Guam and Gaza
This picture is of protestors in Honolulu, Hawai’i against the invasion of Gaza - There is a lot I could say about the war in Gaza, which as I am writing this has killed close to 1,000 Palestinians and around a dozen Israelis. I am far from impartial on this matter. To me, this war is immoral and of the most gruesome kind, a public relations war, most likely meant for incoming President Barack Obama. The intended message being that if the United States does not continue its support for Israel then, like Samson it will bring down the whole of the Middle East around it.
Now Guam has a tendency to feel isolated from the world. People tell us we are so far away from everything and we tend to believe them. So in terms of the war in Gaza, aside from the cable news networks and the few hundreds words in the Pacific Daily News each day, Israel and Palestine might as well be several worlds away from us here on island.
But we on Guam live a curious sort of distant life. As the crossroads, a transit hub for so many different worlds. A strange paradox of an island where emissaries of two different empires regularly make landfall, one for water sports and Polynesian dances, the other for military service. Guam is a colonial echo in a world where colonialism is not supposed to exist. We are blessed and cursed with a unique existence that, despite our supposed distance, nonetheless binds us to faraway places in the most random, yet intimate ways.
In the case of Guam and Israel we both share a common destiny in relation to the United States, we both get to live out a common militaristic fantasy. Both of us are what American military planners refer to as “unsinkable aircraft carriers.”
This might seem a strange nickname for Israel since it is not a floating bastion like Guam, but the term has nothing to do with islands or floating upon the sea. To be an unsinkable aircraft carrier, there are two primary characteristics. First, like an actual aircraft carrier, you have to have the ability to project force far beyond your immediate borders, and second, the quality that this territory “cannot be lost.”
The first characteristic is obvious, both Guam and Israel possess incredible military resources (generously supplied by the United States), that could easily be used to inflict horrible massive destruction on their neighbors. They are force projection points, upon which the military strategy for an entire region can rest.
The second characteristic is much trickier. Israel “can’t be lost” because it is too important. Since World War II, American foreign policy in the Middle East has hinged on Israel being America’s Samson in the den of its oil rich enemies. It’s a deterrent against rising Arab nationalism which might use its resources to challenge the power of the United States. For this reason, America has long supported Israel’s colonial policies in Palestine, because, from an America foreign policy perspective, it cannot back down anymore, Israel can’t be lost, it would mean a fundamental reworking of America’s place in the region and in the world.
For Guam, part of its appeal is that all this nervousness of it possibly being lost, is completely absent from American military planners. Guam’s appeal is that it is a colony, it is something that once belonged to the United States Navy, and still continues to belong to the United States Government, from their perspective can and will never be lost. It is no wonder than that the United States military is fond of objectifying Guam, or rather weaponizing it. Over the past century Guam has been the “USS Guam” to “Fortress Guam” to an “unsinkable aircraft carrier” and lastly to “the tip of the spear.”
Guam is one of the few places in the world where the United States can send a huge chunks of weapons of mass and conventional destruction, and other than a handful of local protests, no one cares. The currently proposed military buildups will radically change the face of Guam, without any input or consent from the people of Guam, and there is no outrage from the United States, from the region, from the world. The reason being, is that the world is generally divided into three camps on Guam. Some indeed believe that Guam belongs to the United States and it can therefore do whatever it wants to it. Some don’t know anything about Guam and therefore don’t care. And the rest think that Guam is Guatemala.
The United States “can’t lose” Guam because its status as a colony is invisible to the United States itself, to the rest of the world, and most of the people on the island. How else can the United States military call us the “tip of its spear,” basically treat Guam like an object and all of us here, like ants crawling on its weapon, and there is no uproar, no protests or no demand for respect?
As a Guam/Chamorro historian, I can give you the entire historical list of ways in which Guam and Chamorro lives have been continuously defined (in particular over the past 110 years) by outsiders, in particular the United States military and its interests or needs for Guam. For the most part, we accept this as our cost for the privilege of having the world most powerful nation as our colonizer.
But I still dream of something else, and although that history tells me that it is foolish to hope for a future for Guam not dominated by what the American military wants, that same history should compel us to resist, to not accept this militarization, because it is not for our benefit.
Just as I dream of the day when there is peace for Palestine, I also dream of a day when there will be peace for Guam. When we no longer celebrate or accept this status as “America’s spear tip” but that we push for something more.
Kel, how about naming it Fanohge Chamoru? The only thing is the announcer might have problems with the pronunciation. 
Yes Miget and Linda, I do concur. She does win for PURE CUTENESS! Hmmm...you just gave me an idea - ...
too adorable! 
Hafa Adai Lillian,
I came across this trying to confirm the word "yanggen." After reading this I felt compelled to ...
Comment by Jayton Okada on 20 January 2009:
Great article Michael, yay for more contributors to Guamology!
I totally agree with all your points, and the tragedy occurring between Israeli and Palestinian factions is gruesome and sickening.
