• When the echo is missing • Westside bike path • Nene won’t see a penny When the echo is missing In the Sept. 15 edition of The Garden Island, the writer of “Thank God for U.S.” gave us a
• When the echo is missing • Westside bike path • Nene won’t see
a penny
When the echo is missing
In the Sept. 15 edition of The Garden Island, the writer of “Thank God for U.S.” gave us a condensed summary of U.S. propaganda constantly repeated by U.S. military recruiters and by a few idealistic supporters of the U.S. foreign policy.
The letter demonizes the pacifist “philosophy” with imaginary nightmares presented as facts. While everyone has the freedom of submitting his/her point of view, the presented scenarios without a confirming echo lose their validity.
While in 1893 when the U.S. Navy occupied Hawai‘i the U.S. minister declared honestly, but for the Hawaiians painfully, that the occupation was in the interest of the security of the United States.
Later the story was changed to a hypocritical version of protecting Hawai’i from other would-be intruders like the Russian, Chinese, Japanese, etc. The basic tenet of this logic is to presume the American colonialist attitude from other nations. Neither Hitler, nor Mao, nor Stalin, and not even Kim Il Sung showed or voiced any such intention. All publicized threats from these and other nations, especially since the existence of the United Nations, are just propaganda slogans invented by the U.S., to “justify” military hardware sales and the continuation of the occupation of Hawai‘i by trying to keep the Hawaiians in fear.
None of the Arabic or Muslim countries ever made a statement of their intention to occupy Hawai‘i or the United States. Unfortunately there is a growing trend in the U.S. to declare countries that disagree with the U.S. foreign policy as enemies. What even more unfortunate is that those Americans and Hawaiians, who disagree, are being considered by the fake patriots as domestic enemy. This trend is dangerously close to the ideology of National Socialist German Workers’ Party (what an innocently nice name for the Nazi Party!). So the burka-wearing America is another false picture to keep you scared and make you accept the status quo of occupation.
When the validity of the officially presented reasons for the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan and Iraq fell totally apart, the U.S. came up with the advertised line of “bringing freedom and democracy” to Iraq and Afghanistan, because the U.S. government wanted to justify the killing of over one million people in these two countries. Isn’t that interesting that the cheering crowds in these two countries expressing their joy and happiness for the imported “freedom and democracy” are still missing?
So, when the occupiers present themselves as warm-hearted benefactors and good-doers, and the beneficiaries at the receiving end don’t come forward, the echo is missing. And this echo would be the validation of the claims.
The “Thank God for the U.S.” may come from a small circle of rich insiders who keep benefiting from the never-ending wars, but their voice will be always suppressed by the thundering protest of those, whose children, wives or husbands were killed by the American mercenaries serving only for money in foreign countries.
János Keoni Samu, Kalaheo
Westside bike path
I’m not a resident of either Waimea or Kekaha. However, I’m a resident of the Westside. At this time I would like to suggest an ideal place for the Westside bike/ walk trail.
I would like to suggest the location along Waimea Canyon Drive Road (Route 554). It doesn’t have to be a concrete path. It should go up to the four or five miles marker on Waimea Canyon Drive Road. Then cross over to Koke‘e Road (Route 552) and end there It would be optional if one decide to ride a bike/walk to the canyon lookout and so on.
Along the Waimea Canyon Drive Route there should be at least one rest stop where people can view the west coastline from Kaumakani to Kekaha and the island of Ni‘ihau. The path would be challenging for bicyclists and walkers. Also, the path should be connected to the old cane haul road that exist from Waimea through Polihale.
The path would be a plus for Westside people who already walk/bicycle on both routes (554 and 552). And it will give the walking tour tourists a whole new experience to tour the Westside and the state park.
Just a suggestion from a Westsider.
Howard Tolbe, ‘Ele‘ele
Nene won’t see a penny
After reading many excellent letters to the editor about the $18,000 per nene transfer, I want to sum up my impressions.
If the plan is to clip their wings so they can’t fly, why not do that here. It’s obvious they wont fly into planes. There have been NO nene’s involved in air strikes is what another letter stated. Our homeless could benefit more with that money was another writers thought. The mongoose on Maui where they are planning to move the nene will create way more harm than they face on Kauai said another.
It seems self-serving that so much money is being spent to accomplish an ill-conceived idea (Superferry).
The true benefactor is the group using the funds. I can guarantee the nene are not going to get any of the $18,000 per bird!
Scotty Shapiro, Kalaheo
