AND IN THE REAL WORLD:  International tensions are growing, especially in the Pacific, as China builds a huge military force.  Will they use it?  That is the question of the decade.  From Fox:   

The United States intends to ramp up its military presence in the Philippines amid escalating tensions between China and the island of Taiwan, authorities for the U.S. and the Philippines announced Thursday.

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Thursday that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has agreed to allow American military troops to be stationed at several bases on the Philippine islands to expand its presence in the region to ensure stability and to increase "interoperability" with regional allies.

Under the agreement, which was announced by the senior leaders at Camp Aguinaldo military headquarters in Manila, Philippines, U.S. forces will be granted access to four more Philippine military camps, giving them areas to provide troops, training and military resources as the countries look to deter an increasingly aggressive China. 

During a joint press conference, Marcos commented on the "complicated" situation in the Pacific and said his country was reliant on the strength of the U.S. and the partnership between the two countries to prevent tensions from escalating into a potential military conflict.

It is "something we can only navigate properly with the help our allies and partners," he said.

Austin echoed these remarks, calling the Philippines "a key and an important ally" and said the American global policy was to continue strengthening this relationship in every way possible.

"And so from the defense perspective, we will continue to work together with our great partners to build and modernize your capability as well as increase our interoperability. So we are very, very happy to be here once again, and I look forward to a great discussion," the defense secretary said.

The Philippines and the U.S. also said in a joint statement that "substantial" progress has been made in projects at five Philippine military camps, where U.S. military personnel were earlier granted access by Filipino officials under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, or EDCA.

COMMENT:  Ah, back in the Philippines, as in the old days.  All we need now are John Wayne and Paulette Goddard.

February 1, 2023