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Editor’s note: For Hawaii’s Aug. 10 Primary Election, Civil Beat asked candidates to answer some questions about where they stand on various issues and what their priorities will be if elected.

The following came from Clyde Lewman, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate. His primary opponents are Ron Curtis and Mazie Hirono.

Go to Civil Beat’s Election Guide for general information, and check out other candidates on the Primary Election Ballot.

1. What is the biggest issue facing Hawai’i and what would you do about it?

The biggest issue facing Hawaii is gentrification. Wealthy, high-income people and foreign investors are paying increasingly high prices for real estate and other products. This drives up housing costs, land and commercial real estate prices and all other products and services.

This is the result of an outdated, out-of-control, capitalistic socio-economic system, which is creating an ever-widening gap between the wealthy elite and everyone else.

As long as we are tied to this capitalistic profit-driven model, there is not much that can be done about forcing lower-income people off the islands and replacing them with the more wealthy.

A solution could be for Hawaii, and the United States, to conduct a prototype experiment based on Marco Dondi’s  “Monitism,” described in his book “Outgrowing Capitalism.” Hawaii would be established as a sovereign kingdom nation with its own monetary system. The United States would be a safety net for both sovereignty and this futuristic democratic, non-capitalistic socio-economic system that could positively impact the world.

This is a way for Hawaii to be of service to itself, to the United States and to the world.

2. What can the U.S. Congress do to reduce gun violence?

By age 18, I owned two rifles and three shotguns. I understand gun owners’ desire for the latest and greatest.

I support background checks for all gun dealers and sellers, including private gun sales. If we do not cover everyone, it is close to being a waste of time.  

There should be legal liability for a weapon used in a crime by the seller who did not do a required background check or illegally sold a firearm.

The New Civil Liberties Alliance was the challenger to the bump stock ban, which turns a semi-automatic into an automatic weapon. The Christian nationalist movement is training a militia and wanted the bump stock ban reversed, so the Supreme Court complied. They are all connected, and all are a threat to freedom and democracy.

They need to be stopped in November so Congress can impeach these corrupt Supreme Court justices. Only then can we reduce gun violence.

3. The polarization in Congress is worse than ever. Some say democracy itself is in trouble. How would you work to end the political polarization that divides both the Congress and the country?

Polarization in Congress continues to worsen, with freedom and democracy vs. authoritarianism on the November ballot. We must keep the Democrats in office for four more years and, during that time, create a new unicameral one-chamber political system without party affiliations, where all members are equally considered senators elected from their states or districts.

Imagine corporations having two boards of directors that hate each other or sports teams with two sets of assistant coaches who despise one another. You would agree that would be absurd and insane. That is precisely what we now have with our two-party, two-chamber Congress.

The United States did not begin with two parties, and the benefits we have had from the two parties and the two chambers have long stopped accruing.

Now, it seems the entire Republican Party is trying to subvert the Constitution. At one time, this would have been treasonous.

Democrats need to trounce the Republican Party this November while at the same time being prepared for a much more violent takeover of Congress and the United States by the Republican Party. 

4. Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, while currently financially sound, risk future funding concerns because of changing demographics. What would you propose to shore up the country’s major safety net programs?

Social Security pays out approximately $1.5 trillion annually and has a surplus of $2.8 trillion, with an annual surplus of more than $70 billion.

First, do not allow Republicans or anyone to borrow from Social Security.

Secondly, the annual Social Security revenue should be increased with a wealth tax and include all of society with Social Security benefits and a minimum basic income (MBI), as AI will eliminate 40% more jobs over the next few years, thereby increasing homelessness.

Based on the capitalistic socio-economic profit motive model, human beings are rapidly losing value to land and other natural resources, clearly demonstrated by what is happening in Gaza.

The capitalistic model works best by allowing homeless people to die off. There is no profit in helping the homeless or even many of the unemployed and seniors. This is the result of greed-based capitalism.  

Radical situations within radical times require radical changes

We need to transform cognitive progressives into active progressives; humanity needs to move away from materialism and toward spiritualism.

5. Currently, the filibuster rule in the U.S. Senate has prevented the chamber from voting on critical issues. Should it be eliminated? Why?

There is not much to say about the filibuster other than it has become slightly ridiculous. With a single house, unicameral legislature, and no political parties, there is no need!

6. Is the U.S. on the right path when it comes to mitigating climate change and growing renewable energy production? What specific things should Congress be considering?

No, we are not on the right path, primarily because of the constant struggle fighting against Republican climate change deniers. I agree with Noam Chomsky when he clearly stated that because of their climate change denial, “The Republican Party is the most dangerous organization in human history, and the world has never seen an organization more profoundly committed to destroying planet Earth.”

Like with homelessness, there is no profit motive within the socio-economic capitalistic system for mitigating climate change. The Republican Party members have lost their ability to speak their minds freely.

With a unicameral, one-house, no-party legislature and campaign spending reform, individual members of both parties could express their views more openly and truthfully, and they would get along without party affiliations.

Hawaii has the ethnic and cultural diversity to lead the world forward with climate change initiatives. The world will listen to Hawaiian diversity.

7. What is your view on the U.S. role in foreign policy? What can the U.S. do to build better relations with the Asia-Pacific region?

The United States needs to find another way to support countries besides supplying them with weapons. Taiwan needs to make a deal with China, even if it hurts American Interests. 

Because the United States is the most powerful country in the world, we need to show more respect for the ideas and interests of smaller, less powerful countries and treat them like others, firmly but fairly.

These relationships are complex, but we should be able to influence countries with resources and production facilities that benefit us to improve their treatment of workers.

Again, this is the result of the socio-economic capitalistic profit motive system.

8. Should the state renew the U.S. military’s leases on training grounds in Hawaii? Should there be new conditions on the leases and if so what?

Yes, Hawaii should renew its military leases, partly because the U.S. military will not leave Hawaii, and their presence benefits Hawaii for now.

We should utilize the U.S. military lease to be included in sovereignty negotiations. All sovereignty negotiations to include dual citizenship. With dual citizenship, a unicameral congress, and a much-expanded Neighborhood Board program to create a more participatory form of governance, the United States and the Kingdom Nation of Hawaii could be of greater service and inspiration to the world. 

One condition would be that any agricultural military land not being used should be made available for some type of agrarian program.