COMMENTARY
Hawai'i's role vital

By John Griffin

President Bush, here greeting troops at Baghdad International Airport during a surprise visit to Iraq on Thanksgiving Day, appears to be headed for a second term. Advertiser library photo

These, then, are some of the things I watch and worry about.

First, the international scene:

• The war on terrorism is a new kind of escalating conflict, part combat and mostly gathering and studying intelligence. But even more it's a cultural challenge in dealing with the Islamic world without escalating into a greater "clash of civilizations," as some see it.

In different ways and for different reasons, our ambitious military and nation-building campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq have become part of this multifaceted conflict. Prospects in each for long-range success are highly uncertain. But so far, "controversial" seems a better word than "quagmire" to characterize these situations.

• Related is the evolving American role in the world. It's a shifting mixture of lingering old ties, Bush administration missionary zeal, unilateral instincts, neo-conservative ambitions to use our power — and some White House adjustments and moderation in the face of sobering experience.

It's a stretch to call this some new "American Empire." But the result is new versions of our muscle-flexing to promote U.S. interests as seen by the administration. Some scholars have termed it a "Bush Revolution" in foreign policy.

Native Hawaiians would earn rights similar to those of Native Americans and Native Alaskans under a bill sponsored by U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawai'i. Advertiser library photo

But globalization also has its down sides. It can, for example, further expand the rich-poor gaps among nations and people of the world. Minority groups, downsized workers, some environmentalists and others sometimes unfairly blame globalization for the world's many woes.

Reforms sponsored by the world's powerful are needed so globalization achieves its potential to better promote equality and reduce conflict.

• Asia, from fast-rising China to a changing democratic India, deserves even more American attention. Sure, there are trouble spots — North Korea, Indonesia, terrorism among them — but this may also be the most dynamic area in the world.

By virtue of our location and racial and ethnic makeup, Hawai'i is part of this Asia-Pacific dynamic. At the same time, we should not lose sight of some exciting political and economic developments in the old-new Europe.

Onward to key issues on the national scene:

Joey Pang, left, a manager at St. Francis Hospital, joined Gov. Linda Lingle at the Pohakuloa Training Area. Advertiser library photo

Divisions among Democrats will continue to help Bush unless they can find some unity and an appealing message. It's fashionable to say the sometimes-attractive Howard Dean could lead the party into another 1972 McGovern disaster — and that may be right.

• The improving economy is another boost for Bush. Yes, our record national deficit and our domestic rich-poor gap continue to grow. But they can be papered over with promises and political proposals until after the November election.

• The war on terror and other Sept. 11 aftermath, including the wars and their tolls in Iraq and Afghanistan, should remind Americans that we and the rest of the world are in a new era, which some call World War IV (World War III having been the Cold War). Ironically, it includes abuses of human rights in the name of better fighting a war that is partly about preserving such rights.

So far, military families and a few others aside, too many Americans don't understand or ignore the seriousness of our situation. The Bush administration pushes the short-term (through November) dream that we can have guns and butter — just as Democratic President Lyndon Johnson did in the 1960s until the roof fell in on his policy.

• Time marches on, as they used to say in newsreels. One continuing fact of life is generational change. Even as I struggle to understand the new youth culture and its impact, I am even more impressed by the aging of the baby boomers. They are in power but nearing retirement and Social Security. As we already see in healthcare concerns, this will influence much in the early years of this century.

But what about Hawai'i, you may ask. A few points:

Police in Miami battled protesters in November as 34 nations held talks on creating the world's largest free-trade bloc. Advertiser library photo

In that regard, the 2004 election may indicate whether Hawai'i's Republican revolution will be short-term or a lasting new era. You also have to wonder what role President Bush, his record and re-election campaign might play on the Hawai'i scene.

• Hawai'i's seeming economic comeback is among the good news of 2003. It highlights again not only tourism diversification (with more cruise ships, etc.) but also the role of military and other federal spending.

Yet that still leaves us with a need to diversify, not just seeking high-tech niches but appreciating other possibilities such as the "new" agriculture.

• Education seems to top everybody's list as the issue of 2004, with Lingle's decentralization proposals (seven school boards, etc.) as the focal point — or the target.

Education and what is or isn't done about it could be an issue that echoes loudly in the November election for the Legislature. Still, what will resonate most favorably for all concerned is cooperative legislative action. Local control may be no panacea, but, something like electing a Republican governor, it may be worth a try in an old system that needs fixing.

• I have long said that the University of Hawai'i is the single most important institution in Hawai'i — or at least it should be seen that way.

The divide between the regents and President Evan Dobelle is beyond normal academic-political give and take. One of the key questions for 2004 is whether this mix of personality, politics and policy differences is beyond the point of no return. Some insiders say it is. I hope it isn't.

Cruise ships like the Norwegian Star are part of the tourism diversification that will play a key role in Hawai'i's economic comeback. Advertiser library photo

The other is the need for Hawai'i to have a greater focus on Asia and the Pacific region. Lingle can and should do more in this regard, beyond just business missions, that is.

A year ago, I wrote a column noting parallels between the dynamic Hawai'i of the 1950s when we had a social revolution followed by statehood, and the outlook this decade. It concluded:

"Statehood was a goal for most of us in the 1950s. Along with the quest for social justice and equality, the campaign for statehood provided what President Reagan later called 'the lift of a driving dream.' Hawai'i lacks such a goal today."

The people who find and articulate that goal deserve to guide Hawai'i for the rest of this first decade of the 21st century and beyond.

John Griffin is former editor of The Advertiser's editorial pages and a frequent contributor.