Beyond Parties, the Common Good

Perhaps as an observance of the New Year, step back and think aloud with me about the future of Hawaii.

Most of the time since statehood, we have worked from a broad agreement about who we are and where we’re going. This has resulted in a shared vision about building an open society based on fair play, opportunity and, when needed, a helping hand.

This was our broad, shared ground, our "consensus" view.

Running counter to consensus, the main trend in Hawaii today is polarization. It is a trend – though not the exclusive one – that works in opposition to the tradition of a strong center.

Polarization is being driven from within and without. Of the two, polarization from without is the more obvious. We are plagued by intense partisanship in Washington, a divisive war, a widening gap between rich and poor, and a strident religious movement that seeks to impose its views on all of society.

Polarization from within Hawaii is also being fed by such factors. To this we should add a relative absence of local initiative in our economy and a damper on what was previously a growing middle class. Perhaps foremost is the unresolved historical grievance of Native Hawaiians.

At some level, I think everyone senses this polarization. What we do not sense is how to cope, and to potentially rebuild an effective center.

In this regard, I offer a traditional starting point: Hawaii is not only a unique society in America, but in the world. People everywhere still marvel at our diversity and relative harmony, even if we do not. This perception leaves us with a special mission to not merely preserve, but to enhance, adapt and share the essence of Hawaii.

With such a sense of mission, we will ask ourselves: "Where will Hawaii be in 15 or 20 years? What kind of Hawaii are we leaving to the next generation?" I believe such questions evoke a tone of courtesy and care, in which dialogue gains ascendancy over invective.

To rebuild the center we must resurrect the idea of the common good. We must acknowledge that we do not live in isolation. We cannot leave everything to consumption and the market. We must do some things together, which is the essential dynamic of politics.

Within the political arena, it seems pretty apparent we must move beyond the polarity of liberal and conservative. I avoid those words. They are unproductive. If we are to locate common ground, we must have a new synthesis of traditional liberal and conservative viewpoints. In Hawaii, we are fortunate to enjoy an extraordinary sense of family, neighborhood and community. These are reinforced at many levels, through schools, sports, church, the "Y," the YBA, etc. We pay our bills. We are the best mortgage risks in the country. By tradition we are "conservative" on the home front and "liberal" in the public sphere.

In our rebuilding process, Democrats might avoid thinking there is a programmatic answer for every problem. By the same token, Republicans would do well to accept that we need strong, well-funded programs of education, transportation, scenic and cultural preservation, recreation, safety, etc. Both parties must return to a rigid devotion to fiscal integrity. We must maintain a solid revenue base in which the cost of government is widely shared.

We must respect the private economy, let people onto the playing field and let people compete. Let’s concentrate on fairness.

Let us frequently ask, "Are we bringing more and more people up from poverty into the great middle class?"

Who are we? We are a society concerned with fair play, opportunity and social justice.

George R. Ariyoshi, chairman and cofounder of Convergence CT and Cellular Bioengineering, is the former president of Prince Resorts Hawaii Inc. He is active in international business circles, particularly in Asia. An attorney by profession, Ariyoshi served in elective office in Hawaii from 1954 to 1986. He served as governor of Hawaii from 1973 to 1986 and was the first Japanese American to be elected governor in the United States.

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