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<a class="gmail-domain gmail-reader-domain" href="https://popularresistance.org/hawaii-the-very-first-u-s-regime-change/">popularresistance.org</a>
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<h1 class="gmail-reader-title">Hawai’i—The Very First US Regime Change</h1>
<div class="gmail-credits gmail-reader-credits">By Jon Olsen - November 16, 2022</div></div>
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<img src="cid:ii_lalagqly0" alt="image.png" width="435" height="240"><br><h2>Illegitimate Overthrow Of Polynesian Queen Lili’uokalani In 1893
Marked Beginning Of More Than A Century Of American Regime-Change
Operations.</h2>
<p>You come home from work one day to your many generations’ family
property where you have lived all of your life and find that a team is
removing your belongings to the front lawn. And when you indignantly
demand to know what is going on, two policemen and the county sheriff
advise you that the new owner is taking possession.</p>
<p>You protest adamantly that you never sold the property to anyone;
this is your home! The sheriff then shows you a folder with a deed for
the property that indicates that you had signed a power of attorney to
another person, one you know but never trusted, and that, under its
terms, he had the right to convey your property, and had done so to the
“new owner.”</p>
<p>You are then, of course, astounded, proclaiming loudly that you have
never signed such a power of attorney, and that any claim to have done
so was fraudulent, and the purported signature is a forgery. The sheriff
shrugs his shoulders and says, “Then take it up with the judge,” and
walks away. Lacking any other recourse, you take it up with the judge
who reviews the situation and declares, “Well, there seems to be some
impropriety here, so I will rule that the new owner allow you to build a
small residence on the back end of the property so you will not be
homeless. Case dismissed.</p>
<p>THAT folks is what happened in 1898 in Hawai’i. In 1893, when much to
her surprise and dismay, a delegation of 160 armed men from the USS <em>Boston</em> landed
from Honolulu Harbor and took up positions facing Iolani Palace, then
the seat of government of Queen Lili’uokalani, in support of a
proclamation by Caucasian Hawaiian residents, less than twenty in
number, who claimed to be “the Provisional Government of Hawai’i” which
later declared itself to be The Republic of Hawai’i.</p>
<p>Not a single Native Hawaiian, then by far the great majority of the
population, had a role in this coup nor had approved it. The claim to be
the government of Hawai’i was fraudulent and the purported “treaty”
(that never passed anyway) amounted to forgery. Thus, all subsequent
iterations—Republic of Hawai’i, Territory of the U.S., State of the
U.S.—are null and void.</p>
<p>These insurrectionists then hustled off to Washington, D.C., where
newly elected President Grover Cleveland received their message asking
for annexation of Hawai’i. But at the same time, a delegation
representing the Hawaiian majority arrived with the opposite message. He
then declined to pursue annexation but sent a representative to
investigate first hand.</p>
<p>After several months had passed, a comprehensive report was delivered
to President Cleveland and he gave a speech to Congress on December18,
1893 (reprinted as appendix A in <em>LIBERATE HAWAI’I!</em>), in which he referred to the actions of U.S. authorities as “an act of war” against a peaceful and trusting people.</p>
<p>What ensued was stalemate for the next four years until William
McKinley was inaugurated, followed shortly by the Spanish-American War
in 1898, with the consequent ceding of Spanish colonies in the
Philippines, Guam, Puerto Rico and Cuba. Hawai’i had never been a colony
of Spain or any other country, but for 50 years had been recognized as
an independent country, with consulates and embassies all over the
world.</p>
<p>The cousin of Sanford Dole, who was integrally involved with the coup
against the queen, and subsequently was president of the purported
“Republic of Hawai’i,” was James Dole, founder of Dole Plantation of
pineapple fame. Thousands of acres of pineapples, which grow from the
stiff-leafed crown at the top of the fruit, were planted over decades
until it became far more profitable to export the operations to Asian
countries and to use the limited Hawai’i lands for extensive suburban
subdivisions. These homes now each sell at hundreds of thousands of
dollars. These many thousands of homes are packed like sardines, often
so densely that a decent athlete could jump from one roof to another.</p>
<p>During the century following the alleged “annexation,” five major
corporations evolved to control commerce in and out of Hawai’i and the
retail business derived from imported goods.</p>
<p>The power of the Republican Party to which these local oligarchs
belonged, who intermarried and evolved interlocking directorates, was
not broken until the 1950s when a coalition of strong labor unions,
Japanese World War II veterans, and the Democratic Party unseated them
and have controlled Hawai’i continually since, with the exception of two
terms of Republican Linda Lingle in the first decade of the
21st century. The legislature is overwhelmingly populated by Democrats.</p>
<p>Prior to the purported “annexation,” and a major reason for it, was
the desirability by advocates of manifest destiny of securing the
world-class harbor called Pearl Harbor (where no pearls at all are
likely to be found now as a result of contamination).</p>
<p>During World War II, further tracts of land were seized, including
the eighth largest island of some 28,000 acres called Kaho’olawe, which
