Hawaii: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver (HBO)

Hawaii's History and Challenges

• Hawaii was first settled by Polynesians around the year 300.
• In 1778, Captain James Cook arrived in Hawaii with two English ships.

Western Contact and the Overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom

• Western contact brought diseases that reduced the native population by 90%.
• The first permanent plantation was established in 1835 on the island of Kauai.
• Descendants of missionaries established sugar plantations and dominated politics and economics.
• Hawaii was a constitutional monarchy that banned slavery in 1852 and had a high literacy rate.
• In 1887, white plantation owners forced King Kalākaua to sign the Bayonet Constitution, which transferred power to them.
• Queen Liliʻuokalani, Kalākaua's sister, vowed to undo the Bayonet Constitution.
• Sanford Dole, a leader of the coup, pushed for the annexation of Hawaii against the will of native Hawaiians.
• The US military helped overthrow Queen Liliʻuokalani and annex Hawaii in 1898.
• Hawaii became the 50th state in 1959.
• In 1993, Congress apologized to native Hawaiians for the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom.

The US Military's Impact on Hawaii

• The US military has a long presence in Hawaii, with 12 key military installations and bases.
• The military has leased land at a low rate and has not been a good custodian of the land.
• The military has used the land for live-fire training, leaving behind unexploded ordnance.
• The US military has a history of polluting and damaging Hawaii, including bombing sacred lands, leaving unexploded ordnance, and contaminating water systems.
• After the attack on Pearl Harbor, the US military took over the island of Kaho'olawe, which was sacred to Native Hawaiians, and used it as a bombing range.
• Despite efforts to clean up the island, a full quarter of it remains contaminated with unexploded ordnance.
• In 2002, middle school students working on a school garden uncovered a live grenade, and subsequent searches revealed three more in the same area.
• In 2019, a fuel spill from a military storage facility on Oahu poisoned a water system serving 93,000 people, making thousands sick and putting the entire island's water supply at risk.
• The US Army seized Makua Valley on Oahu's western shore after Pearl Harbor, evicting local families who had lived there for generations and promising to return their lands after World War II.
• The Army used Makua Valley for target practice, and despite activists taking the Army to court, the military still only allows access to the valley twice a month, requiring visitors to be escorted by a military representative who scans for unexploded ordnance.

The Impact of Tourism on Hawaii

• The tourism industry in Hawaii contributes nearly 20% of the state's GDP, but many residents experience a different reality, including low-wage tourism jobs and a high cost of living.
• More than two-thirds of Hawaii residents show signs of financial stress, such as working multiple jobs, living with relatives, and dipping into savings.
• The high cost of housing in Hawaii is partly due to the large number of short-term rentals, many of which are owned by people who don't live in the state.
• Hawaii has consistently had among the highest rates of homelessness in the nation, and some homeless people have been told to be invisible by city crews to avoid impacting the tourist industry.

The High Cost of Living in Hawaii

• The text discusses the high cost of living in Hawaii, particularly the price of food.
• It highlights the fact that Hawaii imports 90% of its food, leading to high prices for basic staples.
• The text mentions that the state of Hawaii has been trying to increase its food production, but progress has been slow.

Billionaires and Land Ownership in Hawaii

• The text also discusses the growing number of billionaires who own land in Hawaii, including Larry Ellison and Mark Zuckerberg.
• Larry Ellison owns 98% of the island of Lanai, including its grocery store, gas station, and newspaper.
• Mark Zuckerberg is building a large compound on Kauai, which includes multiple buildings, a tunnel, an underground bunker, and treehouses.
• The text notes that Zuckerberg's property is surrounded by a long stone wall, which has caused concern among some Native Hawaiians.
• Mark Zuckerberg sued hundreds of Native Hawaiians with ancestral claims to land in Hawaii, using a legal maneuver previously employed by white sugar planters.
• Zuckerberg ultimately withdrew from the lawsuits, but continued to buy land himself and supported a co-claimant who successfully purchased disputed land at auction for $2 million.

The Hawaiian Homelands Program

• The Hawaiian Homelands Program, established to provide homesteads to Native Hawaiians, has been chronically underfunded and much of the land is unusable.
• The program's waitlist is 29,000 people long, with some individuals waiting for decades to receive land.

The Future of Hawaii

• The high cost of living, low wages in the tourism-dominated economy, and the potential for military-related hazards have led many Native Hawaiians to leave the islands.
• The military's 65-year leases on state lands are set to expire in 2029, and there are calls to not renew them.
• Potential solutions to Hawaii's housing crisis include restricting short-term rentals and second homes, and ensuring that new developments are affordable for residents.
• The state government should focus on developing a more diverse and balanced local economy, rather than prioritizing tourism.
• The speaker suggests that when determining the future of Hawaii, it is important to listen to community-led groups like those working in L to ensure that the community is not displaced and has a say in the future.
• The speaker acknowledges that many people in Hawaii depend on the tourism industry, but also recognizes the concerns of those who believe tourism exacerbates existing problems.
• The speaker emphasizes that the solution to the issues facing Hawaii will require systemic changes, not just individual actions.

Advice for Visitors

• The speaker advises visitors to be aware of the history of Hawaii, which is often overlooked, and to remember that their vacation spot is someone else's home.
• The speaker provides additional tips for visitors, including not taking rocks from the island, not sending rocks back with a note, and being aware of local customs.