this post was submitted on 19 Sep 2025
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[–] Bluefalcon@discuss.tchncs.de 88 points 1 day ago (4 children)

It’s a huge undertaking. If successful, it would be one of the largest land purchases in Hawaii, behind Larry Ellison’s nearly 90,000-acre acquisition on the island of Lanai.

How fucking sad that you can buy 90k acre for personal ownership. There is no reason any one person should own that much land.

[–] theherk@lemmy.world 26 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I think land ownership itself is one of the big mistakes we made as a species.

[–] RagingRobot@lemmy.world 1 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

It seems inevitable to me given how territorial people are. Not just people, other animals too. Like even chimps have different groups that control different territory.

[–] theherk@lemmy.world 2 points 11 hours ago

Yes, but they don’t own it. Territory has to be used and protected. Ownership has some implication that even if no longer used, it is still “mine” and not the community’s. IDK, tough to see what could be as that branch in the development of civilization is so far back. Rutger Bregman has a segment about this in Humanity.

[–] skisnow@lemmy.ca 53 points 1 day ago (1 children)

It particularly infuriates me whenever I see someone claim that taxing billionaires would remove their incentive to participate in the economy. As though they’re going to say “if I work this year I’ll only be able to afford 40,000 acres, guess I’ll shut the company down”.

[–] fluffykittycat@slrpnk.net 6 points 1 day ago

Fuck those lies

[–] minorkeys@lemmy.world 15 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Capitalism claims to be about needs but it's really just about the wants of the wealthy.

[–] Bluefalcon@discuss.tchncs.de 4 points 1 day ago

And the stupid that believe they will be equal at some point.

[–] P00ptart@lemmy.world 5 points 1 day ago

Especially in a small island chain.

[–] HugeNerd@lemmy.ca 57 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Can't they just write a special law and annex the land? Ya know, sort of, like, how the US ~~stole~~, I mean, um, got, Hawaii in the first place?

[–] MyNameIsIgglePiggle@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Ikr. "Hawaiians unite to give billionaire more money"

[–] HugeNerd@lemmy.ca 1 points 3 hours ago

They're a giving people, the Hawaiians. A great match for taking people.

[–] porksnort@slrpnk.net 12 points 1 day ago

Yeah, when the uber-rich write the laws in the first place, playing ‘fair’ and doing a direct purchase is a suckers move. Just take it back.

[–] ScrambledEggs@lazysoci.al 91 points 1 day ago (3 children)

Buy back? Kick the billionaire out.

[–] andyburke@fedia.io 47 points 1 day ago

Sounds like a time for eminent domain.

[–] chonglibloodsport@lemmy.world 33 points 1 day ago (1 children)

The billionaire doesn’t even live there, he lives in Hong Kong.

[–] hayvan@feddit.nl 11 points 1 day ago (1 children)

How about, just ignoring the ownership then.

[–] chonglibloodsport@lemmy.world 0 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Great way to start a war with China!

[–] Alcoholicorn@mander.xyz 5 points 12 hours ago

Number of times China has invaded or armed right-wing militias or factions to put a puppet in place because they nationalized a natural resource: 0.

They would certainly try to sue the US in an international court that the US doesn't recognize, but lmao.

[–] memfree@lemmy.ml 69 points 1 day ago (2 children)

For generations, Native Hawaiians have been displaced from ancestral lands, and on the island of Molokai, where one-third of the island is owned by Hong Kong-headquartered billionaire investment firm Guoco Group...

Same basic problem is on all the islands. Read the fictionalized story The Descendants (or see movie of same name).

... Land mismanagement causes other problems as well. Red dirt sediment from West Molokai’s eroded slopes runs into the ocean after a heavy rain, turning the water red with pollution that can kill coral reefs and clog fishponds.

“If our reef dies, we lose that as a source of food,” Kalipi said.

It sounds like Hawaii should institute a land use law where squatters on lands of absent landlords could claim ownership by working said land. I know they have something like that already because there was another lawsuit where developers purposely built on someone else's land, then sued the property owner for trying to 'steal' the luxury building they built by 'mistake' such that all she could argue was that they tear the whole thing down.

If successful, it would be one of the largest land purchases in Hawaii, behind Larry Ellison’s nearly 90,000-acre acquisition on the island of Lanai. Only this time, the land would be returning to its people.

The Molokai Heritage Trust is moving forward thoughtfully in its endeavor, dedicating years for discussion and research and obtaining its 501(c)(3) nonprofit status last year.

I am heartened by the last line, which is labeled as "Pakui’s Prophecy" (emphasis mine):

The heavens will fall, the high-born will fall, and the dark earth — the common people — will rise like a wave.

[–] BJ_and_the_bear@lemmy.world 36 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I agree with what you write. I am a bit skeptical they will ever raise the $260 million asking price. More drastic measures may be required. Hopefully they will get some public support

Regardless, I wish them luck in their endeavor

P.S.

Fuck Larry Ellison

I would assume if you put land up for sale and it didn't sell for asking price for a decade, they could probably offer a lot less hopefully.

[–] apenstaartje@lemmy.cafe 15 points 1 day ago

Billionaire decides not to sell.

Billionaire doubles price—gets rich off the poor, again.

Shitty move, Hawaii.

[–] JusticeForPorygon@lemmy.blahaj.zone 7 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Dole food company eyeing this

[–] Kolanaki@pawb.social 4 points 1 day ago

If this Hong Kong company owns 1/3 of Molokai, Dole must own the other 2/3.