image credit: Pablo Wegesend
I give anyone permission to use this image, just make sure you credit me for the image
A few days ago, the day after the 2016 General Elections, I made this YouTube speech declaring that it's time for Hawaii to declare independence from the USA
Here's the video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGwunh5km4k
and the video itself
My message is this: If the other 49 states want Donald Trump, they can have him! Hawaii, it's time to go our way, do our own things, control our own tax revenues!
Now, many people in Hawaii are reluctant to become independent of the United States. Change is always hard, transitions are always hard!
There are many understandable objections from Hawaii residents to independence!
I'll just go over a few of them:
1) What about federal funds? : Federal money is taxpayer's money! We in Hawaii already pay taxes to the federal government, where a whole bunch of Senators and Representatives from other states argue over what to do with it!
Why do that, when we can just keep our tax revenue here!
Granted, independence would mean we in Hawaii would have to make fiscally responsible decisions, since the federal government isn't going to bail us out anymore!
2) But our economy would go down the drain, we're too small to be independent and prosperous!: Is Singapore too small to be prosperous? It is an independent city! It's not a part of Malaysia nor Indonesia! Singapore makes its own rules! They have a very stable economy in a not-so-stable region!
If Singapore can be independent and prosperous, why not us in Hawaii?
3) What about the military? : This might be a harder one for Hawaii's people to accept being independent! Many people feel we need the US to protect us! Also, if the US withdraw, they might take all the ships, planes and artillery with them.
A few days after I posted the video, it was Veteran's Day, so I posted this message!
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Even though I declared my support for an independent Hawaii a few days ago, I still respect those who either chose (or for the older generations - got drafted) to defend the USA! My independence stance was NEVER anything personal against the US troops or the USA in general! Still, I dream of Hawaii having its own military. Maybe some of you who've been in the US military can bring your expertise in developing Hawaii's military! Hey, a person still have a right to dream! |
After I posted that, somebody mentioned about Hawaii's National Guard! That's the state's line of defense!
So we do have some military infrastructure to work with!
Also, being that there are many Hawaii people in the US military, I'm sure there are many who are willing to contribute their expertise in developing Hawaii's military!
We could also import some expertise from the US
(maybe some disgruntled US veterans fed up with being under Donald Trump's command?
maybe some veterans who are ethnic minorities tired fighting for a government whose police act as if their lives don't matter?
maybe some US veterans who fell in love with the islands while stationed here?)
We might have to build some new ships and new fighter jets! That would be some work opportunities for Hawaii residents!
But the good news is that those ships and planes would be in defense of Hawaii, not interfering with other countries' business!
(PS: Japan isn't going to attack Pearl Harbor again anytime soon! We're not living in 1941 anymore!
Also, I doubt China, North Korea or Russia is going to conquer Hawaii soon! We can develop our own missile defense shield, and our own radar systems! )
4) sacred obligation to the United States: This one is somewhat related to the military, being that many Hawaii residents who joined the military, even put their lives on the line for the United States, would feel a sacred obligation to the United States.
That is totally understandable!
However, there is historical precedence!
Much of the soldiers and generals in the American Revolution were once in the British Army!
In fact, George Washington and many others like him put their lives on the line for the British Army to fight the French a decade before the American Revolution!
It must've been psychologically painful for them to decide to fight for American independence a decade after risking life-and-limb to fight for the British!
Same was true for many American civilians too! Some of them were heartbroken when their neighbors wanted to separate from the British empire! Many in Hawaii would feel the same way if Hawaii becomes independent.
5) some sovereignty activists are crazy: Whenever there is a pro-sovereignty rally, the media (who loves ratings and clicks) seek out the loudest and angriest voices. So they'll film someone like Haunani-Kay Trask yelling hateful things about "the haoles". They'll film Walter Ritte ranting against GMOs and development!
Since when they should be the only voices for Hawaii's independence?
Who voted them to be the spokesperson for all Native Hawaiians?
Why not be the alternate voice for Hawaii's independence?
The Hawaiian monarchy of the 1800's allowed non-natives to be Hawaiian citizens.
Why not be the voice of a multi-racial democracy of Independent Hawaii!
If Nelson Mandela can establish a multi-racial democratic republic in South Africa..........................why not us in Hawaii?
