Friday, August 21, 2009

Musings: Fat of the Land

The kolea are back. I’ve seen one on each of the past three days, looking lean after their long flight from Alaska, but frisky as they stake out their personal patches of grass. It was just a few months ago that they departed for their summer breeding grounds, and their return, like the shortening days and changing light, marks the shift into fall.

The book ‘Olelo No'eau, a collection of Hawaiian proverbs and poetical sayings, includes a number of references to kolea, and most are a variation on this theme:

’Ai no ke kolea a momona ho'i i Kahiki.

The plover eats until fat, then returns to the land from which it came. Said of a foreigner who comes to Hawaii, makes money and departs to his homeland to enjoy his wealth.


It’s the same sentiment that drives a lot of the opposition to luxury vacation rentals, real estate speculators, transient entrepreneurs and statehood, with today’s 50th anniversary prompting a march and rally in Honolulu. The 50th star was cut from the flag and burned in a graphic symbol of an ongoing quest for independence that has not diminished in the 116 years since the Hawaiian nation was illegally overthrown.

According to a press release issued by the Hawaiian Independence Action Alliance, a consortium of groups that staged the rally:

We believe a nation never dies unless its national consciousness dies. The years of colonization has not killed the Hawaiian nation as long as we retain the life of the nation in our hearts and souls.

We believe there is nothing to celebrate. The theft of Hawaii's independence in 1893 (called "Regime Change" today) and subsequent transition into a "Provisional Government", "Republic of Hawaii", Cessation to the U.S., "Territory of Hawaii", and "State of Hawaii" are merely rhetorical terms for an occupation and colonization of our sovereign independent nation-state. The passage of a long time since the initial theft does not diminish the seriousness of the theft. Instead, it makes the theft even more serious.

The U.S. should begin a course of self-examination and afford the Hawaiian nationals, victims of this theft, a process of self-determination. In that process, we support independence. We do not succumb to the U.S. practice of taking over weaker countries and forcing us as their territories.


It seems that process of self-examination could begin with a closer look at the plebiscite vote that made Hawaii a part of the United States. Statehood Hawaii’s 21-day countdown ended today with a posting of Proclamation 3309, the official document declaring Hawaii a state. Project director Arnie Saiki goes on to note:

I just wanted to quickly point out that of the three propositions on the ballot, only one of them was pertinent to the three options required by the United Nation towards the removal of a territory from the UN list of Non-Self-Governing Territories, as required. “Shall Hawaii be immediately admitted into the Union as a State?” is the only question asked the people in regard to their choice for self-determination.
If anyone has wondered why those other two question, were put on the ballot, they were put there as a technicality, to submit to the international body, that the plebiscite offered three questions.

The plebiscite should have read, Should Hawaii remain a territory, be a state, or be independent?
Those were the three questions required; just Puerto Rico received them in 1953.


That big glitch in the process helps to explain why many consider the plebiscite a fraud that cemented America’s earlier theft of the Islands through the 1893 illegal overthrow and subsequent annexation.

As Saiki further notes:

…the question that begs examination is: why did Dag Hammarskjold, the United Nations Secretary-General in 1959, accept Resolution 1469 (December 1959), the “Cessation of the transmission of information under Article 73 e of the Charter in respect of Alaska and Hawaii?”

An example of a vote held within the guidelines of the United Nations was the U.S. colony, Puerto Rico. Out of a total of 873,085 eligible voters, 640,714 went to the polls in 1953, and the votes were cast and split among options for commonwealth/statehood/independence. More that 3/4 of the eligible population voted, which was in accordance with the Sacred Trust that was mandated with Chapter XI of the Charter. Almost without controversy, Puerto Rico voted for commonwealth (the Puerto Rican controversy lay with the voting on its Constitution). Again, Hawaii had only 1/3 of the eligible voting population voting and that is a sound basis for contestation.