Wasn’t it the Israelis who fled into the West Bank and the current area Israel occupies because of the Holocaust in the 1940s? (many also fled into the US as we know) While 1,300 (CNN’s latest estimate) is still a paltry figure compared to the millions of Jews killed during the Holocaust, the Israeli’s bombings and killings of Palestinian people is just a step of the dark staircase that leads to Genocide and mass murder.
Comment by Kel Muna on 21 January 2009:
Man, Miget…great stuff. My favorite points:
1. “one for water sports and Polynesian dances, the other for military service.” – The gang at school protects the little guy in exchange for allegiance. Quid pro quo. Next thing you know, it’s more about the gang and less of the little guy.
2. “USS Guam” to “Fortress Guam” to an “unsinkable aircraft carrier” and lastly to “the tip of the spear.” - Give the little guy a cool nickname of inclusion like “Lil’ Down G” or something just as clever – he’ll be so proud.
3. “Guam is one of the few places in the world where the United States can send a huge chunks of weapons of mass and conventional destruction, and other than a handful of local protests, no one cares. The currently proposed military buildups will radically change the face of Guam, without any input or consent from the people of Guam, and there is no outrage from the United States, from the region, from the world.” - If the faculty at the school doesn’t see anything wrong with Lil’ Down G hanging out with the big G’s, and Lil’Down G isn’t complaining, then there’s no reason to worry about Lil’ Down G. (Until something bad happens, then everyone starts pointing fingers and blaming each other.)
4. “And the rest think that Guam is Guatemala.” - Jocks are just jocks, nerds are just nerds and chauds are just chauds. Right? Wrong. UNLESS THEY PROVE OTHERWISE AND SHOW THEIR DEPTH AND LAYERS not just for the sake of being forced into a situation by others at school to do so, but for the sake of establishing their own true identity and dignity for themselves and not letting others label it for them.
5. “like ants crawling on its weapon, and there is no uproar, no protests or no demand for respect?” - See my favorite point #3.
6. “we accept this as our cost for the privilege of having the world most powerful nation as our colonizer.” - Lil’ Down G can hang out with the big G’s just as long as he does what they say.
Lil’ Down G, you better get your stuff straight, mayn and recognize what’s important before it’s too late.
Comment by Kel Muna on 21 January 2009:
But we cannot forget that the US gave lives to save Guam (okay, possibly for their own agenda) but at the same time also saved Guam from possible mass extinction of Chamorros by the Japanese during WWII. So where do we go from here? Where should we go from here?
Comment by si selina on 21 January 2009:
Bravo, Che’lu.
But I also have to wonder if the idea that we’re distanced from the rest of the world is only applicable to “outsiders.” Or are we just as much distanced by our own people? How many Chamorus care about what you’ve pointed out? How many Chamorus, LOCAL and stateside, want to know or understand Guam’s future and its probable demise?
On another note, the handful of protests that you speak of say a lot to me; rather than focusing on how few people there are out there protesting on the sides of the roads, I instead notice how many people are passers-by and don’t bother to take a moment’s glance at those protesting.
I’m just as disappointed and disgusted with those Chamorus who choose to be indifferent towards your concerns as I am with the blatant disregard and disrespect that comes from the Hill or the House.
Comment by Michael Lujan Bevacqua on 21 January 2009:
Si Yu’us Ma’ase for your comments.
To Kel: You broke it down in a very interesting way, and I love it when we can take big, macro, abstract political relationships and transform it into the metaphor of everyday sort of interactions. It becomes much more powerful that way in terms of getting people to understand or pay attention.
We personalize the United States in a positive way, as Uncle Sam, as a benevolent parent, a father, a good buddy who always takes care of us. You’ve created a portrait of the relationship in another way, one we can all recall from our school days.
As for what to do with America, its a big mess, its one of the key reasons I think that people work their hardest not to care about these things. Its not a clear path forward, the relationships are all muddled and contradictory.
To start off, we’ve got the distinction between institutions and the people in them. I believe that the institution of the US military has long mistreated Guam and I don’t ever see that changing, regardless of how many times servicemen paint public schools or donate computers. They liberated Guam for their own purposes and we shouldn’t worship them for their self-interested actions. Chamorros benefited as a by-product, but how does this translate into the eternal debt that I hear about all the time and see manifested every Liberation Day?
Individuals in these institutions can be deserving of respect, love and honor. I’m not saying that there weren’t liberators amongst the military in 1944, but how is it that the United States military and its interests receive the eternal benefits of Chamorro appreciation, when in reality it should be those who own the hands that helped up Chamorros with one hand, and passed out Spam, powdered milk and chocolates with the other.
