An undeniable tragedy unfolded earlier this month in Lahaina, a community on the island of Maui in Hawaii. Wildfires ravaged the area, killing at least 115 people as of August 29, 2023. It will take an estimated $5.5 billion to fully rebuild the community. The Biden administration has offered a measly $700 per person as compensation for the disaster. Contrast this with, for example, the billions of dollars the US state continue to hemorrhage to Neo-Nazis/far-right nationalists in Ukraine, as part of the largest military budget in world history being pushed by the current administration. Time and time again, it is apparent that the priorities of the ruling class do not align with those of everyday Americans.
As community members begin to move in, so do offers from wealthy individuals and corporations (primarily real estate conglomerates) to buy land en masse while it is still cheap. As often happens in similar situations, these actors will then hold onto this property and wait for the prices to rise again (while depriving residents of housing, land, and resources), hoping to sell for a profit after an extended period of time. One resident, Paele Kiakona explains the severity of this development: "Realtors are calling on families who lost everything, offering them to buy their property and their home for pennies on the dollar. Just pennies on the dollar." This deeply exploitative set of actions at a time when people are most vulnerable will inevitably further displace those who have lived there for generations (if not centuries) to generate more profits for a select few.
First and foremost, the tragedy brought on by the wildfires is an excellent example of disaster capitalism in action. Disaster capitalism occurs when private firms actively take advantage of the desperation brought on by natural disaster, government upheaval, wars, financial crises, and so on. In this scenario, various private entities are already chopping at the bit to make land grabs and otherwise hoist neoliberal policies onto Lahaina, regardless of its negative impact on the population. We saw conditions for disaster capitalism created in the Great Texas Freeze of 2021. It was considered unprofitable to winterize, or cold weather proof, the Texas electrical grid, even though experts knew a major winter storm was a small, yet very real possibility every year. Aggressive deregulation, a crucial part of neoliberal policy, was also a major factor. At the Surfside condominium collapse in South Florida, inspectors had brought attention to several serious issues over the previous years regarding the reinforced concrete structure and water penetration; yet, the $15 million price tag was apparently too great a cost for the condominium owner to bother to keep the building safe. The ensuing crash killed 98 people; their lives did not matter to the bottom line. In 2008, the financial crisis that rocked the States was caused by a speculation—a massive real estate bubble in which lenders were encouraged to provide mortgages to those who could not afford them. When it was realized that this was completely unsustainable, the bubble crashed and economic chaos ensued. In the aftermath, as millions lost their jobs, homes, and any sense of security, capitalists moved in to buy up land and homes while prices were low. Similar events played out during the recent pandemic—workers lost wealth and security while capitalist wealth grew dramatically. During the 2008 recession, landlords would hold these unused properties for years as homelessness spiked, waiting for prices to increase again and sell at a profit. Needless to say, Lahaina will have to fend with disaster capitalism as opportunists attempt to coerce individuals, and the community at large, into giving in to their suspect demands. Naomi Klein authored a book that is on my reading list, The Shock Doctrine, that is a quality resource on this important topic. Capitalism ultimately feeds off of economic collapse and social despair. Disasters, whether finance or climate related, are a reoccurring feature, not an exception of capitalism.
For those not familiar with Hawaii's history, it is fraught with harassment from both Christian missionaries and imperialism from settler colonial Americans. Through a combination of disease and exploitation, genocide was committed against the indigenous Hawaiian population as a part of the vicious 'Manifest Destiny' ideology that guided white supremacist settlers to "remove whoever is in the way" as part of their mission to usher in a white, "Christian" nation. In 1893, a collection of wealthy businessmen (primarily American) overthrew the self-determined Kingdom of Hawaii and established their own rule, which would lead to Hawaii's annexation as an American state in 1898. Oddly enough, the Blount Report, commissioned by President Grover Cleveland found that the removal of the queen had been illegal under US law. Yet, the new provisional government did not act on this and thus it had no material consequences. Horrific labor exploitation ensued, as well as the lack of political rights for those who had occupied the land for centuries. What occurs today is a continuation of genocide and imperialism, as Hawaiians battle ever-increasing costs of living as a result of American settlers and tourism moving in to their homeland. A similar process unfolds currently in other areas occupied by the United States, including Puerto Rico and Guam.
