The Fourth Perspective

A failing imperialist state would switch to survival mode, not necessarily to restore its waning dominance, but to preserve whatever is left. Filipinos has a term for this, its called "Juramentados", aka "runs amuck". In order for a failing imperial empire to maintain its decreasing leverage to impose its will against other entities, e.g. juridical, sovereigns, heads of state, or individuals, it will resort to sanctions, coercion, threats and all sorts of diplomatic pressure. If all or any of the aforegoing fail, it will switch to state sponsored assasination, kidnapping, regime replacement and invasion. It will aim for a reset through war and destruction. The acts are borne by desperation to maintain dominance and supremacy. The motive of imperialism is almost always the extraction of resources from other states towards self enrichment, or to use a subservient state and its people to further its selfish and abominable agenda without endangering its own. But the lat...

The recent incident at Ayungin shoal where a handful of Navy personnel are stationed is an ejemplo of how the Chinese test their opponents determination. The BRP Sierra Madre, notwithstanding its current condition, is an active commissioned ship of the Philippine navy. This means that an armed attack on that ship is an attack on the Philippines. Such as that, the attack would amount to an act of war. The ship symbolizes right and sovereignity that is duty bound to be depended and protected by the armed forces. The Chinese acted to challenge that symbol by employing gray tactics, offensive actions that are short of an armed attack. They provoked the Filipinos by approching beyond the security perimeter and the rest is on record. The Filipinos in small rubber boats called the bluff by actively resisting the Chinese enchroacment. The little skirmish sent a message to the Chinese, that is, the Filipinos are no longer taking a passive stance. The Filipino personnel passed the Chinese test o...