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Agreed. The Hawaiian islands occupy an incredibly strategic position. If Hawaii did somehow secede, they would be utterly unable to defend their sovereignty ove
by kyboren 3y ago
Agreed. The Hawaiian islands occupy an incredibly strategic position. If Hawaii did somehow secede, they would be utterly unable to defend their sovereignty over the long term.
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.
- gremlinsinc 3y agoLike an Indian reservation? That's what I think would be the best compromise.
- devilbunny 3y agoI had some similar conversations with a few Hawaiian natives while there. 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.