IT'S hard not to feel good or even great about our burgeoning alliances with the United States, Japan, Australia and other Western nations. Not only are they adding their forces and firepower to our efforts asserting and securing our maritime sovereign rights, but they also offer economic aid, business investment and cooperation, learning, health, and social development assistance. What's not to like?

Well, there are no free lunches. Those goodies come at a hefty price — letting America and probably other allies use bases of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) for possible war with China, which could get those facilities and nearby areas bombed or even nuked. Plus, losing Chinese financing, commerce and aid, just as nearly accepting Russian atomic missiles in 1962 prompted a total US trade embargo on Cuba till now.