Tip of the Spear - Pacific Ocean

June 2008
This year US General Bice announced that Guam will be the site of 'the largest military build-up in the history of the US'. Locals say that the communities indigenous to this small Pacific island will not survive.

Guam is a political anomaly: A US territory where citizens do not have US voting-rights and where island politics are controlled by Washington. The indigenous population, the Chamarro, live in poverty and preserving their traditional way of life is a struggle. 'We are certainly on the endangered species list', says Chamorro leader Debbie Quintana. Now the US plans to make Guam the lynchpin of its military strategy in the western Pacific, and the mood in Guam is of anger and disbelief. 'We are a strategic location, a possession, a bounty of war', Quinata says. 'And if we don't like it, tough'.

Produced by SBS/Dateline
Distributed by Journeyman Pictures

Category:

News & Politics

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• troops
• Pacific
• Guam
• military
• intrusion
• invasion
• hardware
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[goodmood102]

SO...... we took 1/3 of their island and force them to comply with our unjust occupation.......Americans are sick! Americans treat non-Americans like total shit!

[newmanfrigan]

From a real American: FUCK YOU CHENEY!

[jungleman68]

lol, journeyman can bitch all it wants

[th4Guy77]

In my opinion, there is a reason for a military build up there. I believe that it IS for the greater good. If nuclear missiles, Invations of allied nations by foreign enemies, or endangered shipping went around that ara, it would be vital if a base was there. That's just my opinion though

[paulinotou]

take it from a local. the USA liberated us from the Japanese. its a good relationship. hell the politicians are planning for economic improvements that the build up is expected to bring.

[DeltaEagle7700]

12:40. IS THAT REALLY SO?! You act just like the North Korean government! "The military comes first and not the people." Hows you?! Your doing the same thing as what you have done and is still doing to the Islands of Hawaii! All of my homeland have U.S. military bases on every island! You've destroyed our culture and our indenity! bomed and guned our lands! And you dare to do the same thing to Guam?!!!

I guess it is true. YOU ARE A CORPORATION! You don't care for the people! ONLY YOURSELF!!!

[RAYZE1ER]

Washington does not care about the people of Guam, they look at as a buisness point of view (Contribute the least and expect the most). Where does the U.S. get the right to say what goes on in Guam without the indigenous people's say. They claim Guam is U.S. territory but it seems they can care less about the well being of the local's. Let's say Guam is a really nice car that the local's own. The U.S. are the friend's that want to hang out with you only because of your car.

[halfcas]

Washington is listening to what locals?

cause it ain't the Guam or CNMI locals

[VPSantiago]

@momonguam - I think you can be justified that you don't want the military at all, but I don't buy the arguments being made comparing how much better things are for the military vs the locals. Local governments everywhere are underfunded compared to federal government. when a military base is built up anywhere do they automatically share with the local community? So Guam doesn't seem to be a special case that's all. This all sounds very NIMBY

[VPSantiago]

First, if the teachers get hired by schools on the base, then their vacancies left in local schools are by definition new jobs someone else can do. Also, what about the construction jobs they mentioned, 4,000 of which "could be provided by Guam"?

Second, the video isn't making the point you are, maybe that is the reason people in the clip are upset, but they give other justifications for their opposition, for example around 7:00 - 11:00.

[VPSantiago]

I don't see why comparing the facilities of a military base with those of a local government is akin to racial discrimination or a civil rights issue, it is just an appeal to emotion. Local governments everywhere struggle with paying for education and don't have the latest technology. Whether the military has a base there or not won't change that aspect of the situation other than maybe the teacher issue. For a place with high unemployment aren't there people that could use the new jobs?

[519Chawk420]

The U.S.A is a HORRIBLE COUNTRY

From Canada.