The Scorched Remains of Capitalism: A Cry from Lahaina
The Biden Administration, in a move that reeks of the same old, out-of-touch politics, announced a one-time payment of $700 to the victims of the Lahaina wildfire (and those in the greater area). A pittance, a mere fraction of the massive spending that goes into war, a sum that would be around $5000 in 1970s money. But what's $700 today? A slap in the face, that's what.
With the all-around "Katrina" esque response to the wildfires in Lahaina by the Biden administration, this is just one more point that our leadership is old, out of touch, and truly does not give a damn about the poor people of this country. But this is the reality for more and more of the country: wildfires, floods, historic blizzards, one look at the news and it's a never-ending cacophony of our own damnation. Not the damnation of the billionaire-owned development companies buying up the scorched remains of the land, no, it's the damnation of our Mother Earth and the everyday people who live on it.
The news of companies attempting to grab up land, the news of developers working with government officials on the island, this is not shocking, abnormal, or out of place. It is capitalism. It is the system we live in. I'm sure my comrades in the bayou have stories of someone they know getting an offer from a development company after losing everything in a flood. Disaster capitalism is just capitalism, and our president's piss poor response echoes the neoliberal capitalist fellating reality of our bourgeoisie government.
We're only going to see more of this, more climate tragedy for the working class, more investment opportunity for the elites and the capitalist government that backs them. The rich? Well, they just see it as another way to make a dollar. Might as well live in the ashes of capitalism with some money in the bank, am I right? Sick fucks.
I've never experienced a wildfire, not one to that degree, to that level of terror. But I'm from Louisiana, y'all, and I feel such a deep solidarity with the people of Hawai'i and Lahaina during these trying times. Water, Fire, Air, Earth – it doesn't matter the element. The seeds of capitalism have grown into a foul, tainted tree, and we must use the axe of socialism to chop it down, lest we all be consumed by our raging Mother Earth.
If you're donating to anyone, make it direct or donate to Ka'āina Momona. They come recommended from the direct action networks I'm in. But let's be clear: avoid donating to organizations like the Red Cross. Their history, particularly with their actions in Haiti, is a stark reminder of how aid can be mishandled and misused. In Haiti, the so-called aid turned into a revival of colonial stereotypes, and we must be vigilant in ensuring that our support goes directly to those in need, not to perpetuate a system that exploits the very people it claims to help. Let's stand together, not just in words but in action, and fight against the system that sees our suffering as just another opportunity to profit.