Maui on My Mind
Casino Capitalism and the Destruction of Cultures
Devastation in Gaza (via Al Jazeera) (ongoing)
Devastation in Paradise California (2018)
Camp Fire: 9 deaths, 6,453 homes burned in most destructive wildfire in California history
Devastation in Lahaina Maui (2023)
The Tragedy of Maui: A Story of Destruction
When I think of Maui, I recall pristine beaches, crystal clear water, and a paradise that seemed untouched. However, the reality is quite different. The island was hit by a devastating tragedy, with an "official" death toll of 115 people and 66 still missing. More importantly, many people seem to have put this tragedy behind them, except for a few hyper-wealthy people who want to exploit it to buy cheap land and extend their empires.
To understand the tragedy in Maui properly, it is essential to understand the context. Like in Palestine, indigenous residents in Maui are being moved from their ancestral home and their communities are being destroyed by colonialist powers. The residents of Maui are having their land taken away from them and are being forced to sell it to wealthy people like Oprah Winfrey, Mark Zuckerberg, Dwayne Johnson, and slimy real estate developers, who are expanding their island empires to the detriment of workers and indigenous Hawaiians.
Furthermore, taro farms in Maui are being leveled. The locals, who have spent their entire lives living in harmony with nature, are being pushed aside for corporate greed. This is similar to the Israeli decimation of centuries old olive trees and the US shitstain systematically eradicating bison. The destruction of these things did not just kill food sources, but, culture.
Unfortunately, the situation in Maui is not new. We have seen this in New Orleans, where many poorer/working-class, black residents were displaced to make way for casinos. Lahaina and the 9th ward of New Orleans are just some examples of how people have been displaced to allow the rich to expand their empires. Casino Capitalism never lets a "good tragedy go to waste." (Rahm Emanuel). I was in the 9th ward speaking to people who were adversely affected about 10-days after Katrina. Activists and residents repeated the same story to me: before the levy broke they all heard an explosion. Of course, this is just anecdotal, but would anyone be surprised?
With the tragedy in Maui, it is essential to pay attention to how the land is used going forward and who benefits from it. We should be critical of the narratives that we hear about such situations and question who is telling these stories and why. The mainstream media often frames such tragedies superficially and obscures the actual problems at hand.
The complete obliteration of Gaza and the murder of tens of thousands of innocents is horrific—but, we need to remember in all of these cases, we cannot believe the “official” body counts. It’s sad that there is no transparency in these cases, at all, which always leads to “conspiracy theories.”
The tragedy in Maui should be a wake-up call for all of us. We should not allow the wealthy to exploit vulnerable communities and their land for the sake of their profits and power. We should be paying more attention to such tragedies and question who is responsible for them. We should also learn from the indigenous people's wisdom in living harmoniously with nature. Ultimately, everything is connected, and the only way forward is to work together for a better future that is equitable for all.
While I was working on this piece, I received a notification from a fellow substacker (Sage’s newsletter) about Maui who had a lot of info, here are a few things they posted that I found interesting (give their stack a follow, if you haven’t already):
What do you think?
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And one wonders why the U.S. criminal (we don't see any traces of genocide...) mafia is supporting genocide in Gaza. Silly rabbit!
Lahaina should have been treated as a Crime Scene. With the Mandalay Bay Casino massacre, I've always had the suspicion that the "lone gun man" was likely the first victim. Nothing in that story added up, including the screwy investigation that kept changing its story. Until further notice, Agents of the Apocalypse are in charge. Craig Jardula, who sometimes is a guest on Jimmy Dore, has filed a couple reports from Lahaina; also a movie about the ongoing aftermath.