By AMIR GALBAN
Opinions Editor
The main thing I ended up asking myself before writing this was: but why? Why would the creator of FaceBook need to build an underground base? Is there not enough vast and beautiful land on the surface? And most importantly, why did hundreds of peoples’ homes on the Hawaiian island of Kauai have to be sacrificed for this underground project? The answer is pretty simple, but there are deeper aspects to it that we will get into. But for the simple answer, it’s because Mark Zuckerburg could care less about a few hundred indigenous families and their homes–it’s all about the money.
The allure of clandestine projects when linked to high-profile individuals can capture the public’s interest very easily. Mark Zuckerberg, creator of FaceBook, has reportedly planned to build a 1,400-acre compound with an underground base. According to the planning documents, the base should include a 5,000-square-foot underground shelter to have its own energy and food. This is estimated to be $270 million.
Kauai is the smallest and oldest of the four main Hawaiian islands, and has a tight-knit community of over 70,000 people. Recently, the island’s sugarcane economy has been replaced with tourism. The compound being built is supposed to consist of luxury homes for mainlanders ready to move. The compound is centered around two mansions with a total floor area of 57,000 square feet, equivalent to a pro football field. The mansions will be connected to a tunnel leading to the underground shelter.
It is said to be used as a living and working space, but who knows if that’s really true. A local construction agency said, “it is very rare for a private project to have an NDA [non-disclosure agreement] attached to it. The only other time you see this much secrecy and security is when you’re doing secure military installations.” Another contracted worker said, “I would not be surprised if NDAs were the bubble wrap on every interaction for the privacy-conscious tech billionaires.”
There are a bunch of negatives attached to these plans. Kauai is a small island that is used to peace and quiet. It has quickly been transformed by trucks and cars that sound like gunshots, residents say. The project brings a different character to the area. There were lawsuits giving descendents the choice to either sell their stake in the land or bid for it at auction. Their goal is to keep the land and they are being sabotaged to put it up for auction by a billionaire who knows he or someone else in his pocket can grab the land when it’s out of the natives grasp.
These issues suggest that a billionaire like Zuckerberg has his own agenda and will do whatever it takes to have control of the area he is working on, even if it means forcing indigenous people off their homeland. It makes you wonder, with all of the lawsuits, is the base being created for nefarious reasons? We know being a billionaire will give you access to more information than most. Maybe Zuck knows of a threat or two and is preparing for the arrival of it. One of two things can happen in the future. This can be looked at as a destructive plan that was made only for the benefit of billionaires or a valiant effort in trying to enhance the society of Kauai.
