The U.S. has built the largest global network of military bases in history—and Hawaiʻi has long stood at its center. In this conversation, David Vine traces the hidden costs of empire and why they matter as Hawaiʻi weighs the future of its lands and security.

In this episode, anthropologist and author David Vine discusses the global reach of the U.S. military and the history of near-continuous American warfare. Drawing on decades of research, Vine argues that foreign military bases have often enabled conflict, imposed heavy environmental and social costs, and displaced Indigenous communities, while doing little to enhance real security. The conversation focuses in particular on Hawaiʻi’s role in this system, from land seizures and contamination to the state’s ongoing negotiations over base leases, and explores how historical perspective can inform debates about security, sovereignty, and the future use of land in the islands.

David Vine anthropologist, author of The United States of War, Base Nation, and Island of Shame.

Robert Perkinson (moderator) is an associate professor of American Studies at the University of Hawaii at Mānoa and director of the Better Tomorrow Speaker Series.

Sound Engineering:

Adeel Meer

Center for Language & Technology

Production Assistance:

Amika Matteson, Christine Ahn, Sydney Son, and Willow Hutchison

The Better Tomorrow Speaker Series features incisive conversations on the most pressing issues of our time. The project is a joint venture of the University of Hawai‘i and the Hawai‘i Community Foundation.

BTSS website: http://manoa.hawaii.edu/speakers/ 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@uhbtss

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/uh_btss/  

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/UHBTSS/  

Twitter: https://twitter.com/uh_btss