Hiding out on Guadalcanal

[snopes]

Comment: I recall an old story in Reader's Digest or Catholic Digest, in
which an Australian man, in the 1930's, foresees the coming war and seeks
the most remote spot on earth to hide. He sells everything and moves to
his carefully selected sanctuary, the tiny, obscure, all-but-unknown
island of Guadalcanal.

[ASL]

How could he possibly have come up with that as the most remote place on earth? It's the largest island in the Solomons chain, had been populated for probably thousands of years, and had Western settlers/missionaries as well. There are plenty of nice remote islands in the Pacific, the trouble is that sort of remoteness tends to mean there's not much hope of supporting life (there are some exceptions though). I personally had been thinking long and hard about trying to get orders to Diego Garcia just for kicks, but I think after this tour I'm done with serving overseas for the foreseeable future if I can help it (at some point I should probably try living in the US, you know?).

A remote part of Australia would have been a much better choice. It's cut off from every other country by sea and, if he was worried about Australia being invaded, then why the heck would he pick a large island so close to Australia to run to? If he was dead set on a Pacific island, he could have at least picked one off the coast of South America: plenty of sparsely inhabited yet survivable islands over there, and who the hell would want to invade South America from beyond the sea?

[Em]

There was a similar story in (IIRC) one of Heinlein's Lazarus novels, only it was an American who moved to Iwo Jima.

[Squirt]

Surely the only real threat to Australia in the 1930's came from Japan? Whilst no one could have easily forseen the extent of the Japanese advance, a Pacific war was likely to make large islands targets for airfield or naval base construction if nothing else.

Pitcairn Island certainly comes to mind as being a better option. Three thousand miles to the nearest doctor, lawyer, or policeman, plus it's (somehow) been supporting the descendants of the HMS Bounty mutineers for hundreds of years now. Much more remote than Guadalcanal.

[Graham2001]

Originally Posted by Em

There was a similar story in (IIRC) one of Heinlein's Lazarus novels, only it was an American who moved to Iwo Jima.

Another version appears in Stephen Piles Book of Heroic Failures, however set in the early 80's. A Canadian peace activist decides to move to somewhere so remote that no one will fight over it (eg Not a nuclear target)....he arrives in Port Stanley the day before the Argentina invade the Falklands.

[ganzfeld]

Originally Posted by January

Pitcairn Island certainly comes to mind as being a better option.

I'd pick Kerguelen. Plenty of coast, land, and, if you really want, tiny islands. Pitcairn is always visited by some silly TV crew.

[A Turtle Named Mack]

The South Georgia Islands would be an interesting choice - lots of fishing, sheltered areas and not near enough to anything else to be worth invading. Maybe even enough soil to grow some crops. Heat might be a problem though.

[A Turtle Named Mack]

Yeah, I was not particularly aware of th South Georgia part of that altercation. I still say it is not worth invading for anything other than swagger.

[ganzfeld]

I'm guessing you missed the news circa 1982.

[ASL]

Originally Posted by Graham2001

A Canadian peace activist decides to move to somewhere so remote that no one will fight over it (eg Not a nuclear target)....he arrives in Port Stanley the day before the Argentina invade the Falklands.

A few questions for the general audience:

Aren't peace activists supposed to go where their "activity" could do some good? What's the point of being a peace activist in the middle of nowhere, especially in the days before internet? If an anti-war protest is held and no one's around to hear it, was it really a protest?

[Ali Infree]

Maybe the wrong term was used, if he was a pacifist wanting to avoid war. A pacifist is not necessarily an activist in the sense of wanting publicity. Some people choose to withdraw rather than interact.

Famously, Karl Hess, formerly Barry Goldwater's speechwriter ("extremism in defense of liberty is no vice") was ticked off about the IRS. He spent most of the rest of his life bartering for things to avoid taxes. While no pacifist, some who are have made that choice.

Perhaps that makes more sense as the SAS regiment sails in. Still sounds apocryphal to me.

Ali