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June 11th is an important Hawaii State holiday. It's the day many Hawaiians honor and respect their greatest ruler/unifier, King Kamehameha the Great. Hawaiians view King Kamehameha and his numerous accomplishments with the same reverence many people view George Washington or Abraham Lincoln.

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

DCP (who is currently in Hawaii) just posted a very derogatory comment about the Hawaii's most hallowed and honored person. To their credit, several commentors called DCP out on his tone-deaf post.

DPCP wrote:I’ve never understood why Kamehameha is called “the Great,” nor why his name and his statues show up all over Hawai’i. Yes, he unified Hawai’i under a single ruler. But for what? Simply because he wanted to own all of the islands? Why? Did he have progressive new ideas to help people? Didn’t he have enough poi to eat? Was his grass-hut palace on the Big Island too small? How many people had to die for him to gratify his pointless ambition? Why, again, do we call such men “great”? I’ll bet that there’s a different standard in heaven for greatness. And there should be a different one on Earth, as well.

Quite disrespectful, no? Does it rise to the cruelty of him torturing a cat, as reported by one of his co-travelers during an excursion to the Middle East? Does it rise to the irreverent mockery of him demeaning Jewish religious ceremonies, as also reported by one of his co-travelers during a trip to Israel? You will have to be the judge of that. But it's psychologically fascinating that even vacationing in a tropical paradise seems to inspire despicable behavior in him.

DCP is ugly about a lot of things. His name calling of Drumdude is particularly disgusting. He can't argue concepts or ideas so he name-calls. It's shameful.

Good Lord. What a waste of so much travel. This comment on the blog says it well:

To really understand and appreciate the role Kamehameha played, one needs to understand a bit about the islands’ culture. Especially pre-Kamehameha.

For almost 1000 years, before Kamehameha unified the many and varied warring kingdoms of Hawaii, bloodshed, involuntary servitude, violence and constant warfare were what largely defined pre-Kamehameha Hawaiian history.

Under Kamehameha, for the first time in the islands’ long history was peace achieved. Unified laws and justice codes were enacted, in addition to the countless lives that were saved as a result of the unification of the many warring states.

Much has been written on this subject. Also, ask a Hawaiian while you are still there what they think about Kamehameha. It will help get a better sense of why Kamehameha is so respected and revered by the Hawaiian people.

Emphasis mine.

I feel very sad for DCP. Having gotten to travel to the Baltics and spend a lot of time with a Balt, I got a strong understanding of not only the Wikipedia version of their history, but how they felt about that history. I got to tour a Soviet torture prison with them. Facts can only get you so far, it’s so much deeper to actually hear those facts from the locals themselves.

It’s clear DCP has a strong lack of empathy and understanding on that front. It unfortunately “tracks” (as the kids say) with the board’s understanding of DCP’s character.

What a huge, huge waste of the privilege of traveling the world. Just makes me incredibly sad.

You'd think Dan would know this, but cultures all over the world celebrate strong leaders of their heritage and probably white-wash them significantly.

It's much easier for outsiders to see the flaws.

As an example, Dan thinks Joseph Smith was one of the most wonderful humans to have ever lived and lived to serve people without a thought for himself.

He believes that for the same reasons people in Hawaii think their guy was the best.

It's a little surprising he acted this way because he's often able to see in advance the implications to religion, although hmm, this wasn't a religious figure, and he's heavily invested in dismissing any connections between nationalism and religious worship. So I guess I take that back.

Everybody Wang Chung wrote: ↑

Mon Mar 31, 2025 1:18 am

June 11th is an important Hawaii State holiday. It's the day many Hawaiians honor and respect their greatest ruler/unifier, King Kamehameha the Great. Hawaiians view King Kamehameha and his numerous accomplishments with the same reverence many people view George Washington or Abraham Lincoln.

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

DCP (who is currently in Hawaii) just posted a very derogatory comment about the Hawaii's most hallowed and honored person. To their credit, several commentors called DCP out on his tone-deaf post.

DCP wrote:I’ve never understood why Kamehameha is called “the Great,” nor why his name and his statues show up all over Hawai’i. Yes, he unified Hawai’i under a single ruler. But for what? Simply because he wanted to own all of the islands? Why? Did he have progressive new ideas to help people? Didn’t he have enough poi to eat? Was his grass-hut palace on the Big Island too small? How many people had to die for him to gratify his pointless ambition? Why, again, do we call such men “great”? I’ll bet that there’s a different standard in heaven for greatness. And there should be a different one on Earth, as well.

Quite disrespectful, no? Does it rise to the cruelty of him torturing a cat, as reported by one of his co-travelers during an excursion to the Middle East? Does it rise to the irreverent mockery of him demeaning Jewish religious ceremonies, as also reported by one of his co-travelers during a trip to Israel? You will have to be the judge of that. But it's psychologically fascinating that even vacationing in a tropical paradise seems to inspire despicable behavior in him.

It's another example of Peterson's laziness. He hasn't been bothered to take the time to understand something before ranting in a casually racist kind of way about something that doesn't suit his white-privileged middle-class overfed ass. How would he react to someone making similar points about Joseph Smith and all his girlfriends? Was Emma not enough?

Today, King Kamehameha I Day is treated with elaborate events harkening back to ancient Hawaiʻi, respecting the cultural traditions that Kamehameha defended as his society was slowly shifting towards European trends.

I'm guessing DCP takes exception to people resisting white colonisation. I wonder how he's dealing with all the long-held traditions in Africa that are being encountered by his "Not By Bread Alone" project team? This abhorrence of ancient non-white traditions might explain why he's avoiding going to participate in that project in person...

