kalozojo

Looks good...very nice..nicht schlecht!

Out of curiosity...does anyone have any idea what is the oldest martial art style? So many are transplants...BJJ is a great example...I hear lots of controversy over the origins of many Okinawa styles...Chinese vs. Korean and so on... I imagine the very first martial art was when some hominid figured ..."Hey, I can make a fist and hit others with it...and they'll give me their food!"

The Philippines helped support Operation Iraqi Freedom...sent a whole 50 men, but recalled them after 1 was kidnapped...nice...

More from the State Department...this is more recent, some helps your cause, but the fact that the Filipinos voted to remove all bases and for full US withdrawal by 1992, hurts your case...they did not want US bases...but I will grant you this is from the State Dept and some of their fact are skewed, like an assertion they make that only tens of thousands of Filipinos died in the US WAr for the Philippines...I'll stick with my figures which have been given by numerous historians and are backed by battle reports and other data (describing the eradication of whole villages)... Again from the State DEpt... In September 1991, the Philippine Senate rejected the bases treaty, and despite further efforts to salvage the situation, the two sides could not reach an agreement. As a result, the Philippine Government informed the U.S. on December 6, 1991, that it would have one year to complete withdrawal. That withdrawal went smoothly and was completed ahead of schedule, with the last U.S. forces departing on November 24, 1992. On departure, the U.S. Government turned over assets worth more than $1.3 billion to the Philippines, including an airport and ship-repair facility. Agencies formed by the Philippine Government have converted the former military bases for civilian commercial use, with Subic Bay serving as a flagship for that effort. The post-U.S. bases era has seen U.S.-Philippine relations improved and broadened, with a prominent focus on economic and commercial ties while maintaining the importance of the security dimension. U.S. investment continues to play an important role in the Philippine economy, while a strong security relationship rests on the 1952 U.S.-Philippines Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT). In February 1998, U.S. and Philippine negotiators concluded the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), paving the way for increased military cooperation under the MDT. The agreement was approved by the Philippine Senate in May 1999 and entered into force on June 1, 1999. Under the VFA, the U.S. has conducted ship visits to Philippine ports and has resumed large combined military exercises with Philippine forces. Key events in the bilateral relationship include the July 4, 1996 declaration by President Ramos of Philippine-American Friendship Day in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of Philippine independence. Ramos visited the U.S. in April 1998, and then-President Estrada visited in July 2000. President Arroyo met with President Bush in an official working visit in November 2001 and made a state visit in Washington on May 19, 2003. President Bush made a state visit to the Philippines on October 18, 2003, during which he addressed a joint session of the Philippine Congress--the first American President to do so since Dwight D. Eisenhower. There are regular U.S. cabinet-level and congressional visits to the Philippines as well. President Arroyo has repeatedly stressed the close friendship between the Philippines and the U.S. and her desire to expand bilateral ties further. Both governments seek to revitalize and strengthen their partnership by working toward greater security, prosperity, and service to Filipinos and Americans alike. Inaugurated into office on the same day as President Bush, President Arroyo lent strong support to the global war on terrorism. In October 2003, the U.S. designated the Philippines as a Major Non-NATO Ally. That same month, the Philippines joined the select group of countries to have ratified all 12 UN counterterrorism conventions. The annual Balikatan (Shoulder-to-Shoulder) bilateral military exercises contribute directly to the Philippine armed forces' efforts to root out Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiyah terrorists and bring development to formerly terrorist-plagued areas, notably Basilan and Jolo. They include not only combined military training but also civil-military affairs and humanitarian projects. The International Military Education and Training (IMET) program is the largest in the Pacific and the third-largest in the world, and a Mutual Logistics Support Agreement (MLSA) was signed in November 2002. Similarly, law enforcement cooperation has reached new levels: U.S. and Philippine agencies have cooperated to bring charges against numerous terrorists, to implement the countries' extradition treaty, and to train thousands of Filipino law enforcement officers. There is a Senior Law Enforcement Advisor helping the Philippine National Police with its Transformation Program. The U.S. is also working closely with the Philippines to reduce poverty and increase prosperity. The U.S. fully supports Philippine efforts to root out corruption, to open economic opportunity, and to invest in health and education. USAID programs support the 'Philippines' war on poverty as well as the government's reform agenda in critical areas, including anti-money laundering, rule of law, tax collection, and trade and investment. Other USAID programs have bolstered the government's efforts to heal divisions in Philippine society through a focus on conflict resolution, livelihood enhancement for former combatants, and economic development in Mindanao and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, among the poorest areas in the country. Meanwhile, important programs continue in modern family planning, infectious disease control, environmental protection, rural electrification, and provision of basic services--as well as PL 480 food aid programs and others, which together totaled $211.3 million. In 2006, the Millennium Challenge Corporation granted $21 million to the Philippines for a threshold program addressing corruption in revenue administration. Nearly 400,000 Americans visit the Philippines each year. Providing government services to U.S. and other 'citizens, therefore, constitutes an important aspect of the bilateral relationship. Those services include veterans' affairs, social security, and consular operations. Benefits to Filipinos from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the Social Security Administration totaled $297,389,415 in 2006. Many people-to-people programs exist between the U.S. and the Philippines, including Fulbright, International Visitors, and Aquino Fellowship exchange programs, as well as the U.S. Peace Corps.

