Martin, Mahatma and Lili: Hawaii’s nonviolent link
Fascinating that American Heritage should run a piece on regime change in Hawaii to coincide with MLK day.
Some rate Hawaii’s Queen Lili`uokalani right up there with Martin and Mahatma.
Either way, the strategy of regime change which began in Hawaii some 114 years ago, continues now.
Lili chose a nonviolent solution, though the rest is not that salubrious a comparison.
And, since the overthrow in Hawaii, the United States has directly participated in coups or toppled 14 governments.
In Overthrow: America’s Century of Regime Change from Hawaii to Iraq, the journalist and historian Stephen Kinzer writes:
“America’s long ‘regime change century dawned in 1893 with the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy . . . a tentative, awkward piece of work.â€
Yup!
And one wonders where Hawaii would be today if it had remained in Hawaiian hands.
Part of the clue for me is that haole (Caucasians) out here are now returning to the ahupua`a concept (the traditionally defined ecosystems) as the core of sustainability strategy.
Looks like the West is saying the Hawaiians had it right the first time…
Leave a Comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.