I wrote this May the 29th. Perhaps now is a time for some humor, as relief from current events.

(CNN)  Duterte will ‘go to war’ over South China Sea resources, minister says. Quoting,

“(Beijing) said some red lines, we said some red lines … The President has already said that. If anyone gets the natural resources in the Western Philippines Sea, South China Sea, he will go to war. He said, “Whatever happens, happens.” He will go to war,” Cayetano said.

Minister Cayetano, your official position  requires you to speak in the ponderous, sleep inducing cadences of the professional diplomat. This is important, so that the listener  sleeps through  obfuscation. You have broken the code. You’ve put your foot in it. In fact, you woke me up.

If you go to war with China, you are short of the means to wage it. China is a big target, but you are short of slingshots and catapults.  The Philippines has been short of catapults ever since the U.S. was ejected from Subic Bay in 1992.  And large ballista take years to procure. You can’t just say, “War with China, let’s order bullets.”

But an island, which is like a castle, can be defended with novel tactics. The French excelled at it. The China Sea is the moat of your castle. All it takes is imagination, which you have in spades.

If you dare to war with the insignificant nation of China over the holy grail of oil, this is a critical time for the Philippines.   It is vitally important that you watch this video (click), outlining the “French Tactic” of castle defense, with ammunition made in copious quantities by human activity.

It worked for them. Why not you?