I think my assumptions about YOUR friends liking Americans more than the typical Filipino may be correct...the US State Department doesn't share your rosey view of US-Philippine relations...heres a bit of what they say...though it is a bit dated, it's alll they have , which suggests it may be worse, especially with the rise of Islam there...but here's what they say about Filipino attitudes...(the US State Dept) Philippines Filipino Nationalism Filipino nationalism, which is an important element of foreign policy, showed every sign of intensifying in the early 1990s. Diverse elements in Philippine society have been united in opposition to their common history of foreign subjugation, and this opposition often carried an anti-American undertone. Leftists have long held that Philippine history is a story of failed or betrayed revolutions, with native compradors selling out to foreign invaders. In the post-Marcos years, this thesis received wide acceptance across the political spectrum. The middle class was deeply disillusioned because five successive United States administrations had acquiesced to Marcos's dictatorship, and Filipino conservatives nursed grievances long held by the left. Extension of United States base rights became a pivotal issue in Manila politics. The need for some sort of military alliance with the United States was rarely questioned, but the physical presence of the bases has irritated nationalists beyond endurance. The socially deformed communities outside their gates were seen as a national disgrace. Angeles City (near Clark) and Olongapo City (near Subic) had innumerable bars and thousands of prostitutes, which caused Filipinos to be concerned about acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS; see Health and Living Standards , ch. 2). There were numerous criminal gangs and smugglers and criminal jurisdiction was a perennial problem. The nuclear issue complicated matters. Article 2 of the Constitution says that the Philippines, "consistent with national interest, adopts and pursues a policy of freedom from nuclear weapons in its territory." Interpreted strictly, this article challenged the United States policy of never confirming or denying the presence of nuclear weapons at any specific location. Aquino finessed the issue, apparently determining that it was in the national interest not to do anything to make the United States leave the bases. But the Philippine Senate in June 1988 passed by a vote of nineteen to three a bill that would have banned from the Philippines the "development, manufacture, acquisition, testing, use, introduction, installation, or storage" of nuclear weapons. The bill was defeated in the House, but its margin of passage in the Senate indicated potential difficulty in obtaining the votes of the two-thirds of the Senate required to ratify any future base agreement. Despite negative developments in Philippine-United States relations, congruent interests in the early 1990s bound the two countries. United States foreign aid to the Philippines in 1990 reached nearly US$500 million; United States private investment stood at more than US$1 billion; and the United States and Japan were key donors to the Multilateral Aid Initiative, also known as the Philippine Assistance Plan, which offered some debt relief and new credit in return for desired structural reforms (see Development Assistance , ch. 3). Political activity in FilipinoAmerican communities in the United States added another dimension to Philippine-United States relations. Early maneuvering for the 1992 Philippine presidential election was as feverish among these communities on the United States west coast as it was in Manila. From US State Dept. web site

I'm curious about any deutschlanders opinion on this matter- at least concerning Germany...how did you feel about the US presence during the Cold War as opposed to now? Is it different? I remember telling my German friends that if it wasn't for us, they'd be speaking Russian...my friend looked at me and said, "What difference does it make? Today we speak English!!"-that opened my eyes! and changed my "arrogant American attitude"...ALOT...

