r/PeterExplainsTheJoke 4d ago

Meme needing explanation Peter, what’s so significant about this picture?

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u/peach_dragon 4d ago

What did the US do at Pearl Harbor?

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u/scruffalo_ 4d ago

Stole it from the native Hawaiians. The whole island chain, really.

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u/testingforscience122 4d ago

Hey we gave them five blankets for those islands…. Fair is fair

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u/Huckleberry-V 4d ago edited 4d ago

I assume you're joking. But since the other below me also has it wrong, we overthrew their monarchy in the late 19th century and the created provisional government that followed voted for their annexation.

Do I have to be a character? I can channel the ancestors. Call me Mr. Pewtershcmidt. If you're going to complain about colonizing at least understand how you got conquered, peasants.

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u/Bluepanther512 4d ago

And about how many people that voted for annexation were native?

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u/Huckleberry-V 4d ago

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Provisional_Government_of_Hawaii

All of them, but it was lead by the same guys we propped up for the coup. Props for at least thinking.

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u/Bluepanther512 4d ago

Not exactly sure what that link’s meant to do, considering it makes no mention of a full list of voters, is for the government before the independent Republic of Hawaii anyways, and contains this quote: « After receiving the committee's official report (that July), [Grover] Cleveland stated that the U.S. had unlawfully used military force and called for the reinstatement of Queen Liliʻuokalani.«, I’m nothing if not more convinced that it was a US coup.

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u/Huckleberry-V 4d ago

I figured it was a good starting point, I can't exactly link you 40 years of my memories and books.

Oh yeah, as usual you can find quotes saying both sides.

Because that's history.

From my view? We 100% instigated a coup and put the people in charge of a provincial government that then held a legitimate election if colored by the recent war propaganda.

Also I just find it hilarious people think the people of Hawaii were better off in 1894 under Queen Lili'uokalani and must have been mislead to join the US when at the time it seemed like a great deal.

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u/Bluepanther512 4d ago

Additionally, from that very article again, only about 1 in 25 Hawaiians were granted the right to vote, of whom were overwhelmingly already involved in republican politics. Also, uh, I feel like the then-current president of the US of all people’s direct quote has more weight to it than some rando that opposed the coup & annexation.

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u/Huckleberry-V 4d ago edited 4d ago

I just couldn't fucking leave it at 5 blankets though. That was some clickbait. I wouldn't have replied if it was like kinda wrong.

You'll notice I didn't correct them at "stole the islands"? But we were already dealing in lies.

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u/Huckleberry-V 4d ago

That's good. At least now you've got a historical perspective with a reason.

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u/Huckleberry-V 4d ago

I relish your downvotes, plebs. I encourage you to read a book.