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Guam is a nation, and it should have the right to determine its own future. If the people of Guam want independence, I don't see why we can't respect their wishes.
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The US needs Guam now that the Philippines closed our bases and the ones in Okinawa are being threatened for closure too. We need Guam to help secure our geo-political strength in the western Pacific.
Why do we need to assert our "geopolitical strength?" The western Pacific belongs to the nations that are located in that area, not the US. Why can't we just worry about the affairs of the United States, without intervening in foreign affairs? We are not the world's peacekeeping force.
Northstar - perhaps we should respect independence for Guam, but ONLY if it is desired and voted upon by a majority of the population on the island. We were merely stating the reasons for BOTH sides on why commonwealth or territorial status is the best.
Guam is a nation, and it should have the right to determine its own future. If the people of Guam want independence, I don't see why we can't respect their wishes.
Why do we need to assert our "geopolitical strength?" The western Pacific belongs to the nations that are located in that area, not the US. Why can't we just worry about the affairs of the United States, without intervening in foreign affairs? We are not the world's peacekeeping force.
Well, technically, Guam is a 'nation' but by a pretty long stretch. And of course the will of the people in an independent democratic society/territory/commonwealth under the US flag has every right to express its feelings via voting rights. The wishes of the people have been respected for many years now via due democratic process, so what's your beef?
As far as your argument about "geopolitical strength" is concerned, I do think with all due respect that you need to read up on history related to US territories and possessions before venting about America's role in "foreign affairs".
Economically the USA is really not in a very good position right now where the world is concerned. And, yes, there is a world outside the USA.
Learn well and choose your words well before you fire off verbal salvos.
Most people in Guam don't want Independence,but want to become a U.S Commonwealth....Guam and The Northern Marianas Islands are very important to the U.S because of it's Strategic Location.
It's sad though that most people in the U.S Mainland don't know that the people in those islands are Americans too and that they are also a part of the U.S.
The US shouldn't give up its few Pacific possessions in an age of geopolitical stressful times.
US sAMOA, Guam , N Maraianas, Howland & Baker , etc should remain in a kind of association with the US (maybe statehood for some in the long term). Don't forget France has 23 000 sqkm of islands in the south Pacific, much more than the US. There are good reasons (strategic, not economic) these territories (Polynesia, new caledonia, etc) didn't get independence from the French.
The US shouldn't give up its few Pacific possessions in an age of geopolitical stressful times.
US sAMOA, Guam , N Maraianas, Howland & Baker , etc should remain in a kind of association with the US (maybe statehood for some in the long term). Don't forget France has 23 000 sqkm of islands in the south Pacific, much more than the US. There are good reasons (strategic, not economic) these territories (Polynesia, new caledonia, etc) didn't get independence from the French.
Yes, but New Caledonia and French Polynesia are directly integrated into France as overseas departments. In other words, they are the equivalent of states within France. French Guiana, Mayotte, Reunion, Martinique, Guadalupe, French St. Martin, and St. Pierre & Miquelon are all direct parts of France with full voting rights, privileges, and representation in the French Parliament. Same with how Aruba, Curacao, Bonaire, Saba, Dutch St. Martin, etc are direct integral parts of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
The US and the UK are the last countries to maintain colonies in the traditional sense (even though they are now called politically correct terms like "US unincorporated territories" and "British overseas territories").
The issue with making Guam, American Samoa, the US Virgin Islands, etc into states is their small population.
I favor this approach:
Puerto Rico becomes a state of it's own.
The US Virgin Islands becomes a county of Florida.
Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands either become a single state called Pacific State, or they become counties of Hawaii. We could add the Associated States of Palau, Micronesia, and the Marshall Islands if they desire as well.
The issue with making Guam, American Samoa, the US Virgin Islands, etc into states is their small population.
I favor this approach:
Puerto Rico becomes a state of it's own.
The US Virgin Islands becomes a county of Florida.
Guam, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands either become a single state called Pacific State, or they become counties of Hawaii. We could add the Associated States of Palau, Micronesia, and the Marshall Islands if they desire as well.
I posited a similar approached in a different thread on here. Make the Pacific territories a combined state. Give them a couple of U.S. senators and however many congressional seats their population allows. The difference with my idea is that I also favored combining Puerto Rico and the USVI into their own state as well with each contributing a U.S. senator and the appropriate number of congressmen. Obviously such things are easier said than done and the politics almost certainly become snippier when going from the federal level down to the (proposed) state and local levels.
This certainly isn't the most pressing issue facing the country at the moment, but such radical action would put to rest the issue of territories and commonwealths once and for all.
Don't forget France has 23 000 sqkm of islands in the south Pacific, much more than the US. There are good reasons (strategic, not economic) these territories (Polynesia, new caledonia, etc) didn't get independence from the French.
France has a whole freaking country in South America. They also have two inhabited islands near Canada that most folks don't know about because they're so small they don't show up on most maps. Not to mention a lot of other places scattered around the world.
I think with Guam not really having a natural resource to feed off of like Australia has. It's a very bad decision to become liberated from USA control. (local Chamorro)
In my opinion,Guam needs to remain with the U.S whether it wants to remain a Territory or become a Commonwealth or State if the island wants to survive economically.
Places that have choosen Independence or Free Association are not doing very well today,but rather people in those places are leaving for better opportunities in Guam or the U.S Mainland and Hawaii.
The People in Guam just need to look at the situation in The Philippines and The Federated States of Micronesia to see the results of their decision....Guam is doing much better compared to those places.
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Originally Posted by islabeauty
I think with Guam not really having a natural resource to feed off of like Australia has. It's a very bad decision to become liberated from USA control. (local Chamorro)
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