It is important to note that the local community has organized well to counter the invasion of capital into their community. In a rare win for an elected politician, the Hawaiian governor has vowed to fight advances from developers. Various officials representing the State of Hawaii are encouraging residents to be cautious of and reject speculative offers from real estate firms eager to capitalize on this disaster. Organizations such as the Hawai'i People's Fund are mobilizing to provide mutual aid to those most affected and keep power in the hands of community members.
One of my family members brought up an interesting point. A large area of tall and very flammable grasses had greatly increased the spread and severity of the wildfires. These nonnative grasses were planted to help regenerate the soil after decades of stubborn monoculture farming on behalf of corporations like Dole had decimated the soil and extracted its nutrients. The local government apparently lacked the funds to properly deal with these problematic grasses, some of which can grow up to six inches a day, spurred on by climate change. This is yet another legacy of American imperialism and colonialism, even many years later. The preservation of our earth and indigenous liberation are deeply intertwined.
Tourism has brought great harm to the land and people of Hawaii. For one, the large influx of tourists has compromised Hawaii's already strained water supply. Meanwhile, the cost of living has skyrocketed because of Western tourists and their expensive accommodations. These accommodations and attractions, typically owned by outside corporations, almost always take much more from the local economy than they give back. Workers, particularly in the large service industry, are grossly underpaid, while these corporations turn a massive profit, which mostly ends up in the pockets of non-Hawaiian investors, CEOs, and the like. This is not just a Hawaii problem, however, but all across the world. The Philippine workforce within the cruise industry is another great example of exploitation. On the cultural side, Western chauvinism and false expectations have eroded authentic Hawaiian culture and traditions. Many Hawaiians are forced to put on a fake show that spits in the face of authentic Hawaiian culture in order to make ends meet. Via harmful Western tourism, the processes of colonialism, imperialism, and white supremacy continues today.
One of the most dramatic events that has unfolded recently in Hawaii is the water contamination at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility. The facility, operated by the US Navy, has contaminated water for thousands of local residents with life-threatening compounds used for jet fuel, including antifreeze. Impacts on human health start at headaches, rashes, and dizziness. Instead of offering to clean up their own mess, the Navy has tried to cover the atrocity up, while claiming that residents can still drink from the water as long as nothing unusual could be smelled. For more details, please consult the linked article above. I was particularly struck by this paragraph: "The unfolding news out of Red Hill is a perfect example of a larger complex of hazardous U.S. military occupations throughout the Pacific. Due to U.S. imperialist ambitions and greater emphasis on competition with China, the U.S. military maintains its longstanding occupations throughout the Pacific, such as in Hawaii, Guam, Okinawa, and elsewhere. The U.S. military presence poses an environmental threat and disregards the sovereignty of Indigenous peoples throughout the occupied islands. Red Hill is one of many U.S. military bases that have poisoned occupied island communities. Just months ago, U.S. Marines dumped toxic waste into Okinawa’s sewage system, contaminating the community’s water." The Navy, another unaccountable arm of the US military, cannot be held accountable by investigating itself. To prevent further suffering, whether via poisoning or imperialism, the Navy and the entire American armed forces must be abolished. This change would be a monumental improvement for not only native Hawaiians and mainland Americans harmed by the military industrial complex, but the hundreds of millions around the world under the thumb of American hegemony--its nearly a thousand military bases, international torture sites, and its "endless holocausts".
Places surrounded by water like Hawaii will continue to bear the brunt of anthropogenic climate change. With higher temperatures comes the melting of the ice caps at the poles, and thus an increase in sea levels. Last year, a new record was set when sea levels rose to four inches above 1993 levels. In the Pacific, the Marshall Islands are actively being submerged by water. Conversely, their drinking water supplies are being reduced to emergency levels via drought.
Hawaii has faced some record breaking temperatures in the last few years, a loss of millions of native forests, loss of land and coral reefs to sea level rise, and much more. Not only does this affect the economy (especially tourism), but the very livelihood of the people who live there. And it is not their fault. As I have mentioned before, about 100 corporations are responsible for climate change. It is not individuals forced to participate in this destructive system, but these undemocratic corporations, who must be held accountable for their actions. In the coming years, we have a crucial choice to make: continuing barbarism under neoliberal capitalism, or radically changing society to put humans first.
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