In The Advertiser’s coverage of today’s march, organizer Lynette Cruz is quoted as saying:

"We're trying not to engage in hate speech. That's not it. This is not driven by hate."

What they are trying to do is establish a discussion, a dialogue, she said.

"We have not had the discussion about what is the future — what is the next step."

Another aspect is to get people to understand the facts of the history of the overthrow, Cruz said.

Hawai'i's statehood is predicated on an illegal action, she said.

"It's illegal, it's immoral, and it's not real," she said.


Some may call it tilting at windmills, but it seems America, which prides itself on following the rule of law and demands — often at the point of a gun — that other nations do the same, should be willing to more closely examine the illegal actions that have allowed it to fatten itself on land still owned by others.

As Prof. Francis Boyle observed:

France once annexed Algeria and determined it was a department of France--just like Paris. No one believed them then. And Algeria is a free and independent state today. The same will happen to Hawaii.

Unfortunately, so long as the big mainstream newspapers continue to print articles like the smug, skewed piece on statehood penned by Paul Theroux for The New York Times, it's not likely America's masses will hear the truth any time soon.

27 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hubris knows no shame. May Eris and Gaia show more compassion than the US showed Hawaii. Everything has a limit even Aloha.

Anonymous said...

Whine, whine, whine...

The Algerian situation has nothing to do with Hawaii. What is the percentage of current Hawaii population that are part of the "disaffected masses"? I would venture that is is a very small percent. Nothing like Algeria.

More "native Hawaiians" feel comfortable and thankful that they are part of the USA than those who don't. There will never be a groundswell of majority opinion otherwise.

Dream on, though. It's a free country you live in, after all, and a pretty good welfare system to most of those "disaffected masses".

Anonymous said...

Do you really think that if the American masses knew the truth, that it would make any difference?

Do you really??

If so, that's a delusion even greater than a hope for an independent Hawaii.

If your hope rests on a huge wake-up call of the American masses, you are truly lost.

Anonymous said...

i must admit - flag burning irks me


as to "[w]e believe there is nothing to celebrate"...that is ridiculous


and "[t]he passage of a long time since the initial theft does not diminish the seriousness of the theft" may sound like wise stoic words, but i suspect they also reflect a tribal "revenge" mentality (think "middle east modus operandi")


"The U.S. should begin a course of self-examination and afford the Hawaiian nationals, victims of this theft, a process of self-determination. In that process, we support independence. We do not succumb to the U.S. practice of taking over weaker countries and forcing us as their territories."

-- "self-examination"...good idea
-- "self-determination," a goal possible in the US, unlike monarchies
-- "U.S. practice of taking over weaker countries and forcing us as their territories"...must be nice to live in a historical fantasy land


the "Hawaii had only 1/3 of the eligible voting population voting" thing is really interesting; worthy of expanded review


the NYT thing was pretty good. i liked the "Public intellectuals do not exist" and "Hawaii is noted for its multitude of contentious God-botherers" items myself


dwps

Anonymous said...

there you go; haters who can't imagine folks wanting justice served. it's amazing how some will never see yet envision the same. nothing remains the same. empires crumble; the status quo ain't so static. no whining; just reporting the facts, mam.
mahalo joan for another spot on post

Kolea said...

I thought the tactic of cutting out the 50th star and burning it was a brilliant choice! Very focused, very specific.

"We aren't burning your flag, Mr. America. We're just taking off the star you use to illustrate your domination over our land and burning that. You can keep the rest of your flag!"

Brilliant!

Katy said...

"If your hope rests on a huge wake-up call of the American masses, you are truly lost."

I think the same could have been said about a number of other "lost causes" in history, such as the abolition movement, the movement for the 8-hour day, the civil rights movement and the women's movement, all of which developed into movements because their goals were so roundly rejected by either the powerful, the majority, or both.

Anonymous said...

All those movements involved mainland folks. This does not.

Therefore, any comparison indicating the "hope" of this movement is futile.

