Puerto Rico: A Question of Status
By Matt Sanchez Posted in Miscellanea | Puerto Rico — Comments (75) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
Politicians will do funniest things on the campaign trail and Hillary Clinton is not an exception. Like a firefly caught in a jar, the struggling former First Lady has zig-zagged the tiny commonwealth island of Puerto Rico to attract as much attention as possible to her candidacy. Out of desperation, she may just compromise the country she hopes to lead.
So far, the Democratic primaries have been like a long running Spanish speaking soap opera, even if you don't understand the language, it's easy to tell the good guys from the bad; the music changes when the bad guy speaks and the reaction are always exaggerated, melodramatic. Hillary has had to be dramatic too.
Politics in Puerto Rico can usually be reduced to one word "Status". In several referendums, Puerto Ricans have had to chose between three scenarios: independence, statehood or commonwealth.
Read on . . .
Three Choices, no decisions.
Puerto Ricans are extremely nationalistic, but the idea of full independence is a political pipedream. If Americans want to observe a massive evacuation of nearly four million people, try declaring Puerto Rico an independent state.
The last referendum in Puerto Rico barely went in favor for maintaining the status quo as a commonwealth, but what if the majority of Puerto Ricans voted for statehood? Should an island nation, with Spanish as an official language, become the 51st state?
Although the American/Puerto Rican soap opera goes back over a century, the drama continues. For the overwhelming majority of Puerto Ricans there are far too many advantages to being associated with the United States of America; every year Puerto Ricans teeter between victimhood and patriotism, like an abused wife, battered and beaten, but too dependent to leave the home.
Because of their status, Puerto Ricans pay very little or no federal income taxes, but reap the benefits of billions of dollars in federal funding. Unlike much of Latin America, Puerto Rico has a modern infrastructure with a comparable per capita income—despite disproportionate welfare rolls.
For the poor, there are tons of entitlements from subsidized housing to student loans. What's even more difficult to quantify are the immaterial things like the use of the American dollar as currency, a stable political process and the protection of the United States military.
The current governor was indicted after a campaign finance scandal—he supported Senator Obama--and is currently waiting trial. Of all the Spanish-speaking island nations, Puerto Rico has never known a dictator.
Although Puerto Ricans are American citizens, they are not eligible to vote in American presidential elections, unless they change their residency to the United States. Puerto Ricans are, however, free to travel and establish residency in the United States without travel restrictions.
A Billingual Country?
The main problem of Puerto Rican statehood is that history, society and culture will always make Puerto Ricans different from Americans—no matter how intimate the ties between the two nations may be.
My grandfather, born and raised in Puerto Rico, was an Army medic during the 1st World War, but despite Puerto Ricans serving in every conflict since, Puerto Ricans voted to kick the Navy out of Vieques, mostly because they viewed the American military as occupational force.
No matter what the politicians say, the admittance of Puerto Rico as the 51st state would not be the welcoming of new immigrants to a freshly adopted homeland; it would be the introduction of a parallel people into the national body—a state in name alone. An artificial nationality for a distinct culture and separate people.
Due to the elections, the soap opera goes on and both Democratic candidates are determined to add to the drama. Senator Clinton believes "disenfranchising Puerto Rico is like disenfranchising the District of Columbia". After a huge victory on the island, the senator "wants Puerto Ricans to have the same rights as others Americans to determine your future."
Unfortunately, statehood advocates do not expect Puerto Ricans to actually become Americans, they would just like to acquire the benefits of statehood, while politicians are far too eager to dole those benefits out.
Let's hope the next president will be wise enough to keep Puerto Rico exactly where it is, a separate nation with close ties to the 50 states beside it.
I'm sorry, while I agree there would be difficulties, I think saying that the assimilation of Puerto Rico can never happen is simply wrong.
Both Texas and California had distinct histories separate from America before becoming states.
The rise of multi-culturalism, identity politics, and the praising of all diversity except traditional American culture has masked the fact that America is very good at assimilation.
If we can beat back the multi-cultural crowd and eliminate the government programs and the cultural inferiority complex that supports non-assimilation, I think there is no reason why Puerto Rico could not be assimilated as a State.
Instead of a bilingual country, how about a bilingual state?
The main requirement needed before I support statehood is for Puerto Rico schools to teach English. If Spanish is still taught as well- even if Spanish is the first language of Puerto Ricans- isn't really a problem as long as every Puerto Rican learns English.
This is not due to some superiority of English, but simply the fact that national unity requires a unified language. I would not want Puerto Rico to become America's Quebec. The minority should not expect to force the majority to learn a new language- particularly when all of our founding documents are in English.
And of course statehood would mean accepting and paying all the taxes that other Americans do.
Also, you said that Puerto Ricans voted to kick the Navy out of Vieques due to a belief it was a occupation, my understanding was that somekind of scandal about the Navy base at the time created harsher feelings then normal.
So I think you are overstating the case. Naturally statehood requires an assimilation of Puerto Rico, but if they are willing to make those steps towards assimilation I don't see how we can reasonably reject their petition for statehood.
We are within our rights to say your choices are either commonwealth or independence.
Puerto Rico is very poor compared to the 50 states. Even if subjected to the same tax laws, they will be big net takers that the 50 states will be transferring wealth to via the federal government.
A vote for Puerto Rico statehood is a vote for more socialism.
We aren't effectively assimilating people within the 50 states. What makes you think that the US can effectively assimilate Puerto Rico?
The term is confusing to me. We have the commonweath of Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts. Apparently choosing to be a commonwealth does not bar one from also being one of the United States of America.
