Micronesia at the Crossroads: a Reappraisal of the Micronesian Political Dilemma

Heine, Carl (1975). "Micronesia at the Crossroads: a Reappraisal of the Micronesian Political Dilemma". The Western Political Quarterly. 28 (2): 408. doi:10.2307/447448. ISSN 0043-4078.

Abstract: "I want to admit that in this book I have committed the cardinal sins of oversimplification, over generalization, and pro- pounding value judgments. No one can write about the present political upheavals in Micronesia without inviting charges of vagueness and arousing others to positions of controversy. No one can write about the diverse, complex, and often confused world of emerging Micronesia without feeling inadequate to the task and even guilty about the results of his efforts. Yet the task of writing such a book was compelling. One Micronesia I knew was the one conveyed to me through the oral tradition. Yet from the time I was taught to read, and especially during the last fifteen years, I came to discover, through a considerable amount of literature written by non-Micronesians, another Micronesia. And I came to realize that the Micronesia of the oral tradition and the Micronesia of the written literature are not the same and that, although the assessment of the "outside ob- server" was nice to have, most of the time it was not a true reflection of the real Micronesia I thought I knew. This book, therefore, is about the Micronesia that I, a Micronesian, have come to know. It is not necessarily the Micronesia that official Washington knows, or the Micronesia of the anthropologist, geographer, or missionary. In short, it is the Micronesia of the insider rather than that of the visitor, however much a student of our land he may be...

...My purpose in writing this book is to provide a basis for discussion of Micronesia's future by presenting one point of view of the range of problems facing Micronesia in her struggle to gain a new status, a new way of life, and a new freedom. Certainly, no attempt is made to advance final solutions. There are suggestions and expressions of political ideology to be considered. Micronesians themselves must ultimately find the real solution. Throughout this book, I have taken the position that the only realistic political course for Micronesia is to enter into a state of free association with the United States. However, as a Micronesian, I am colonized, and perhaps my feelings may have been colored by my own experiences. I have also lived in the United States. I do not minimize at all the attraction of the richness, the variety, the humor, the liveliness, the sheer vitality that are contained within the American society. I am conscious, too, of the large number of Americans who are appalled by the social ills that are damaging the United States both at home and abroad. These social ills are slowly, but surely, coming to Micronesia too...""

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