they used for decades for bombing practice, like the islands of Vieques
and Culebra in Puerto Rico. In the 1970s, protests against this
desecration of the land by Hawaiian activists generated much sympathy
among the population and, in 2003, the island was finally relinquished
to the government of Hawai’i with significant stewardship granted to
Hawaiian organizations.</p>
<p>Under McKinley, a new attempt at an annexation treaty was made, but
it failed even on procedure, not getting the two-thirds majority in the
Senate. However, that failure was dwarfed by an even greater flaw: The
U.S. had no right at all to make the attempt as the alleged “Republic of
Hawai’i” was an illegitimate coup-government as declared so by none
other than President Cleveland himself.</p>
<p>The history of the U.S. military’s occupation, control and
desecration of the land and sea could easily fill substantial books, one
of which was written in the seventies: <em>The Dark Side of Paradise</em>.
For several decades, including 2022, there have been ecologically
devastating military “exercises” in which not only the U.S., but
numerous other countries are invited to bomb and strafe isolated parts
of land and ocean sites.</p>
<p>They then used a sleight of hand and passed by simple majority a
“Joint Resolution of Congress,” pretending that it was equivalent to a
treaty. Due to the threat of military force, the only thing that changed
was control, not sovereignty.</p>
<p>The legal status remains problematic: Hawai’i is a country whose
government was overthrown by the threat of force, and occupied by that
very first U.S. regime change. Such an action does not convey
sovereignty over it by occupation, any more than say the U.S. occupation
of Japan after World War II or when the government of Saddam Hussein
was overthrown. Neither Japan nor Iraq ceased to exist as a country.</p>
<p>In recent decades, Hawaiians have been intensely studying their own
history, none more so than Dr. Keanu Sai. Virtually all those who are
familiar with the subject would say Dr. Sai, who took a related case to
the International Court of Arbitration in 2000-2001, is the world
authority on the subject.</p>
<p>In recent years, the National Lawyers Guild and the International
Association of Democratic Lawyers have come to the same overall
conclusions presented in <em>LIBERATE HAWAI’I!</em>, all of which owe
their understanding to Dr. Sai, as foremost among many who have
contributed to this study. Consequently, while few outside Hawai’i have
this grasp of history, tens of thousands of Hawai’i residents understand
it well.</p>
<p>Hawaiian activists are not alone; they have important allies. Among
them is the International Association of Democratic Lawyers (IADL),
whose president, U.S. attorney Jeanne Mirer, is quoted as saying:</p>
<p>“As an international organization of human rights lawyers dedicated
to the furtherance of peace, justice and the rule of law, the IADL
reiterates its support for the Hawaiian Kingdom and the people of
Hawai’i in their ongoing struggle for sovereignty and
self-determination. The United States has an obligation to comply with
international humanitarian law and the law of occupation.”<a href="https://covertactionmagazine.com/2022/11/15/hawaii-the-very-first-u-s-regime-change/#post-48196-footnote-1">[1]</a></p>
<p>Similarly, Water Protector Legal Collective staff attorney Natali Segovia said:</p>
<p>“This case is about the sovereignty of the Hawaiian Kingdom and the
right of self-determination of an entire Nation. I don’t mean lukewarm
self-determination within the boundaries of a settler state; I mean the
self-determination that is at the heart of international law: the right
of nations to self-govern and to freely determine their political
status, their economic, social and cultural development within their own
territory.”<a href="https://covertactionmagazine.com/2022/11/15/hawaii-the-very-first-u-s-regime-change/#post-48196-footnote-2">[2]</a></p>
<p>Former National Lawyers Guild President Elena Cohen declared, “As an
organization that values human rights and the rights of ecosystems over
property interests, the NLG supports all native peoples’ right to
self-determination and resistance against settler-colonial
oppression—whether it be in Palestine, Standing Rock, or Hawai’i. The
U.S. is no exception to standards set by international and humanitarian
law, and must end its occupation of the Hawaiian Kingdom.”</p>
<p>She added that: “Since 1898, the United States has been unlawfully
imposing American municipal laws over the territory of the Hawaiian
Kingdom in violation of international laws and the law of occupation.”<a href="https://covertactionmagazine.com/2022/11/15/hawaii-the-very-first-u-s-regime-change/#post-48196-footnote-3">[3]</a></p>
<p>“After nearly forty-five years of critical review and analysis, the
Articles of State Responsibility for Internationally Wrongful Acts was
accepted by a vote of the United Nations General Assembly. By this
resolution, the member States of the United Nations accepted the
Articles as a reflection of customary international law, which is
binding upon all States in the international system whether they are
members of the United Nations or not. The main articles include:</p>
<p>“Article 30. The State responsible for the internationally
wrongfulact is under an obligation to cease that act, if it is
continuing. “Article 31. The responsible State is under an
obligation to makefull reparation for the injury caused by the
internationally wrongfulact. “Article 32. The responsible State
may not rely on the provision ofits internal laws as justification for
failure to comply with itsobligations under international law.
