this post was submitted on 19 Sep 2025
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[–] Bluefalcon@discuss.tchncs.de 107 points 1 week 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.

[–] skisnow@lemmy.ca 65 points 1 week 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 7 points 1 week ago

Fuck those lies

[–] theherk@lemmy.world 37 points 1 week ago (2 children)

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

[–] Dorkyd68@lemmy.world 8 points 1 week ago

Where i live it personal land owners cut off access to water ways. There is a river not 5 minutes from my house however I cant access it cause it's all private land. Pretty sad

[–] RagingRobot@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week 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 4 points 1 week 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.

[–] minorkeys@lemmy.world 18 points 1 week ago (1 children)

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

[–] Bluefalcon@discuss.tchncs.de 5 points 1 week ago

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

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

Especially in a small island chain.

[–] ScrambledEggs@lazysoci.al 105 points 1 week ago (3 children)

Buy back? Kick the billionaire out.

[–] andyburke@fedia.io 56 points 1 week ago

Sounds like a time for eminent domain.

[–] chonglibloodsport@lemmy.world 40 points 1 week ago (1 children)

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

[–] hayvan@feddit.nl 14 points 1 week ago (1 children)

How about, just ignoring the ownership then.

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

Great way to start a war with China!

[–] Alcoholicorn@mander.xyz 5 points 1 week ago (1 children)

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.

[–] P1nkman@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

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

The US would recognize them if the US won.

[–] Alcoholicorn@mander.xyz 0 points 1 week ago

You would think, but the US basically left the WTO it basically controlled during Trump pt I

[–] memfree@lemmy.ml 74 points 1 week 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 37 points 1 week 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.

[–] HugeNerd@lemmy.ca 65 points 1 week 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?

[–] porksnort@slrpnk.net 16 points 1 week 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.

[–] MyNameIsIgglePiggle@sh.itjust.works 10 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Ikr. "Hawaiians unite to give billionaire more money"

[–] HugeNerd@lemmy.ca 4 points 1 week ago

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

[–] apenstaartje@lemmy.cafe 17 points 1 week ago

Billionaire decides not to sell.

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

Shitty move, Hawaii.

[–] Witchfire@lemmy.world 9 points 1 week ago

And the billionaires still win somehow

[–] JusticeForPorygon@lemmy.blahaj.zone 8 points 1 week ago (1 children)

Dole food company eyeing this

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

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

[–] AA5B@lemmy.world 5 points 1 week ago

This is bullshit, eminent domain has been used for a lot less worthy causes. The guy’s been absent for a decade, it’s rundown, not developed, abandoned buildings, looks like a hazard to the community.