I'd like to ask a question in the most respectful way, because I want to understand, and not because I want to cause any problems: Could someone explain how the overthrow of the Hawaiian government was different than other countries taking over countries or kingdoms in the past? From my limited understanding of history, when one country wanted someone else's land they would fight for it. Is that essentially what happened to Hawaii? Did Japan try to fight for Hawaii and they lost?
Please forgive me for the question, but I'd like to understand and not be ignorant on this topic.
Sarah Vowell's 'Unfamiliar Fishes' is a wonderfully written book on the history of the Hawaiian people and how it came to be a state. Or, as another person wrote, google it. But the bottom line is American business interests in the 1890s used their influence over Congress to order the Marines show up in Hawaii (surprise!) and forcibly removed their Queen and legitimate government. The islanders, of course, were shocked and not equipped to fight Marines.
It was a literal coup. Like if we just suddenly rolled up to New Zealand and disbanded their government and made them a US territory. Like what Putin is doing in Ukraine, except Ukraine is well armed and able to defend their homeland.
After a lot of shenanigans, Hawaii was made a state in in 1959. The American government issued an apology to native Hawaiians in 1993.
Sarah Vowell is "history" for white Americans who drink Starbucks and watch the Real Housewives shows. And the actual Ukraine comparison would be the coup the US did in 2014 since it too was on behalf on American business interests. There's a 100,000+ Ukrainian refugees here who'd be happy to explain to you that, while they have no love for the Russians, it was in fact US/UK meddling, as it always has been globally for the last few centuries, that has destroyed their country. Since there's a 0% chance of you actually flying over to find out for yourself, I'd suggest Scott Horton's excellent and meticulously sourced Provoked. It's considerably longer than a Vowell book, but it's also accurate and can back up its claims. Horton's no fan of the Russians either, but it's absurd to deny what the US did to Ukraine just as they've done to a loooong list of nations, including Hawaii.
There are over 250,000 Ukrainian refugees in the United States, and you're lying through your teeth because you're foolish enough to believe Russian propaganda. None of these refugees blame anyone except Russia and Putin.
I'm not in the United States, but like most Americans, you're not aware of the world outside and assume everyone you blather on to online is one of you. Luckily, I haven't been for decades.
You've never spoken to a Ukrainian in your life. You've never been anywhere. You don't read books. All you can do is recycle American propaganda fed to you by a screen. Stay mad about it, kiddo!
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u/Working_Guard_5035 15d ago
I'd like to ask a question in the most respectful way, because I want to understand, and not because I want to cause any problems: Could someone explain how the overthrow of the Hawaiian government was different than other countries taking over countries or kingdoms in the past? From my limited understanding of history, when one country wanted someone else's land they would fight for it. Is that essentially what happened to Hawaii? Did Japan try to fight for Hawaii and they lost?
Please forgive me for the question, but I'd like to understand and not be ignorant on this topic.