Musings: Political Ploys

It's the Democrat's caucus day in Hawaii, which no doubt explains the new Youtube ad that has Rep. Tulsi Gabbard supporting Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Not so easily explained is the message of the ad itself. As Tulsi duck dives with her surfboard, she intones:

Being a warrior is about believing in what you are fighting for and holding strong to those convictions.

Then she gets all teary-eyed, quavery-voiced as she says she “couldn't in good conscience stay back in beautiful Hawaii and watch my brothers and sisters in uniform go off to combat” before telling us:

Bernie Sanders voted against the Iraq war. He understands the cost of war. Bernie Sanders will defend our country and take the trillions of dollars that are spent on these interventionist, regime-change unnecessary wars...”

So is Tulsi admitting that the Iraq war was a colossal waste of lives and money? And that she participated only to support National Guard colleagues? Then how, exactly, does that fit the description of a warrior “believing in what you are fighting for?”

It's all so confusing. Like Dylan Hooser's letter to the editor, in which writes:

Sen. Sanders has spoken out time and time again about reigning in the corporations ruining our great nation and the planet, in pursuit of profit. His average contribution is $27, from millions of individual, working-class people — not from Wall Street or the 1 percent billionaire-class ruling America.

Yes, down with the evil corporations and the greedy rich. Well, except for those corporations and 1 percent billionaire-class ruling Americans supporting the anti-GMO fight. They and their profits are perfectly OK. In fact, best keep the kala coming, because these supposed “grassroots” groups would collapse without it.

Dylan wraps up with:

Bernie Sanders is a refreshing breath of truth and honesty in the crooked world of politics and needs our help this Saturday.

"Truth and honesty in the crooked world of politics,” eh. Must be tough him to look Daddy Gary Hooser in the eye.

Speaking of which, Gary and Hawaii SEED are already trying to co-opt the April 4 public meeting of the Joint Fact Finding Group, with The Garden Island informing us they will be at the forum, and giving them more ink than facilitator Peter Adler. 

Gary comes out with both barrels blazing, blasting the “agrochemical industry on Kauai and their partners at the State Department of Agriculture.” Mmm, if you believe they're in cahoots, why would you believe DOA would effectively implement the proposed regulations and studies?  Then Hawaii SEED's Jeri Di Pietro chimes in with "'the biotech industry was a part of this balanced committee' and Hawaii SEED expects the fact-finding group to stand up for their recommendations."

First, this was not a “balanced committee.” As I've pointed out previously, a majority of its members were supporters of of the anti-GMO/pesticide regulatory Bill 2491/Ordinance 960, which spawned the JFFG. And as I'll document in an upcoming post, anti-GMO activists had a very strong influence on the JFFG's recommendations.

Second, is anyone else tired of hearing what Hawaii SEED demands and expects? Just recently they were screaming for Gov. Ige to immediately adopt all the recommendations. Yeah, screw everyone who might want to submit comments on the report. They want it NOW, so do it.

Bernie is playing heavily to the anti-GMO and Native Hawaiian vote, combining them into one handy-dandy platform plank:

As a Senator from a small rural state, Bernie has been a strong supporter of small family farms. Hawai’i, which imports more than 80% of its food, can move away from this dependence, and take advantage of its year-round growing season. As president, Bernie will fight to support sustainable and culturally appropriate agricultural programs for Native Hawaiians.  He also recognizes the right of people to know what is in their food, and he has been a leader in the movement to label GMOs.  Bernie believes we must stand up to the demands of Monsanto and other multi-national corporations and support local small-scale agriculture.

What demands are those, exactly? And what are these “sustainable and culturally appropriate agricultural programs for Native Hawaiians?” Subsidies for taro, sweet potato, ulu and pig production? Does that mean only kanaka will get farming assistance under a Sanders regime? And apparently no one told him there is choke farm land available in Hawaii, despite the corporate presence. What we need are skilled and willing farmers.

It's not that I'm against Bernie. I agree with many of his positions. But I'm skeptical of the hype, and even more of his ability to deliver if he is elected. Unless he's got a Congress of Bernie clones, all of his proposals are guaranteed to meet fierce resistance and death.

That's why I kind of cringed when Councilman Mason Chock described Bernie as “our last, best hope.” Last? Best? Shoots. Might as well get out the razor blades right now.

Or course, supporting Bernie primarily gave Mason a chance to plug himself. Just like Tulsi. Because that's politics. Still, it's hard not to raise an eyebrow when Mason, who was brought onto the Council under duplicitous means, asks, “have we had enough of … mistrust in our government processes?”

Yeah, Mason, we have. But somehow, you just don't think that means you.