. They are deeply rooted.
The Philippines has been an ally of the USA and it always runs to Uncle Sam for help. There have been moves, though, to establish more cordial relationship with Russia as early as 1960s. Salvador Lopez presented a draft to this effect but was promptly turned down by President Diosdado Macapagal.
In 1967, dictator Ferdinand Marcos declared a more aggressive policy, the establishment of closer ties with Russia and China. Reviewing the US-RP Agreement in 1992, the Philippine Senate voted to end the US-RP Agreement on Clark Air Force Base and the US Naval Station in Subic Bay.
Today, President Rodrigo Duterte found America, the United Nations Organization and the European Union inimical to his campaign against drugs and corruption while flirting with Russia and China. Is this change a boon to our country’s welfare?
Are we courting a holocaust to be cockpit of nations who would fight their war in other’s soil? Why must these powerful countries be interested in a small Philippine archipelago?
The geopolitical value of our country cannot be overstated. (delsocorrodaquila@mail.com/PN)
[/av_textblock]
[/av_one_full]