“Article 35. A State responsible for an internationally wrongful actis
under an obligation to make restitution, that is to re-establishthe
situation that existed before the wrongful act was committed.
“Article 41 (1). States shall cooperate to bring an end throughlawful
means any serious breach of international law. “Article 41 (2).
No State shall recognize as lawful a situationcreated by a serious
breach of international law, nor render aid orassistance in maintaining
that situation.”<a href="https://covertactionmagazine.com/2022/11/15/hawaii-the-very-first-u-s-regime-change/#post-48196-footnote-4">[4]</a>Nota
bene: While most of these provisions directly impact the U.S.-Hawai’i
situation, the final one also imposes obligations on the part of those
many countries which had recognized Hawai’i as an independent country
(cited in <em>LIBERATE HAWAI’I!</em>) and with whom it had established
normal diplomatic relations, including mutual embassies and consulates.
Some activity in this regard has already been initiated by the Acting
Hawaiian Kingdom government.“In a deliberate move to enforce compliance
with international law, the International Association of Democratic
Lawyers (IADL) and the American Association of Jurists—Asociación
Americana de Juristas—(AAJ), sent a joint letter to all the missions
accredited to the United Nations in New York City and in Geneva
regarding the prolonged and illegal belligerent occupation of the
Hawaiian Kingdom by the United States since January 17, 1893.* The joint
letter was sent on February 16, 2022.”<a href="https://covertactionmagazine.com/2022/11/15/hawaii-the-very-first-u-s-regime-change/#post-48196-footnote-5">[5]</a>*<em>The
day the queen was forced by the presence of hostile armed forces of the
United States to, in her words, “yield my authority” until the matter
could be resolved in Washington, D.C. This was a pledge to neither
surrender nor engage in armed resistance, given the disproportion of
lethal force, relative to each side.</em></p>
<p>This is a legal case arguing all of the above and filed by the
Hawaiian Kingdom, naming as Federal Defendants: Joseph Robinette Biden,
Jr., Kamala Harris, John Aquilino, Commander, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command,
Charles P. Rettig, Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service,
Charles E. Schumer, and Nancy Pelosi. On “Friday August 12, 2022,
District Judge Leslie Kobayashi filed a Minute order taking under
advisement the Hawaiian Kingdom’s Motion to Certify for interlocutory
appeal her Order of July 28, 2022, denying the Hawaiian Kingdom’s motion
for reconsideration of her previous Order granting the Federal
Defendants motion to dismiss the amended complaint.”<a href="https://covertactionmagazine.com/2022/11/15/hawaii-the-very-first-u-s-regime-change/#post-48196-footnote-6">[6]</a></p>
<p>The federal government takes the position that this is a “settled
matter,” and treats objections to that claim as essentially frivolous,
but fails to acknowledge that the U.S. in fact “recognized the Hawaiian
Kingdom as a sovereign and independent State on July 6, 1844, by letter
of Secretary of State John C. Calhoun on behalf of President John Tyler,
and later entered into treaty relations and the establishment of
embassies and consulates in the two countries.</p>
<p>In effect, despite a desperate attempt by the U.S. to find a way out, this is a legal checkmate and victory for Hawai’i.</p>
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