Anonymous said...

There are still some loons railing against the "war of northern aggression".

The south will not rise again. Most everybody's OK with that.

Hawaii is a state and will never, ever be allowed to be anything else.

Most everybody's OK with that, too.

Anonymous said...

Everyone admits the "kingdom" was a multi-racial Society. So the idea that "justice" requires giving Hawaii back to native Hawaiians is just a pile of latter day politically correct pap. If these concerned white folks writing and commenting on this blog were at all serious and not just reacting in obedience to their habitual mindless pavlovian knee jerk reaction gene, they'd honestly addrress the complicating nature of that fact. But anything too big to fit on a button, t-shirt, bumper sticker or protest sign is too complicated for these mental pygmies.

Anonymous said...

"Everyone admits the "kingdom" was a multi-racial Society."

It can continue to be a multi-racial society, only run by Hawaiians instead of Americans. Or is that too complicated for you to comprehend?

"I thought the tactic of cutting out the 50th star and burning it was a brilliant choice! Very focused, very specific. "

Yes! That could be the new symbol of the independence movement.

" "U.S. practice of taking over weaker countries and forcing us as their territories"...must be nice to live in a historical fantasy land"

That's not a fantasy land. That's the reality of the "US mainland."

Anonymous said...

So how does Prince Kuhio seeking statehood in 1919 fit into all of this.
Perhaps we should disown the prince.
Obiviously an enlightened monarch.

Anonymous said...

"Hawaii is a state and will never, ever be allowed to be anything else."

-- "allowed" has must less to do with it than the fact most HI residents like being a US state


"That's not a fantasy land. That's the reality of the "US mainland."

-- feel free to offer your examples, and i will offer about double the number to the contrary


dwps

Anonymous said...

'feel free to offer your examples,"

each & every bit of American territory.

Anonymous said...

"Everyone admits the "kingdom" was a multi-racial Society."

It can continue to be a multi-racial society, only run by Hawaiians instead of Americans. Or is that too complicated for you to comprehend?

=======

If, by "Hawaiians" you mean that any resident of the Nation of Hawaii, regardless of ethnic background can run for office and participate in (or over time, take the majority lead in) running Hawaii, than I would agree.

If, however, you mean that only "native Hawaiians" could run the country, then I strongly disagree.

Hypothetical, of course, since neither outcome is possible in reality.

Anonymous said...

OK, OK...we'll do this in order: Hawaii can get it's independents only after all other indigenous north American people gain theirs.

Wait quietly in line now...

"Now serving number...."

"Calling Hawaii...your reservations are waiting..."

Anonymous said...

These tropical loons want to make Hawaii a nation even if the vast majority of "native Hawaiians" don't.

These coconuts would drag everyone else out of the USA merely on a principle.

Crazy.

And not possible.

Anonymous said...

If all those proudly proclaiming that they are not part of the USA would only walk the walk...refuse to take any social services offered to Americans. Pay per use for cops, fire, library (those readers among you), etc. Take no American subsidity in any part of your lives. Refuse to pay tax (ah, if only all the loons would only do that, the problem would be solved in no time).

Only then would I start to begin to entertain that you were serious.

Oh, no VA benefits, social security, medicare/medicaid/quest, too.

You want to be separate? Show me that you live absolutely separate.
None of this "dual citizenship" crap.

Anonymous said...

"Unfortunately, so long as the big mainstream newspapers continue to print articles like the smug, skewed piece on statehood penned by Paul Theroux for The New York Times, it's not likely America's masses will hear the truth any time soon."

Like somebody said in a blog comment a while back, what if a media miracle happened and each and every American came to know "the truth".

Would it make a difference? Or would the overwhelming opinion of 90% plus people be: "I didn't know that, too bad, but it was over 100 years ago. Time to move on." Many may say: "I know a number of Hawaiians and none of them want to give up being American."

