Advertisement - Click to support our sponsors.
To Our Readers
THOMAS Friedman, a New York Times columnist, proposes that we throw out our current political parties and create a new four-party system that better reflects political reality in the 21st century. Build bridges,
not barriersThere would be the Wall Party, or "Wallers," led by Ralph Nader and Pat Buchanan, whose symbol is the Berlin Wall and whose goals are to restore protectionist trade barriers and economic regulations.
Then, there's the Web Party, "Webbers," who are led by Bill Clinton and want to build relationships or webs. Their symbol is "WWW" and they favor globalization and free trade, but with safety nets to protect developing countries, the environment and the poor.
Next is the "Party of God" or "American Hizballah" made up of the religious right and led by Pat Robertson. Hizballah denies evolution and favors divine rule.
Finally, there are the "Cakers" -- as in "let them eat cake" -- led by George W. Bush. The Cakers --party symbol: "a thin slice of cake" -- favor rule by the markets and their goal is "winners take all; losers fend for yourselves."
Friedman says the current two-party system is dysfunctional, since the Wallers and Webbers are trapped together in the Democratic Party and the Hizballahs and Cakers are stuck sharing the GOP.
This analysis is amusing, but it also illustrates why Hawaii's members of Congress voted recently against the China trade bill. Neil Abercrombie and Patsy Mink --however they positioned their votes against it -- reflected their allegiance not to their constituents, party or president but to the Wallers.
Organized labor fought the trade bill to save mainland union jobs. Of course, it used the more politically correct argument that Chinese working conditions and human rights would progress faster if we didn't trade or invest there and instead walled the Chinese out.
Hawaii stands to benefit from an open, prosperous China, one that sends us her entrepreneurs, students, tourists and statesmen to enjoy the climate, learn, heal, convene and do business. Hawaii's representatives, Mink and Abercrombie, should be building bridges not barriers.
John Flanagan is editor and publisher of the Star-Bulletin.
To reach him call 525-8612, fax to 523-8509, send
e-mail to publisher@starbulletin.com or write to
P.O. Box 3080, Honolulu, Hawaii 96802.