I would suggest that YOUR friends like the US military presence...In the Marcos case- the US was the only thing keeping them from getting their throats slit by their own people...the Arroyo family also enjoys the US military keeping the peace so ex-Marcos supporters aren't strung up...also if you are "friends/married into those families" it suggests you are in with the elites...they enjoy the stability the US presence now offers...not to mention the jobs...lots of jobs...when bases go so do tons of job...from AAFES workers (American Armed Force Exchange Service) to contractors to prostitutes...sames true in the US-look at Clovis,NM for example...Now you are putting words in my mouth-I would never suggest that EVERYONE wants the US out...but I would bet the majority of the people at least would like the US gone but have fears about what would happen in their absence... A good example is a discussion I had with my former boss when I worked for CFS in the refugee program...I asked what she thought of the war in Iraq...she said everyone she knew was glad about the invasion and hoped the US stayed and NEVER leaves...of course she was a Kurd,I didn't argue with her...I can understand her point of view...but I would never say that based on her opinion all Iraqis wanted us to stay... And I too have Filipino family members...they like the US, of course they were born in the US so they have no idea about sentiment back in the Philippines... Another case in point...when I lived in Germany all the Germans on base LOVED Americans...at one point EVERY German I knew loved Americans-but as I met Germans outside of the base, and who weren't making a living from US dollars, I saw a change in attitudes...many still liked Americans, but hated our government and wanted US bases out, even if they were concerned about their economy. I know its complex, but back to my point..you were very wrong in your assertion that the US was a welcomed liberator to the Filipino people, they were not and 500,000-2,000,000 dead Filipinos are proof of that... Believe me, I have to deal with this love/hate issue in my Native American studies...there are those who proudly wave the US flag with their tribal flags, seemingly forgeting that the same US flag flew over Wounded Knee, the Washita River and numerous other Indian massacres. It drives me crazy...but that's the line I have to honor as far as my opinion goes in those matters...

A bit of clarification...we were pretty generous in the peace treaty with Spain...as a peace settlement we paid them (Spain) $20 million for Guam, Puerto Rico and the Philippines... so by all definitions they were/are US property...we hold the receipt...notice we gave the money to Spain, not to the people of the islands...we respected the conquering Spaniard's rights, but not the rights of the conquered people... A speech by Sen. Albert Beveridge...(From Howard Zinn's "People's History...")... Jan 9th, 1900 on the floor of Senate... "Mr. President, the times call for candor. The Philippines are ours forever. And just beyond the Philippines are China's illimitable markets. We will not retreat from either...We will not renounce our part in the mission of our race, trustee, under God, of the civilization of the world...The Pacific is OUR ocean..Where shall we turn for consumers of our surplus? Geography answers the question. China is our natural customer...The Philippines give us a base at the door of all the East...No land in America surpasses in the fertility the plains and valleys of Luzon. Rice and coffee, sugar and coconuts, hemp and tobacco...the wood of the Philippines can supply the furniture of the world for a century to come...My own belief is that there are not 100 men among them who comprehend what Anglo-Saxon self-government means, and there are over 5,000,000 people to be governed. It has been charged that our conduct of the war has been cruel. SEnators, it has been in the reverse...Senators must we remember that we are not dealing with Americans or Europeans. We are dealing with Orientals."(People's History, 306) One soldier in the Filipino War wrote home saying..."Our fighting blood was up, and we wanted to kill niggers...this shooting human beings beats rabbit hunting all to pieces." (People's History, 307) (Filipinos were considered"niggers") ...nice...yeah, we don't owe them...they owe us...I'm sure Sen. Beveridge would agree 110%! Did I mention my Undergrad thesis was on US Racism and Imperialism in Latin America?

I should add...you can probably beat me in sit ups, push ups, maybe even in constructing a fine vase for flowers, but I study US History for a living...yeah, I even get paid for it...you're not gonna win this debate...