Colonialism is a mass system, and the nice actions of some individuals doesn’t correct the sytem or do away with it. It can help us ignore our subordinate, objectified status, but it doesn’t get rid of it. I wish that more people on Guam would see these distinctions, wanting to change Guam’s political status, or push for Guam’s interests ahead of America’s don’t mean you hate Americans or America. You might and there is certainly enough there to build up a good argument for that, but it doesn’t inherently mean that.
To Selina: You are sadly right che’lu. Ti solu i mantaotao sanhiyong. Magahet hao na fihu taisetbe lokkue’ i hinasson i taotao-ta gi i korason yan espiritun i isla-ta siha yan tinaotao-ta. Magahet ayu i sinangan gi fino’ Ingles “we have found the enemy and the enemy is us.” Lao ayugue sa’ hafa impottante i che’cho’-ta para ta tulaika i hinasson i taotao-ta.
Comment by Peter J. Santos a.k.a. Chamoruboy on 23 January 2009:
Great discussion going on here. Allow me to add a couple cents.
In order to try and predict what Guam and the NMI’s political future will be, it might be useful to look at the progression of and nature of the discourse, products of the dominant western ideologies, that has lead to modernity.
First in ancient times mankind respected nature as the force and cause for all our existence. As individuals, we lacked importance and we had no concept of individuality. Everything was done for the good of society.
Then mankind developed religion and God as the source and authority of our being. We still lacked individual importance and everything was now done in the service of and in the name of God.
Afterwards mankind began to elevate himself as the center and we began to recognize indivual rights. We embraced the idea of freedom, but freedom was not available to all. We separated the church and state and gave more importance to the state. If you were fortunate to have a particular status in society (a free person) you were free to believe what you liked but were still obligated to the state and bound by the state.
We saw that ideology move towards applying equally to all human beings and we abandoned the system of having different classes of citizens to a large degree, at least in principle.
The progression seems to be moving towards more and more individual autonomy as well as group autonomy.
From this perspective, it seems possible and even probable that Guam, the NMI and other “colonies” will some day truly be free.
This progression I described took place over thousands of years. It may take at least some more hundreds of years to get to the point of true autonomy, but I’m sure it will happen. There is also a strong possibility of backward momentum. What if the U.S. never recovers from the current economic disaster and China emerges as the new lone world super power. China might take Guam as well as other valuable U.S. possessions in exchange for the trillions of dollars the U.S. government owes them. I don’t think I have to explain how that would be a backslide in the progression towards complete and true autonomy.
Now, as for the apathy of our people when it comes to political determination, I’d like to offer a simple explanation (not an excuse) for it. It is human nature that when you are content you will not scream and holler. There are no “atrocities” occurring on Guam at the hands of the occupier that the people can see and feel so they don’t feel the need to go an protest. Of course there is the political atrocity of imperialism but that’s not readily apparent to the people. Humans only react to what the can sense and what they sense is that all is fine. Unfortunately, in order for a society as a whole to get passionate and committed to do something, they have to sense pain and be extremely dissatisfied with thier disposition. That does not exist for the majority of people on Guam.
Sorry to be so long winded but those are my thoughts. Take it or leave it.
Here is an excerpt from a discussion I had in my Exploration of Human Rights course.
Human rights is a function of what can be done dependent on resources available under competing pressures in society, regardless of the level of enlightenment of society. In other words, it’s importance will be determined by the value it is given by the majority in any society. So to try to reconcile the paradox that the contemporary “triumph of human rights” coincides with the worst atrocities in human history is not that difficult. There are pressures of all kinds that inhibit human rights efforts. Political pressure, military reprisal, self preservation, legal barriers, historical alliances, financial or economic constraints, financial or economic interests, lack of moral courage or conviction, apathy, and many other considerations. Just because we know what the right thing to do is, doesn’t always mean we have the ability, support, desire, will, or courage to act.
Comment by Kel Muna on 23 January 2009:
Thanks for such a great comment, Chamoruboy. Looking at the progression from a span over time sheds new light to the issue and helps to put it into perspective. My favorite point is: “It is human nature that when you are content you will not scream and holler.” Herein lies the problem/solution.
Comment by Peter J. Santos a.k.a. Chamoruboy on 23 January 2009:
Something just dawned on me. Instead of screaming and hollering, the people of Guam are leaving. I guess that was part of the design in order to prevent and uprising, if you believe in consipiracy theories.
Now there are many people who leave for reasons beyond their control or who leave for self improvement in order to return to the island at a later time in order to serve the community in an enhanced capacity, but I have a feeling that the vast majority of folks have left just because they did not want to be on Guam in the conditions they were in.
Comment by trench on 23 January 2009:
Great Post. Guam as Guatemala. I always get that back in the mainland.
Good insight man. Looking forward to more.
Pingback by Hope, Change and Colonialism : Guamology on 3 February 2009:
[...] this doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t be paying attention. I wrote last week in my post “Guam and Gaza” that we on Guam tend to feel isolated from the world, and in the case of whose President of the [...]
Comment by onelove on 6 March 2009:
free palestine, free guahan!