Sunshine and Secession?
The Economist asks that question but there was another crucial issue it raised:
That could have interesting consequences. Unlike Native American tribes, which have been separate political entities since before the American constitution was framed, native Hawaiians live intermingled with those whose ancestors arrived more recently. So, under the new system, could you have two shops side by side, one of them paying taxes, and one exempt because its owner has a drop of native blood? Asked that question by a caller to a Hawaiian radio station, Robert Klein, a lawyer for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, which is promoting the Akaka bill, replied: “I don’t know. We would need to see how that will play out in the negotiations.”
An interesting admission by Klein. Whole article here.
September 21st, 2005 at 1:29 am
It’s fascninating that a paragraph can be excerted and posted on this blog without any consideration of the source. Sure, the Economist is a respected magazine but to imply that any author writing for it has the credentials to speak on any topic is absurd. After reading the first paragraph one can quickly dismiss anything else the author had to say. The first paragraph doesn’t even attempt to portray truth, in fact it purposely avoids it. If this blog is a “grassroots” proponent then be fair in what is posted; if not, then at least ensure you represent facts and not propose a skewed agenda.
September 30th, 2005 at 7:11 am
“Sovereignty” never simply “ceases.” Governments can be altered through constitutional means, internal revolt or by foreign intervention, but “sovereignty” of a recognized State, under international law, can only be affected either through merger with another sovereign state(s), i.e. United States Federation in 1787, or dismemberment, e.g. the former Yugoslavia into separate and distinct states in the 1990’s as a result of internal revolt. This point is elaborated by Dr. Matthew Craven’s legal opinion in 2003 concerning the continuity of Hawaiian sovereignty under international law. According to international law, there exists no merger of Hawaiian sovereignty to that of U.S. sovereignty. A unilateral annexation by Congressional action does not constitute a bilateral “merger” of sovereignty.
Hawaiian Journal of Law and Politics: The Hawaiian Journal of Law and Politics is an online annual research journal published in association with the Hawaiian Society of Law and Politics. The Journal is edited by graduate students from the University of Hawai`i at Manoa and faculty advisers from the Departments of Law, Political Science and the Center for Hawaiian Studies. http://www2.hawaii.edu/~hslp/journal_vol1.html