‘Occupied by the US’: wildfires renew Native Hawaiian call for sovereignty
theguardian.com
theguardian.com
Don't know how it could be untangled now. Like Scotland, not sure modern natives would care about century-old political screwing around.
Frankly, from a realpolitik standpoint, I would be supremely annoyed at the government if it were to allow secession. It's really too valuable of a landmass to let go. Doing so would drastically alter the pacific theater as china continues a military buildup, threatens Taiwan, and manufactures islands in the south china sea.
https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-blinken-counte...
[1] https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases...
How many personnel are dedicated to Ukraine efforts, I wonder?
Honestly not denigrating any efforts anyone is undertaking. Its a natural comparison to make, tho. There could have been troops there cleaning up within hours. There could have been troops there fighting fires when populations were threatened.
The Navy in particular has some assets not far from there.
[1] https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2023/08/09/coast-gu...
I understand the impulse to make these comparisons, but it's apple to oranges. 1000 CIA analysts and artilary shells won't help Hawaii. I'm sure more could have been done, but pretending it's nothing also won't help anybody.
People have every right to be upset with their governments in this, at all levels. The "highway of death" photos demand answers from local government officials, just to name one example.
Anyhoo, Lahaina people and East Palestine people have received the short shrift from the gov.
Some sort of suzerain power arrangement with the US, where the US retains control over foreign policy and responsibility for military defense but the Hawaiian islands are otherwise independent, would make far more sense.
Still, that would also come with serious costs, and US statehood already gives them substantial independence and far more power to direct resources to the islands. I think Hawaiians already have the best deal possible--not perfect, but better than all the alternatives.
In short: you guys had the only good harbor for thousands of miles in any direction, directly on the Asian-North American route. Yes, your islands were flat-out stolen and then systematically raped for resources while your culture was turned into tchotchkes. But you weren't going to be left alone no matter what, so it becomes a matter of who you would rather be ruled by.
Nobody on the mainland can prevent them from reforming their system of taxation which makes it nearly free to be an absentee landowner while putting almost the entire burden on people living and working on the islands. Will they? Don't hold your breath.
Nobody on the mainland reforms our equivalently landlord-favoring tax systems!
Also "literally". You and yours ruined an otherwise useful word. Probably forever. Thanks.