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Greenland has beautiful landscapes, rich in resources, makes more sense for logistics of the US military. Puerto Ricos beaches are subpar and its been a financial drain on the states.
You realize the US sucked out all the resources of Puerto Rico like a vise on a peach to the point where it could no longer stand on its own. Puerto Rico would have been better off if it was never a US territory.
You realize the US sucked out all the resources of Puerto Rico like a vise on a peach to the point where it could no longer stand on its own. Puerto Rico would have been better off if it was never a US territory.
I lived in PR when stationed in the navy. I also went to Guam. Both are territories of the US and there is a HUGE difference in each island. I couldn't believe how clean and beautiful Guam was. People took care of their island and it showed. When I was in PR, it looked like the USA did in the 70's with trash all over the side of the roads, dead animals, burned out cars etc.
I don't know the reason why, but it is obvious from visiting both that the people of Guam care a lot more about their home than most of the people in PR. If the US sucked all the resources out of territories I think Guam would be in worse shape than it is.
Care is not the right word. Puerto Ricans care alot about their island. To say they care less than other islanders is quite an understatement. Whether people litter and how much is much more dependent on government policies (or the lack of those) than whether the people care about their island.
The USA made a conscious effort in the 1970's to fight litter and government policies were put in place, including education in the public schools. It took one generation for the effects on the anti-littering campaign to be obvious with cleaner public places, even though today there still are areas with a litter problem in the USA, namely certain areas in the inner cities (and I think that was by design since the people there are darker than in clean areas on average, but that's a different story).
Places that only recently adopted an anti-littering campaign will require at least one generation to see the effects, taking the USA experience starting in the 1970's. People literally think nothing about rolling down the car window and throwing out what they consider garbage, because they haven't been taught to feel guilty about doing that. They don't see the problem in those actions.
There is also another culprit and this is psychological. The people in littered places literally don't see the litter even when its everywhere. The brain does something, maybe is the normalization process, where certain things becomes invinsible even though its there. Everyone sees it, but they don't notice it. This happen with visitors too if they are long enough in a place with a litter problem. You'll notice it the first few days since you arrive from a place that is cleaner looking due to an anti-litter government campaign started long ago. However, after a few days you don't notice the litter as when you arrived, because the brain normalizes it. Its not something that jumps at you unlike the first day you got off the airplane. Not seeing it is actually one of the first things that people from a place with a litter problem will say if they move away to a land without a litter problem and then comeback. They will tell you without jumping around that they literally didn't notice the litter when they lived in the place.
Care is not the right word. Puerto Ricans care alot about their island. To say they care less than other islanders is quite an understatement. Whether people litter and how much is much more dependent on government policies (or the lack of those) than whether the people care about their island.
I don't understand nor do I agree with that. If people cared enough, then the gov wouldnt have to enact laws to prevent it.
Most of mainland USA didn't care either back in the 70's. It did take laws to cut down the garbage on roadways. Most of the mainland USA isn't an island paradise though with beautiful beaches.
Puerto Rico should be given its independence just like other American territories have in the past like the Philippines and free rule for themselves.
The whole thing is a criminal kleptocracy Third World turd pile. Just like Haiti. Disasters, in this case one massive hurricane and an equally devastating hurricane, revealed all in high detail. Right about the time they start talking 'direct aid' and POOF: millions threatened to disappears with no results. Time to ask questions.
Personally, I'd pull out. Not sure how to do that, I do believe they are American citizens but with no representation in the Republic. No doubt complex politics involved. Further, I doubt they want independence from anyone, to keep milking the teat. And in the end, in both Haiti and PR, the peon class is crushed under the kleptocracy boot heel. I am skeptical there is, or can be, a Middle Class in ANY country (or territory) that has no real rule of law. Mexico being the biggest example I know of, on our border.
Sell Puerto Rico, buy Greenland...ah, what could've been.
Utter nonsense. I live in Greenland. The entire island is owned by Denmark. They don't need your fiat currency.
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