Would total knowledge make a difference? No. A collective raising of eyebrows, followed by shrugs, followed by "I'm not going to give up anything I own in Hawaii or allow my government to let Hawaii go".

So, now what? America doesn't care. Does the UN? Not really, and are powerless anyway to do anything about it.

Fight on if you will, be true to thine own self, but realize that it doesn't mean anything.

Anonymous said...

" and a pretty good welfare system to most of those "disaffected masses"."

August 21, 2009 7:06 PM

Surely you are referring to the masses of political bums and leaches such as Lingle et al when you use the term ʻwelfareʻ.???

Because if you are thinking about the $300-400/food stamps that are given to needy families - you are sadly misinformed about what ʻwelfareʻ is: the needy & qualifying families and individuals that receive support have already contributed well over the pittance they receive in the form of a monthly check. One example is the $10,000 the state receives per head of every resident in Hawaii, including yours...even though itʻs empty.

Anonymous said...

August 22, 2009 8:55 AM

Ahh so sad to see such a scrunched, squeezed little brain attempt to communicate.
What itʻs all about is citizenship not race. Citizens of the Hawaiian nation, not citizens of a foreign nation, in this case being the U.S. The U.S is a foreign nation to Hawaii.
I know thatʻs a biggy for you to digest, so Iʻll try to contribute more on that thought later if I can find the time.

Anonymous said...

August 22, 2009 1:26 PM

ʻNative Hawaiianʻ is an American term used to describe Kanaka Maoli and people born in Hawaii.
Or...a U.S. citizen, regardless of ethnicity.

Anonymous said...

August 22, 2009 1:37 PM

First of all, nobody needs to show you squat but I will respond to a little of your pathetic comment.

VA benefits, social security, etc. are entitlements received by way of CONTRACTS not necessarily citizenship. The Reinstated Hawaiian Government has not received one penny from federal, state, county, grants or any of those entities. So what about them. They are doing just what you proclaim to be the deciding factor.

With respect to everything else you believe Hawaiians should not accept in order to prove themselves...something else has to happen first: all these lands and the revenues from these lands must be restored and returned in full, pre- illegal overthrow; then it becomes a level playing field.

Anonymous said...

"The U.S is a foreign nation to Hawaii" in your mind, and a few others


and entitlements are not contracts, by the way. and citizenship, along with other criteria, are the determinative factors in being allotted entitlement benefits (with such benefits to non citizens being fairly uncommon, regardless of what some on the political right claim)

that other commenter might have just been noting that the individual members of different sovereignty groups have received such benefits. which is true, but saying past assistance receipt bars legitimate complaints against the assistance giver on other matters...does not seem fair, to me at least


the "all these lands and the revenues from these lands must be restored and returned in full, pre- illegal overthrow; then it becomes a level playing field" comment raises that interesting question: what would be the dollar amount be of all that back rent, plus interest over ~ 50-100 yrs, minus the federal monies (entitlements, infrastructure, grants, etc) to HI over the same period? to be more precise - we'd limit it to the benefits / monies just received by the ethnic hawaiians ...measuring it that way might tip the scales...which would be tipped back maybe if just crown or w/e lands are counted. would make a killer economics phd dissertation


dwps

Anonymous said...

dwps-donʻt you have anything to do with your time?

Anonymous said...

i pretty much am able to do what i want. thanks for askin


dwps

Anonymous said...

Mahalo Joan for writing this thoughtful piece today...as I fly to O'ahu to participate in the rally in opposition to statehood.

I am a strong believer in justice and Kanaka Maoli have yet to achieve it from the U.S. Born in 1955,in Territorial times, I grew up when Hawaii was experiencing rapid growth, over development, and the removal of kanaka maoli from the land. Statehood has not benefitted the majority of kanaka maoli.

The ugliness of some anonymous posters only fuels the motivation to fight for justice even harder and with greater conviction.

Never say never.

Aloha ia oe e Joan