It'll be interesting to see if the Kaua'i protests that shut down the Hawaii Superferry at least temporarily lead to similar confrontational tactics by rebellious citizens on other issues.

We really haven't seen such dramatic displays of civil disobedience since the Kaho'olawe and Kalama Valley protests more than 30 years ago.

Such showdowns seem to feed off of each other — especially when the tactics are perceived to be successful, as on Kaua'i.

When I saw news reports of Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann's meeting last week on the Waimanalo Gulch landfill with angry, sign-waving Leeward O'ahu residents, it wasn't difficult to envision those protesters someday trying to block trucks from reaching the landfill.

I gave Hannemann credit for facing the unhappy crowd and giving them the respect of straight talk about the lack of viable options to Waimanalo Gulch, at least in the short-term.

But clearly, many at the meeting weren't buying anything the mayor had to say; some frustrated residents wanted no less than to hold Hannemann to a promise to close Waimanalo Gulch made and broken by former Mayor Jeremy Harris before Hannemann was elected.

There's obvious potential for escalation of this conflict as the issue plays out, and as with the Superferry, it's less about logic and legalities than gut feelings of right and wrong.

There's a core of fed-up Hawai'i residents who are increasingly alienated — and open to virtually any opportunity to vent their aggravation.

The Superferry protests on Maui and Kaua'i started with lawsuits about environmental assessments, but that's not what it's really about.

No environmental review will ever convince most of the protesters — who included Hawaiian nationalists, anti-military activists, advocates for renewable energy, canoe paddlers, surfers, hunters and fishermen — that the Superferry is a good thing.

A common frustration expressed by protesters was that their worries about threats to their way of life posed by the Superferry weren't being heard by people in power.

Whether or not you agree with their issues or tactics, it's a mistake to discount the depth of their disaffection.

I realized this when a friend on Kaua'i once told me that many of her friends were hoping for another hurricane to blow away the million-dollar homes built by outsiders after Iniki that sent housing prices soaring and altered the island's character.

It doesn't help that fewer citizens trust the traditional political system as a viable means of voicing grievances. They're put off by the special-interest money that rules elections and props up incumbents beholden to the status quo.

Those unhappy with Hannemann over Waimanalo Gulch, rail transit and other contentious issues, for instance, may not even have an opposition candidate to vote for next year as the mayor's huge bankroll scares off potential challengers.

Mauians unhappy with the Superferry can direct a little grief at Rep. Joe Souki, who killed a bill for an environmental assessment, but Kaua'i voters have no real way to vent their feelings about the ferry at the ballot box.

U.S. Rep Neil Abercrombie and others warn of major civil unrest if traditional Hawaiian assets such as the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Hawaiian Homes and Kamehameha Schools start to fall to legal challenges.

Lawmakers are so worried about observing the 50th anniversary of Hawai'i's statehood in 2009 without setting off widespread protests in our polarized community that they created a convoluted committee that looks like a mini-Legislature to figure it out.

The Superferry won't be the only boat facing rough sailing if our leaders can't find ways to satisfy citizens that their voices are being heard and restore faith in our democratic processes.

David Shapiro, a veteran Hawai'i journalist, can be reached by e-mail at dave@volcanicash.net. Read his daily blog at blogs.honoluluadvertiser.com.