(also, Kelii Akina, a Native Hawaiian with libertarian tendencies just got elected to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, a government agency devoted to assisting Native Hawaiians. So not every Native Hawaiian is a Radical Left activist)
6) Hawaii might become even more left-wing: Only if you allow it too!
Hawaii will always be more liberal than Nebraska or Alabama!
But it doesn't have to be like Venezuela or Cuba!
On fiscal policy, an independent Hawaii would have to adopt some fiscally conservative measures since the federal government isn't going to bail us out anymore!
A business lobby will still be around!
Remember, people assumed Nelson Mandela would make South Africa turn communist! But in real life, he made connections with business leaders domestically and internationally. South Africa remained capitalist and the most prosperous country in Africa!
As for other issues related to liberalism, I think Hawaii's gun-control laws are too strict! But I don't think an Independent Hawaii will ban all guns, being that many Native Hawaiians (as well as others in rural areas) are hunters, and therefore will not give up their guns without a fight!
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Now that I went over those objections, I want to say one disadvantage that Hawaii experiences under the United States: the Jones Act!
I hate the Jones Act!
The Jones Act is a law that allows only US-registered ships be allowed to go from one US port to another!
No Japanese ship is allowed to go from Hawaii to San Francisco (or Seattle, Los Angeles, Guam, Saipan, American Samoa, Alaska etc)
No Australian ship is allowed to go from Hawaii to San Francisco (or Seattle, Los Angeles, Guam, Saipan, American Samoa, Alaska, etc)
No Chilean ship is allowed to go from Hawaii to San Francisco (or Seattle, Los Angeles, Guam, Saipan, American Samoa, Alaska, etc)
No non-US ship is allowed to go from Hawaii to San Francisco (or Seattle, Los Angeles, Guam, Saipan, American Samoa, Alaska, etc)
Most of the ships in the world are not U.S. ships!
This hurts Hawaii in international trade!
This law forces higher prices on imported goods
This law increases cost-of-living (which is already bad enough with our isolated location and limited land)! It's like adding tons of fuel to an already burning fire!
This law keeps foreign companies from offering cruises going from (for example) California to Hawaii! (Norwegian cruises had to set up a "shell" company to get around that law)
This law also hurt other island territories like Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, Northern Marianas!
Once Hawaii becomes independent, the Jones Act doesn't apply to us anymore 😃
We will have more access to international trade!
Cheaper goods will have an easier time coming here!
We'll get more cruise ships coming here, bringing more tourist revenue!
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Here's my 2nd video on Hawaii's independence
Here's the video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14clKuEmC0k
and here's the video
Basically this video states that my independence state is Nothing Personal against the USA!
I love the USA culture!
I respect the USA traditions!
I respect the flag!
I respect the US National Anthem
(note: check out this video of Jamaican track star Usain Bolt stopping his interview while the US national anthem is being played!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8uiYELBajc
I totally encourage the citizens of an independent Hawaii to show the same class that Usain Bolt showed in the video!
I am influenced by US technology (like using Blogger to type all this), US music (hip-hop & rock n roll), and much much more!
Let's also remember that the USA continued to be influenced by British culture long after the American Revolution (ie. Shakespeare, the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Spice Girls, One Direction and much much more)
The US cultural ties will not go away with Hawaiian independence!
Let's also remember that the Hawaiian monarchy embraced Western cultural influences!
Hawaiians became about 99% literate by the 1840s, with the influence of the missionaries.
Iolani Palace had electricity before the White House did!
King Kalakaua was the "Merry Monarch" because he encourage Hawaiians to re-embrace their cultural heritage (after decades of Christian missionary influence) but also traveled the world and embraced Western inventions!
An independent Hawaii isn't going to be cut-off from the rest of the world's technological innovations.
I know that sounds like Captain Obvious stuff, but I can't even count the many times I head people act as if independence would mean we all be living in grass huts again!
No, it's just means we don't have to live under Donald Trump (or worry about a future version of Donald Trump getting elected in 2040 or beyond)
Independence will mean we make our own rules! We control our own tax revenues! Nobody to answer to but ourselves!
It's Time!
image credit: Pablo Wegesend
I give anyone permission to use this image, just make sure you credit me for the image
