17 Comments

I guess it's okay to make fun of banana republics but not pineapple ones.

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The most interesting thing about the KKKs involvement in this shot gun wedding aka political rape called usurpation of sovereignty a war crime was Francis Newlands who ran the KKK from Reno. He writes a joint resolution after Hawaiians petition against and stop a treaty. Well a bill for foreign territory is not a treaty. So Hawaii today many argue in the UN even today that Hawaii is actually an occupied sovereign.

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Thank you for highlighting this! Francis Newlands’ involvement in Hawaii’s annexation efforts—and the broader themes of U.S. territorial expansion—echo just how calculated the maneuvers were to secure Hawaii’s “willing” integration. As you noted, the passage of the joint resolution instead of a treaty (in response to Hawaiian petitions) remains a potent point for arguments today about Hawaii’s sovereignty. Newlands’ role in annexation, given his racist ideologies and ties to the Klan, underscores that it was more than strategic—it was steeped in racial hierarchies and imperial ambition.

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We were essentially in the same position Russia finds itself in today, except without an "us" to keep it accountable!

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A great post about showing a little about the history of Hawaii and U.S. imperialism. One of my favorite books about this era is Sara Vowell's "Unfamiliar Fishes". It's part travelogue part creative non-fiction and full of well-researched history.

https://bookshop.org/p/books/unfamiliar-fishes-sarah-vowell/587274

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Thanks for the tip. Here’s another book recommendation in return. A fantastic overview of America’s imperial appetite; “How to Hide an Empire: A History of the Greater United States” by Daniel Immerwahr https://www.powells.com/book/how-to-hide-an-empire-9781250251091

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Vowell book looks like a great read. Thanks!

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Colonialism is fun!

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And profitable

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Thanks for forming a parallel with then and today. Astounding that we are currently living in a second gilded age.

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You're welcome. I try to make connections past and present. History has some powerful lessons for us.

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See also the National Portrait Gallery currently exhibiting:

https://npg.si.edu/exhibition/1898-imperial-visions-and-revisions

including art and other items from the subjugation of Cuba, the Philippines, Guam, Puerto Rico and Hawai'i.

It's got lots of good stuff tho not really well interpreted. Still worth the visit if you're in town.

Thru February 2024.

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Great to know. Thanks for sharing that

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History sure does. Thanks for helping keep it alive

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For profit the United States government, wealthy white Americans, and the U.S. military destabilizing a sovereign state, stealing land from indigenous peoples, and leaving behind only poverty? Play, rewind, repeat.

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A cliche

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I was reminded of the summer i spent with Jeannie at my father's hotel in Honolulu. and the US Naval base nearby. The native Hawaiians who worked in the hotel weren't fans of Uncle Sam. Next up: the 50th Anniversary of the US/CIA taking out Allende.

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