To his credit, today he draws a direct comparison between Trump & Maga, and Hitler & Naziism.

Sadly, Adolf Hitler offers an example of the power of a particular unique personality to affect historical developments. If der Führer hadn’t existed, could Ernst Röhm, Hermann Göring, Martin Bormann, Heinrich Himmler, Julius Streicher, or even Joseph Goebbels have led the Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei  to the epoch-making lethal heights that it unfortunately reached? During the Third Reich, German military personnel, including officers and soldiers, swore an oath of allegiance directly to Adolf Hitler, known as the “Hitler Oath” or the “Führer Oath,” promising unconditional obedience to him, not to Germany, and a readiness to risk their lives for him.

…and…

I think that a plainly apparent current example of what I have in mind is President Donald Trump. Would the MAGA movement exist in anything like its current form or with its current power in the absence of Mr. Trump? It seems to me obvious that it has coalesced around his personality much more than around a clear and coherent set of political, economic, or philosophical principles existing in the abstract apart from him, and that neither Steve Bannon, Kari Lake, George Santos, Elon Musk, Lauren Boebert, Rudy Giuliani, Tulsi Gabbard, Elise Stefanik, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Marjorie Taylor Greene, nor Matt Gaetz could have brought the MAGA movement to the commanding heights that it now occupies.

Which is way more than any of the lilly-livered Apostles will do during this year's April conference.

Peterson is suggesting Maga and Naziism are kindred spirits. I happen to agree with Peterson on this one.

The object lesson about the cockroach in the ice cream sundae comes to mind…

Dumping on King Kamehameha reminds me of when Dr. Peterson spoke derogatorily about Dr. Martin Luther King (that was before the Church tried to rein in members' abundant racism). It is a shame that Dr. Peterson did not post this where the Church's Hawaiian members could see it and insist the Church Authorities talk with him.

To his credit, today he draws a direct comparison between Trump & MAGA, and Hitler & Naziism.

Peterson is suggesting that Maga and Naziism are kindred spirits. I happen to agree with Peterson on this one.

Glad to see Dr. Peterson making this redeeming claim.

DCP wrote:I’ve never understood why Kamehameha is called “the Great,” nor why his name and his statues show up all over Hawai’i. Yes, he unified Hawai’i under a single ruler. But for what? Simply because he wanted to own all of the islands? Why? Did he have progressive new ideas to help people? Didn’t he have enough poi to eat? Was his grass-hut palace on the Big Island too small? How many people had to die for him to gratify his pointless ambition? Why, again, do we call such men “great”? I’ll bet that there’s a different standard in heaven for greatness. And there should be a different one on Earth, as well.

Fixed it for DCP. Maybe this will help DCP understand why his post was so derogatory and demeaning to many Hawaiians who revere King Kamehameha:

I’ve never understood why Joseph Smith is considered by many Mormons as “great,” nor why his name and his statues show up all over church properties, textbooks and media. Yes, he created a religion and scripture. But for what? Simply because he wanted to gain power, wealth and women? Why? Did he have progressive new ideas to help people that wouldn't only line his pockets? Didn’t he have enough wives? Was his house in Palmyra too small? How many people had to die for him to gratify his pointless ambition/sex drive? Why, again, do we call such men “great”? I’ll bet that there’s a different standard in heaven for greatness. And there should be a different one on Earth, as well.

Everybody Wang Chung wrote: ↑

Mon Mar 31, 2025 8:26 pm

DCP wrote:I’ve never understood why Kamehameha is called “the Great,” nor why his name and his statues show up all over Hawai’i. Yes, he unified Hawai’i under a single ruler. But for what? Simply because he wanted to own all of the islands? Why? Did he have progressive new ideas to help people? Didn’t he have enough poi to eat? Was his grass-hut palace on the Big Island too small? How many people had to die for him to gratify his pointless ambition? Why, again, do we call such men “great”? I’ll bet that there’s a different standard in heaven for greatness. And there should be a different one on Earth, as well.

Fixed it for DCP. Maybe this will help DCP understand why his post was so derogatory and demeaning to many Hawaiians who revere King Kamehameha:

I’ve never understood why Joseph Smith is considered by many Mormons as “great,” nor why his name and his statues show up all over church properties, textbooks and media. Yes, he created a religion and scripture. But for what? Simply because he wanted to gain power, wealth and women? Why? Did he have progressive new ideas to help people that wouldn't only line his pockets? Didn’t he have enough wives? Was his house in Palmyra too small? How many people had to die for him to gratify his pointless ambition/sex drive? Why, again, do we call such men “great”? I’ll bet that there’s a different standard in heaven for greatness. And there should be a different one on Earth, as well.

A+

I Have Questions wrote: ↑

Mon Mar 31, 2025 8:15 am

To his credit, today he draws a direct comparison between Trump & Maga, and Hitler & Naziism.

I think that a plainly apparent current example of what I have in mind is President Donald Trump. Would the MAGA movement exist in anything like its current form or with its current power in the absence of Mr. Trump? It seems to me obvious that it has coalesced around his personality much more than around a clear and coherent set of political, economic, or philosophical principles existing in the abstract apart from him, and that neither Steve Bannon, Kari Lake, George Santos, Elon Musk, Lauren Boebert, Rudy Giuliani, Tulsi Gabbard, Elise Stefanik, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Marjorie Taylor Greene, nor Matt Gaetz could have brought the MAGA movement to the commanding heights that it now occupies.

I thought DCP had sworn off criticizing Donald Trump so the donations to Interpreter wouldn't dry up.