From Hawaii: Maui fires, a capitalist disaster

HAWAII, August 15—Real estate developers, bankers, and tourist billionaires were exploiting the natural beauty of Maui and the labor of local workers. Seventy thousand visitors were on the island on any given day. Everything was cool, right?

In fact, there was plenty to worry about. An initial fire broke out on August 8 at 12.22 a.m. in Upcountry Maui. Another brush fire was reported near the Lahaina elementary school at 6:37 a.m. Subsequent fires started nearby. Horrific flames began tearing through the small town just after 5 p.m., lasting through the night. What seems like a disaster of nature is actually the result of the failure of capitalism to safeguard lives and the environment.

The only way to break out of traps like this is to end the capitalist system which sets the stage for the wars, disasters and tragedies we experience all over the globe. And for this, a revolutionary communist party is needed. Progressive Labor Party is a workers’ party, organizing to build a movement for communist revolution worldwide; everyone who wants to see this system end once and for all should join. Disasters like the Lahaina inferno should be a wake-up call.

State, media, and business neglect our class
Actually, the government was aware of the potential for disaster. Local scientists had published warnings well in advance of the inferno that took too many lives and disappeared 1,300 people. Hurricane Lane in 2018 was the immediate cause of multiple fires on Maui and Oahu. Scientists from the University of Hawaii (UH) analyzed all the causes, warning anyone who would listen of the dangers ahead. See their warnings in “Fire and Rain: The Legacy of Hurricane Lane in Hawaii” (June, 2020).

Vast tracts of grasses cover thousands of acres of unmanaged land in Hawaii. This makes the islands vulnerable to fires. This should, of course, raise serious questions. Why was the land around Lahaina unmanaged? Who actually owns that land? Why was it abandoned to the point where human life was placed at such grave risk?

Disaster prevention did not seem to be on the agenda for the state’s well-paid officials. An ecosystem fire specialist at UH had for years warned that a growing acreage of invasive, fire-prone grasses and brush had overtaken the abandoned agricultural lands once used for sugar and pineapple plantations.

The media and opportunistic lawyers seeking clients seem eager to only blame Hawaiian Electric Company for the disaster. Power lines blown over by strong winds might have sparked the fire, and the company hadn’t bothered to invest in preventive systems. However, there is plenty of blame to go around. It should be clear that the problem was more basic than a few dozen fallen power poles.

The cause is capitalism
The fundamental cause of the tragedy is the economic and social system we are trapped in—the system that leads to dangerously unmanaged land next to over-developed tourist facilities. Capitalism produces a government that cares not about protecting the lives of workers. In fact, it is an obstacle we must overthrow, fight for revolution, and build a new society based on communist principles.

It is clear that Maui has been overdeveloped only to benefit the owners of a multi-billion-dollar tourist industry. Hawaii’s Department of Business Development and Tourism reported that, during the first half of the year, Maui drew more than 1.48 million visitors, or 30 percent of all Hawaii tourists. Visitor spending was $3.5 billion in the same period. That is clearly enough capital for adequate fire-prevention and sufficient fire-fighting personnel and equipment.

No escape from a global system
Despite the priorities of profit, enough of historic Lahaina, with its breathtaking views of offshore islands, remained to attract visitors seeking to briefly escape the capitalist rat race. But, we are trapped in a global system from which there is no escape. Surviving Lahaina workers and visitors have learned a bitter lesson.   

A 74-year-old survivor doesn’t blame firefighters for not warning him in advance. He said a long line of politicians allowed fire stations to be understaffed. Firefighting efforts were hampered by a small staff — 65 firefighters at most working at any given time in Maui. The Fire Chief pointed out that they're responsible for three whole islands — Maui, Molokai and Lanai. They had 13 fire engines and two ladder trucks, all designed for on-road use. The department doesn't have any off-road vehicles, which are needed to attack brush fires thoroughly before they reach populated areas.

Maui County’s 2020 Hazard Mitigation Plan identified 132,000 acres with burnable vegetation requiring long-term management with practices such as those used in agriculture. Seventy miles of fire breaks and 90 miles of fuel breaks were needed. However, under capitalism, politicians are induced to put profit first, public safety second. Even though the potential for destruction far outweighed the cost of prevention, political leaders were encouraged by big business to keep taxes down and budgets low.

It is important to learn why this failure occurred. Even more important is the need to learn how the capitalist system set the stage for catastrophe, and why and how this system must be brought to an end.