Comments by "Doncarlo" (@doujinflip) on "The US is building 9 military bases in the Philippines, just across China. How will it use them?" video.

  1. That's part of the popularity of US forces abroad. Between fairly rare events of crime, American servicemembers provide a constant source of commercial profit and public engagement. If they're not allowed to come out of the wire on their free time, it would make US bases look more like an occupier than a neighbor in a walled community.
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  2. Or not even blockade, just deny insurance for ships going through the East and South China Seas. Civilian traffic to Mainland China would quickly drop, along with nearly all the agriculture and liquid fuel they need.
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  3. That would put US troops uncomfortably close to Mainland China, and the Vietnamese can hold their own. Wouldn't be surprised if they have secret listening posts though; the US and PRC set up a few during the Sino-Soviet Split.
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  4. Filipino visa overstays are way too high and the pull to return home too low for visa waivers. There's a reason only developed countries get visa-free entry to the US, even though these include notorious overstayers like Canadians and South Koreans.
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  5. Taking Taiwan allows Chinese submarines to slip into the deeper Pacific Ocean with much less chance of detection. The PLA Navy does have a few nuke-carrying boomer subs.
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