The ‘old normal’
Now that a most traumatic year, 2020, with the deadly COVID-19 pandemic and the related economic collapse — biggest since the Great Depression — is behind us, most of us (with the possible exception of tens of millions of Trump supporters?) are looking forward to a renewed optimism for a fresh start.
However, the pandemic, alongside the economic meltdown, only served to expose the many longstanding structural contradictions within the U.S. capitalist political-economic system.
Among the most glaring are the (A) grotesquely growing income and wealth disparity (reportedly, 10 top “pandemic profiteers” such as Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, et al, pocketed more than half a trillion dollars worth of windfall profits in the past nine months alone!), and (B) the continuing runaway war spending (the $740 billion for fiscal year 2021 is nearly 50% of total global spending on war, despite it not contributing to any meaningful “defense” against the calamitous pandemic!) approved by a bipartisan Congress along with the White House.
Worst of all, all four Hawaii congressional reps, including newly elected Rep. Kai Kahele, voted for this absurdly wasteful and unaffordable war preparation.
The sad news is, early signs of President Joe Biden’s promised “return to normalcy” are not encouraging. His Cabinet picks are full of recycled hawkish Cold Warriors, as well as neo-liberal economic (mis)managers of the “old normal” that directly led to massive popular discontent by tens of millions of unemployed workers who turned to either opioid drugs (to dull their angst and depression) or opportunistic demagogues like that “snake oil salesman” from the swamp of Mar-a-Lago.
Can the public afford four more years of this “old normal”?
Danny H.C. Li
Keaau
‘Hometown heroes’
I want to express my deep gratitude and a million mahalos to Norman and Ben Menke, father and son hometown heroes, who are so dedicated to keeping Hawaii beautiful (Tribune-Herald, Jan. 27).
You are both such inspiring community members — I wish I could hug you!
JoAnn Aguirre
Hilo
Defenders of democracy
On Jan. 6, we watched in horror and disbelief as insurgents and terrorists attacked our government.
We also held witness to the many good people who selflessly and courageously acted — the fearless aides who carried the ballot boxes to safety, the policeman who directed rioters away from the Senate chamber, the journalists who bravely documented the truth and the members of Congress who persisted and completed the certification of Joe Biden’s victory.
These individuals risked life and limb while defending our democracy.
We know many of these individuals. Citizens’ Climate Lobby’s more than 180,000 volunteers in 50 states, including 800 throughout Hawaii, advocate for meaningful and durable climate policy. We work with members of Congress and their staff throughout the year and know them well. They are our colleagues and friends, so we are thankful to all those who kept them out of harm’s way.
Let’s take a moment to convey thanks to the countless government employees and congressional staffers who toil to secure our democracy. They deserve the “thank you for your service” that we freely extol to our armed forces members.
Noel Morin
Citizens’ Climate Lobby,
Hawaii Island Chapter
