ASEAN leaders caught in Thucydides trap ahead of a great moment in its history

[unhappycamper]

http://atimes.com/2015/06/asean-leaders-caught-in-thucydides-trap-ahead-of-a-great-moment-in-its-history/

ASEAN leaders caught in Thucydides trap ahead of a great moment in its history
By AT Editor on June 25, 2015

ASEAN’s leaders are worried about what history tells them about the future of Southeast Asia. The fears about the lessons of history are a discordant note as ASEAN steps up to a great moment in its history—the creation of an economic, political-security and social Community in December 2015.

Perhaps this moment of historic creation is partly driven by dark understandings of history. As ASEAN embraces a date with regional destiny, its leaders are invoking some tough history as reference points, The National Interest reports.

The President of the Philippines, Benigno Aquino, stirs headlines by comparing China with Hitler’s Germany. In this metaphor, the Philippines has the role of Czechoslovakia. Aquino ran this line last year to The New York Times and during his recent visit to Japan.

The point about Aquino’s history is not just the Germany–China analogy, but the casting of the US in the Britain/France role—the great powers that stood mute while the small state (the Philippines as Czechoslovakia) got monstered.