Chamorro Survival
The possibility of strip mining taking place on Pagan is something we should all be concerned about. Multi-national, international and national corporations are slowly invading our lives, and because of the way the media represents their presence, or even because of the way we learn economics and life should be from our colonial schooling we think its fine, or dipotsi ha'.
The business leaders of Guam and the CNMI are all in a hurry to give away everything our islands contain to outside investors and corporations. Whether it be a beautiful island such as Pagan, or Guam's water, or the labor of individuals for starvation wages, or even our hopes and dreams, everything is up for sale at Dededo flea market prices to anyone willing to hoflak i damot i manakhilo' guini pat promise that their interventions will increase military presence on Guam.
Life in our islands will become unsustainable soon, and there are many reasons why. The cost of living if our utilitized and basic services continue to be privatized will soar out of control, for many it already has. The natural resources will are all being threatened by poor societal management in the past and present, and will soon be handed over to predatory corporations interested in turning humans and human needs into profits. Lastly, military increases in the islands run their own risk of annhiliation. Who knows what chemicals are currently seeping into our water lens from Si Yu'us ha' tumugo' hafa ma bury after World War II, when Congress legalized the secret burying of hazardous materials and waste on Guam and around the country. Then there is the risk of radiation from nuclear vessels and weapons. Several former Navy men have already testified to the fact that Guam received prolonged radioactive exsposure from the testing in the Marshall Islands, as well as the clean up of ships returning from monitoring testin there.
Lastly, since the 2000 coup de'tat put Shogun Bush and his neo-conservative Mikado into power, the United States has made the world much unsafer through its carnal cravings for fossil fuels and hegemony in the Middle East. Terrorism has increased drastically in the past year, as reported by Bush's own State Department. In the meantime, as the neo-con cabal in Washington is setting America's sights on other nations, such as Iran, North Korea, America is the only country which continues to rapidly upgrade and produce nuclear weapons. New cold wars loom on the horizon, as hot wars are taking place in Afghanistan, Checnya, Sudan, Iraq and Columbia. Through all this, 7,500 nuclear weapons are still out there, roughly half controlled by the US, roughly the other half by Russia. No one seems to realize that as the US postures publicly that limited nuclear war is one of their options, and that first strike nuclear war is their first option in case of any serious conflict, at least one of those Russian nuclear warheads is still aimed at Guam.
If there ever was another war, can anyone still hold the American flag high and proudly knowing that Guam would be sacrificed in the blink of an eye, without any hesitation? Probably without any remorse, by the politicians, commanders and policy planners with whom we beg and plead to increase military presence on the island?
I went off on a tagent there, but all these things are connected to the survival of Chamorros and our island of Guam. So long as we continue to allow corporations both civillian and military to control our island, and our lives, then prospects for survival, prospects for a livable future for anyone on Guam seem dim.
The business leaders of Guam and the CNMI are all in a hurry to give away everything our islands contain to outside investors and corporations. Whether it be a beautiful island such as Pagan, or Guam's water, or the labor of individuals for starvation wages, or even our hopes and dreams, everything is up for sale at Dededo flea market prices to anyone willing to hoflak i damot i manakhilo' guini pat promise that their interventions will increase military presence on Guam.
Life in our islands will become unsustainable soon, and there are many reasons why. The cost of living if our utilitized and basic services continue to be privatized will soar out of control, for many it already has. The natural resources will are all being threatened by poor societal management in the past and present, and will soon be handed over to predatory corporations interested in turning humans and human needs into profits. Lastly, military increases in the islands run their own risk of annhiliation. Who knows what chemicals are currently seeping into our water lens from Si Yu'us ha' tumugo' hafa ma bury after World War II, when Congress legalized the secret burying of hazardous materials and waste on Guam and around the country. Then there is the risk of radiation from nuclear vessels and weapons. Several former Navy men have already testified to the fact that Guam received prolonged radioactive exsposure from the testing in the Marshall Islands, as well as the clean up of ships returning from monitoring testin there.
Lastly, since the 2000 coup de'tat put Shogun Bush and his neo-conservative Mikado into power, the United States has made the world much unsafer through its carnal cravings for fossil fuels and hegemony in the Middle East. Terrorism has increased drastically in the past year, as reported by Bush's own State Department. In the meantime, as the neo-con cabal in Washington is setting America's sights on other nations, such as Iran, North Korea, America is the only country which continues to rapidly upgrade and produce nuclear weapons. New cold wars loom on the horizon, as hot wars are taking place in Afghanistan, Checnya, Sudan, Iraq and Columbia. Through all this, 7,500 nuclear weapons are still out there, roughly half controlled by the US, roughly the other half by Russia. No one seems to realize that as the US postures publicly that limited nuclear war is one of their options, and that first strike nuclear war is their first option in case of any serious conflict, at least one of those Russian nuclear warheads is still aimed at Guam.
If there ever was another war, can anyone still hold the American flag high and proudly knowing that Guam would be sacrificed in the blink of an eye, without any hesitation? Probably without any remorse, by the politicians, commanders and policy planners with whom we beg and plead to increase military presence on the island?
I went off on a tagent there, but all these things are connected to the survival of Chamorros and our island of Guam. So long as we continue to allow corporations both civillian and military to control our island, and our lives, then prospects for survival, prospects for a livable future for anyone on Guam seem dim.
Comments
Open your eyes my friend, Uncle Sam is the best friend Guam has ever had and will ever have.
I have taught for seven years in the Long Beach Unified School District. I teach reading intervention for at risk youths, and I am also the faculty sponsor for the Pacific Islander Club at Long Beach Poly which is also where I teach. I am on a pilgrimmage to expose these teens to the wonders of their cultures, being either melonesian, micronesian or polynesian. I met Congressman Underwood a couple of years ago and he offered me a position to teach at one of Guams high schools. Being a new mom at the time restricted my commitment greatly, but I am loking for other ways to contribute. I am part of NPIEN, National Pacific Islander Educator Network, and APIA, Asian Pacific Islander Association. We are the Sanches family from Inarajan. Please send me any infor about my people who may still be there becasue unfortunately, my fathers generation has become submerged in the American culture and I am seeking information regarding my Chamorro roots.