I was a bit confused...I thought you were talking about Samoa...but you're even more wrong about the Philippines...we stole the whole island...it was taken and controlled by the Spanish...when we went to war against Spain, Teddy Roosevelt-then Asst. Sec. of the Navy- exceeded his authority and ordered Com. Dewey to take the islands ( the war was actually to "liberate" Cuba and get revenge for the sinking of the Maine-which incidently was like WMDs cause we now know it was fabricated, actually the boiler blew, it WAS NOT bombed- anyways...we said we would liberate the Philippines too-they were quite pleased, we even gave a lift to an exiled Filipino rebel leader who led insurgencies against the Spanish, a guy named Emilio Aquinaldo, then when we got their we said "Psyche! We're gonna stay a while"...Aquinaldo ended up leading the Filipino insurgency against the US...between 500,000 and 2 million Filipinos died in that war! We didn't really care how many we killed, so we didn't keep track...the Filipino War is one of the most overlooked US wars of all time...we "rescued" them from the Japanese because they stole them from US after we stole them from Spain! So, we do kinda owe 'em...yeah we saved them from the Spanish, but then we turned into the new "slave master" instead of liberator...

Uh...we stole the whole damn island...we give them tons of money because Samoa is US property...called a territory...but they have limited rights of citizenship...they can join the US military, but can't have a representative in Congress...and by "saving" the Philipines (and Samoa and Guam and Puerto Rico and Wake Island and numerous others), I think you really mean we stole it from the previous thieves...Japan was the imperial bully of the Pacific...(and Spain was a dwindling power) we both were the same monster...of course, we taught the Japanese how to be imperialists and they were VERY adept students...the Meiji Restoration took place after we forced Japan to open its markets to the west in the 1850s-by 1900 they built their armed forces, trained them i US military academies and were challenging China and Russia! Japan was the quintessential 90 lbs weakling getting sand kicked in his face, buying the Weider Set, then kickin' ass and stealing the babes himself! Thats why in Chinese/Hong Kong martial art films they are portrayed as complete bastards...So keep that in mind...Samoa aren't our "buddies"- they are our property...we just don't know what to do with them... Incidently...ever wonder why the fuck we have Guantanamo Bay in Cuba?! Is it cause Cubans are our best buds? Hell NO! We took that piece of Cuba in this same period when we had (real) imperial interests...wonder why we didn't just make it a state? Some wanted to, but in this case American racism prevented taking the whole thing over- we didn't want the Latin-American/ African blood contaminating US blood...though the South did previously consider taking it if they won the Civil War...they wanted to use it as a "retirement island" for old and disabled slaves, they also considered Mexico as a corridor into Central America for the same purpose...they didn't want those "lazy coloreds" hangin' out in the (North American) South...

My understanding is that Samoa is in a severe state of dependency...the only "natural resource" they have is tourism...the US ships food and other supplies every month...of course when the US took Samoa it was needed as a fueling station...a stepping stone...to the Asian markets...now that we don't need it for that purpose they are in a state of limbo...a victim of out dated US imperialism...and as you said, it is due to complicated economic and political circumstances...no simple explanation or solution... I guess its only natural that a discussion that started about nationalism will take a turn towards imperialism and its consequences...extreme nationalism almost always stems from colonization/imperialism. Any body know anything about Puerto Rico? I'm sure it's a similar story...

Despite the long path...I think this was constructive...I've learned more about the Hawaiian sovereignty movement (I did some research) and I think you may have been forced to deal with some of you prejudices...however you choose to do so... so...how about BJ Penn's ideas about Hawaiian sovereignty?

Perhaps bigot is too harsh...I tend to associate prejudice and bigotry...and thats not necessarily fair...but let me say this... Blacks are mostly criminals...they can't be trusted...don't pick them up in a cab...follow them in your stores or they will steal...if they date your daughter they will get her pregnant and leave her...those are racist, prejudiced statements...though the facts show there are more blacks in prison than whites...and consider that blacks are a minority...and look at the pregnancy statistics...so it all appears to be true...but we all know that its BS...there are many other reasons why the prison population is predominately black, preganancy rates,etc...ie racism! For your own good, squash those feelings...it starts out small and grows...I've seen good friends and family members turn into full blown bigots...and it all started with logic like yours...

Okay...just so we are all clear...you are prejudiced against native Hawaiians...we can still talk, but now I know not to take you too seriously when discussing Hawaii or native Hawaiians...I'm kinda prejudice towards biggots, I think you can understand...

