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Again, like Hawaii, I have come across Puerto Rican nationalists who believe that the Puerto Rican people do want independence and that the US is merely blocking it so that the US won't lose a territory to exploit.... if that is so, why doesn't Puerto Rico just ask for independence right now... why is that hard?
The Philippines asked for their independence and they got it, so what's preventing Hawaii, Guam and Puerto Rico from asking the same thing?
Hawaii is a US state, so the conversation as it relates to Puerto Rico is not "like Hawaii" . . . Congress would never authorize a state to leave the union just because it asks to do so, and we've seen what happens when a state(s) try to do so by force.
As for Puerto Rico specifically, not enough residents there seem to want independence. The same goes for residents of Guam. Those advocating for full independence usually get outsized media attention, but in the case of Puerto Rico and Guam, they seem to comprize a minority of residents.
The status, influence, and power of a U.S. state (states share sovereignty over the United States with the federal government) is far different than that of an unincorporated territory. Given that territories do not fit into the constitutional framework as neatly as states/DC, there is a stronger legal basis to make Congress respect and grant requests for independence. But, again, see the above about how many people actually want independence.
If we were to look at the national debt of the United States, it's in the trillions of dollars and growing every year. That number is so large, so astronomical, so humungous that I can't even visualize what trillions of dollars is like. Its more than what the USA economy produces on a yearly basis. If that's the standard used, then the USA itself is bankrupt.
I already have issues imagining what billions of dollars are like, but we are talking of trillions (and with a 'S' at the end, plural at that level) of dollars. Simply insane!!!
Given that reality, I think the debt of Puerto Rico is a drop in a bucket by comparison. Anyone that uses the economic situation of Puerto Rico as a support for not making it a state is simply using it as an excuse, as far as I'm concerned.
That's despite that I have no real desire in the political state of Puerto Rico. I'm perfectly fine if that island becomes one more state of the USA, one more country of the world, integration to another country or remains as it's right now.
Given that reality, I think the debt of Puerto Rico is a drop in a bucket by comparison.
For as long as they keep paying a portion of it, it's good but can Puerto Rico do the same?
And the US will never make Puerto Rico a state because the territory doesn't hold any importance in an economic or a strategic sense.... It's a liability.
Again, like Hawaii, I have come across Puerto Rican nationalists who believe that the Puerto Rican people do want independence and that the US is merely blocking it so that the US won't lose a territory to exploit.... if that is so, why doesn't Puerto Rico just ask for independence right now... why is that hard?
The Philippines asked for their independence and they got it, so what's preventing Hawaii, Guam and Puerto Rico from asking the same thing?
Wow you are like a one note wonder. Like your Hawaii thread, we have to once again question who you are using for your source of information, because your assumptions are incorrect.
The residents of Puerto Rico has been given at least 5 political status referendum voting choices in the last 50 years or so, with the choices being statehood, commonwealth, or independence (and a few choices in between).
The results for those Puerto Rican's wishing independence have never been over 6%, some years the results showed that less than 1% wanted independence.
Live with the fact that the overwhelming majority of Hawaii, Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Guam....whatever island or backwater province you can think about and create your next thread on do not want independence from the US. I know that conflicts with your world view.
Puerto Rico is just one big social state. Had the vast majority of Puerto Ricans not moved to The Mainland for jobs, they'd really be in bad trouble. The place just doesn't have many jobs--other than in hospitality.
Politicians don't want to be a state. They'd have to figure out a different way of stealing the government blind.
There's just been too much U.S. Government money disappear there over the years with nothing to show for it. DOJ really should be looking into mass corruption in P/R.
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