Aquino's ignorance of history rather pathetic

Even if we pardon Philippine President Benigno Aquino III for being "an amateur student of history", we cannot ignore his ignorance. What kind of national leader would liken defensive-by-nature China to Nazi Germany?

Delivering a speech in Japan a few days ago, the Philippine president said the world was taking a great risk by continuing to appease China in the territorial disputes in the South China Sea, and compared the situation to Adolf Hitler annexing Sudentenland in former Czechoslovakia before World War II. He had made similar remarks last year while telling The New York Times that his country alone could not stand up to China.

In painting this "David versus Goliath" picture, Aquino III could well be afraid and uncertain, which is understandable. However, he can rest assured that China will not target a country just because it is small.