Dr. Cosby is a pretty "priviledged black"...you may recall he owned NBC for a while...he didn't put that on lay away...

I try not to say all capitalists are pigs...and I have gotten out of the habit of class generalizations...but please answer my previous question...did you not say- "I know those things are in me and it may be wrong but its still the case." "Those things" are presumed to be prejudices against native Hawaiians...at least thats how I read it...am I right? Please feel free to look back at the context...if you don't like Hawaiians...fine...but I like to know who I'm dealing with...I may have you wrong...

Also...I study the Arapaho...it is hard for me to criticize certain aspects of their culture because I am an "outsider"...specifically the way they have abandoned many of their own traditions and culture in favor of "white" ways...This is a problem many have...we lack credibility...I didn't grow up on the Rez...I didn't have the gun in my face...I can't make those judgments...I can make certain "objective" judgements...but there is a line I must honor, and it is sometimes unclear...Dr. Cosby grew up black...in the inner city...he was there and experienced much of the same...that is credibility...even if I had grown up in his neighborhood, I still enjoyed certain priviledges as a white male...even if I was unaware...that is what I mean by credibility...

In this quote you seem to acknowledge that you harbor negativity towards native Hawaiians, and recognize it as wrong...am I misinterpreting this? You seem to know it is wrong...and thats a start, I suppose...but I am just calling it as it is...you don't like native Hawaiians...fine...but don't disguise it as you trying to help them up... If I am wrong correct me, but this statement along with your "Hawaiians are lazy" statement seem to say enough to me...

Those were clearly questions...I mean if your going to make generalizations...I though you might have some other wisdom to share... Yea, even as a child I knew it was wrong to make generalizations...its called biggotry...check out Dr. Cosby's short film from the 70s called "The Biggot" ...he discusses how its wrong to make generalizations about a whole race of people...

Oh yea, and in case you didn't notice...he's black...and that gives him a certain credibility that outsiders lack...

Yes..but he doesn't say...black people are bad parents...its subtle, but it is different...now if you had said.."native Hawaiians need to stop taking handouts and be more self-sufficient, get off the meth and take responsiblity for their lives and their neighborhoods"...I would applaud...but you said..."Hawaiians are lazy"....very different...he attacks the behaviour...you attacked the people...

And please clarify any words I have put in your mouth...I believe we can see in the thread where you clearly stated..."Hawaiians are lazy"...

I didn't imply that you said black people are lazy...(what other words have I put in your mouth?!) I used lazy in Bill Cosby's example, but any generalization will do...Dr. Cosby has never made wide generalizations...he has condemned individuals within the community that are destroying the black community..ie hip hop artists that use the "n-word" and lyrics that are degrading to women...he never has said blacks as a whole are... (fill in the blank). I lived in Texas...the barrios were filthy...the "black part of town" was filthy...by your logic it is because "those people" are filthy...I don't have to have lived in Hawaii to see your grossly misguided logic! Two landlords told me point blank that they didn't like renting to blacks because they are "dirty"...your logic justifies that attitude...I know those men were biggots, and since you share the same logic, I guess I can assume you are a biggot... So...ONLY native Hawaiians throw soda cans and wrappers on the ground?! Wow...that explains why the mainland USA is so clean and unpolluted! Or are all those wrappers and cans shipped over by native Hawaiians? Oh yea...its the Mexicans and blacks that pollute here...your ideological buddies told me that...

Bill Cosby has never said Black people are lazy...he has said that there are those within the community that are doing a great dis-service to the others...there is a difference...minor...but it makes all the difference! I have lived in Texas...and I have heard your exact arguments used against Mexicans...(lazy, want legalized cock fights, drugs, etc...and now in Wyoming I hear it used against the Arapaho and Shoshone. NOw you know when you hear that about Mexicans, "indians" or anyone else that it is BS...but you seem to fail to make that judgement when it hits close to you...do you see my point? You claim that Native Hawaiians are the biggest polluters...which is simply untrue...the reports I have seen (which have nothing to do with sovreignty-just environmental reports) show that industry is the biggest polluter...and many site the military bases... My dad, a biggot, also tries to tell me the same about Mexicans and blacks in Atlanta...he says, "You don't understand because you don't live here"....but I do understand...