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Chinese bellicosity has engendered the predictable reaction: everyone else in Asia is drawing close to the U.S.
SUBIC BAY, Philippines — The newest bar to grace this former U.S. military base is painted with American flags and shaded by a scaled-down Statue of Liberty.
Nearly 25 years ago, Philippine politicians fought to expel U.S. forces stationed here, vowing to “unchain” the country from its former colonial master, promising a future free of girly bars and foreign domination. Now, with Chinese ships cruising just off the coast, the Americans are back, chowing down on chicken tenders and drinking Budweisers served by the Liberty Sports Bar and Grill’s waitresses clad in red, white and blue.
Liberty’s owner, Mark Lindsay, 48, set up shop on the dock five months ago, betting that closer military ties between the United States and the Philippines would revive this once-wild port. Since then, he’s seen a steady rise in ships and sailors, with pit stops by U.S. war and supply vessels, an Ohio-class guided-missile submarine and, most recently, a Japanese aircraft carrier on a four-day “goodwill visit.”
“The more military the better, the more ships the better,” he said. . . .
- After 25 years, U.S. warships return to Philippine port By Emily Rauhala
SUBIC BAY, Philippines — The newest bar to grace this former U.S. military base is painted with American flags and shaded by a scaled-down Statue of Liberty.
Nearly 25 years ago, Philippine politicians fought to expel U.S. forces stationed here, vowing to “unchain” the country from its former colonial master, promising a future free of girly bars and foreign domination. Now, with Chinese ships cruising just off the coast, the Americans are back, chowing down on chicken tenders and drinking Budweisers served by the Liberty Sports Bar and Grill’s waitresses clad in red, white and blue.
Liberty’s owner, Mark Lindsay, 48, set up shop on the dock five months ago, betting that closer military ties between the United States and the Philippines would revive this once-wild port. Since then, he’s seen a steady rise in ships and sailors, with pit stops by U.S. war and supply vessels, an Ohio-class guided-missile submarine and, most recently, a Japanese aircraft carrier on a four-day “goodwill visit.”
“The more military the better, the more ships the better,” he said. . . .
