The Young Brothers inter-island shipping monopoly just won a 25 percent rate hike from the Public Utilities Commission. Parent company shareholders are made whole, while local consumers are stuck with ever-higher food prices.

When we have money to fund tax credits for powerful film studios, but no money to invest in tax credits for our keiki, the lines between fictional exploitation and the dismal reality of life start to feel blurred. Are we not, in fact, living The White Lotus?