Mo' Bettah

Hopefully, one lives long enough and richly enough, to realize at some point, that "more" does not make better, if one does not have a wide ranging selection from which to choose from, but the purpose of life itself, is learning of all the different possibilities, from which the right one chooses itself.

It is this constantly selecting process, that is the history and evolution of cultures and societies, and not simply the maintenance of unchanging cultures as they were largely imagined to be be before, repeated forevermore. The living is the summation and meaning of every culture, and not dead things and rituals brought to life once more.

That is probably the misunderstanding that is Hawaii's greatest handicap, and why it cannot move forward to lead the world -- as every culture could, but instead, finds itself at the bottom of every measurement that can be devised, to show it at the bottom and regressing. And people are even cheering that regression, stagnation, and greater inequalities, and learn from the past only to repeat it -- and take it no further.

The Natatorium, the Convention Center, the Rail, is Hawaii being the last to jump on the bandwagon thinking in that way they can eventually be the first -- if they just hang on long enough and move to the top of seniority. Meanwhile, they dare not take a chance of doing what nobody else has done before -- which is what leaders have to do. Instead, they are selected precisely because they won't rock the boat, don't step out of line, wait their turn. So it is no surprise that in times of great crisis, their only prayer is that the people of the world prosper, so they can come and visit them and share their wealth as tourists.

If that is not the definition of hopelessness and despair, I don't know what is. Somebody else is going to rescue them. The federal government has endless money, and our delegates have proven they can get more than our fair share. And so there is no sense of fair exchange or fair play, but only what each can get away with.

Islands in the Pacific are at the mercy of unfavorable terms -- since everything must be shipped in from elsewhere, and that society has long forgotten how to provide for themselves. If they had started a comprehensive bicycling system, they would be the envy of the world now -- instead of purchasing the last rail system.

Hawaii was once known as a place where fruit trees grew on every property. It should be a lush tropical garden where every homeowner is growing their own vegetables and replenishing the soil and culture with knowledge of composting their own waste into rich soil again. Instead, they have to ship it off island, because that technology is beyond them. All these natural advantages lie fallow and undeveloped -- in favor of technologies that will obliterate all that was unique and special to these people.

The reason for this is because it is going to create high-paying jobs, to pave over the Islands with concrete. It is like the previous generation installing wall-to-wall carpeting, before tastes shift back to the realization that the natural wood beneath, is so much prettier and more functional -- just because they could.

And so now, the people are in a panic -- with no idea what to do, or how to even begin contemplating the challenges before them, other than to wish everyone well, so they can bring their good fortune over and share it with them. That won't make a better culture, and that is the problem, no matter how many government workers they hire to increase their own salaries.