Letter: Military buildup makes Hawaii a primary target

So U.S. Rep. Ed Case heartily approves of Hawaii being at the center of the U.S.’s massive anti-China military buildup in the Pacific (“Congress funds military, programs in Pacific,” Star-Advertiser, Jan. 2). He argued it contributes to our security and our economy.

Indeed, the same article informed us about a new Marine Corps barracks, expanded missile storage in Pearl Harbor, upgrading Schofield Barracks, an Army National Guard Readiness Center in Kapolei and funding for new attack submarines.

One doesn’t have to particularly like or trust the Chinese Communist Party to find fault with Case’s argument. Yes, the Xi regime operates a brutally oppressive dictatorship at home and a campaign threatening Taiwan. However, does this ongoing U.S. military buildup in the Pacific contribute to diplomacy and peaceful resolution of issues between the U.S. and China? Or does it intensify fears and tensions to the point where a small incident in the South China Sea can set off the catastrophic nuclear war nobody wants?

Hawaii would inevitably be the primary U.S. target, which could mean the end of all life here. So let’s build for peace and not war.

Noel Kent

Manoa

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