Extreme taxation, excessive controls, oppressive government competition with business … frustrated minorities and forgotten Americans are not the products of free enterprise.Ronald Reagan
In the past, I thought Puerto Rico was designated as a territory of the US.
In any case, the choices are
Status Quo
Statehood
Independence
I let Yahoo be my friend, since Google aint so friendly, and I came up with this link. There are 46 states and 4 commonwealths (I omitted Virginia upthread) Legally there are no differences between a state and these 4 commonwealths.
There is also an alternate definition for a commonwealth: a "self-governing, autonomous political unit voluntarily associated with the United States, namely, Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands." The degree of that dependency varies from place to place.
I don't have a strong opinion, except that the decision can NOT be only what a majority of Puerto Ricans say they want. The folks that live in the 50 states also have a say in the matter. It is interesting to remember that Alaska was accepted as the 49th state because of promises from Alaskans that the vast amount of energy resources in Alaska will be made available and shared with all of the lower 48 states. This promise seems to be forgotten by certain Congresscritters™ .
Extreme taxation, excessive controls, oppressive government competition with business … frustrated minorities and forgotten Americans are not the products of free enterprise.Ronald Reagan
Kidding, right?
We gave the Philipines their independence. I don't think anyone was mad about that.
I am all for kicking out Vermont, Massachusetts, and the city area of San Francisco. Think we can do it?
Puerto Rico should be a free people. They should get their independence. Along with Vermont, Massachusetts and the city area of San Francisco (No, we won't allow the city of San Francisco to become part of China or Cuba - the only caveat. Massachusetts either)
My point is that the issue of PR Statehood should not be dependent on someone's assumption of the transfer of wealth from wealthy states to a poorer neighbor. In the most simplistic view, there is currently a tremendous transfer of wealth from northern and coastal states to poorer interior plains and southern states. Of course, such a view ignores the wealth that agriculture, natural resources and labor that those areas of the country provide that build national wealth. Or, I could be parochial and say that not one penny of money generated in Illinois should go to Alabama. Being parochial, all government contracts, military bases, etc., should be given/located in rich northern states.
the Blue Country would go bankrupt in about 10 years.
With nobody to hold back taxes at the national level, how long would be before there was an income tax of 70%?
immigrants pouring across another border--and we already know their politics and habit of living with their hands in other people's wallets. If we do it, we'd better build the fence across that particular border first.
Extreme taxation, excessive controls, oppressive government competition with business … frustrated minorities and forgotten Americans are not the products of free enterprise.Ronald Reagan
Our Constitution is rigged so that Republicans have veto power over most new taxation, and we use it, heh.
on the ride home....supposedly it felt like 105....NICE!!!!!
Freedom of Religion NOT Freedom from Religion
with the humidity, it felt more like the surface of Mercury. I'm sick of summer already. Bring on the global cooling!
state of Tennessee in 2000---we already knew what a phony he
was. Frankly, I'd rather suffer 4 more months of this heat than listen to the Goracle expound on ANYTHING. Besides, they're predicting rain and storms tomorrow, so sweet relief is on the way--maybe.
to death than listen to that blowhard expound as well ;-)
Freedom of Religion NOT Freedom from Religion
Was it hot today, or was I sweatin'? (For Space Ghost fans).
It must have hit 75 here, with 10% humidity.
Pluto, the Ninth Planet - Forever!
We've had all the H and H that we care to. Actually, it can get up into the high 80's here and still feel good in light shade.
The Mrs. is a Volunteer from Knoxville. She'll be heading back for a family visit in a week or so. Hope the tornados are long gone by then.
Pluto, the Ninth Planet - Forever!
season for tornadoes? No,no,no, we host those suckers year-round now. But they do seem to be more scarce in the deep summer, so she's probably coming at a good time.
LOVE it.....I scream all winter how I can't wait for summer and refuse to give in to the urge to complain about it!!!
Freedom of Religion NOT Freedom from Religion
two hours with my sweet grandbabies, blowing bubbles and watching the clouds build. Finally came in when the lightening started.
If your Fairfax is in Virginia, I recommend some light mystery novels by Rita Mae Brown for this summer. She has at least two series set in VA (one in Crozet and the other someplace nearby). Lives there herself, so she knows the state and its history.
Pluto, the Ninth Planet - Forever!
had to go see about my garden early in the morning, gets too hot later.
"Nothing works like freedom, Nothing succeeds like liberty"
Kyle
hell if we could cast off New York, Massachusetts, Washington, California, and Vermont, then we could return to a real capitalist, free enterprise Republic again.
"Nothing works like freedom, Nothing succeeds like liberty"
Kyle
You can't kick out all of Washington. It is a red state with a big blue, serial vote-fraud commiting dot in the middle. We just have to build a big wall around Seattle.
strategy (see Fort Sumter for the disasterous non-reverse strategy) seems doable. Given the arrogance of the blues they might just go for this.
psst - don't tell thm about the flyover rights from NYC to LA.
But as Christians, we should let them use the Panama Canal.
Mike DeVine’s Charlotte Observer columns
http://thehinzsightreport.com
www.theminorityreportblog.com
www.race42008.com
"One man with courage makes a majority." - Andrew Jackson
if written in a sort of garbled short hand patois. Have you been off the Ritalin?
"Nothing works like freedom, Nothing succeeds like liberty"
Kyle
glean from the posts of you and others. I am not a professional critic looking from toothpicks to pull out of posters eyes. If I wanted to, I could.
nya nya
Mike DeVine’s Charlotte Observer columns
http://thehinzsightreport.com
www.theminorityreportblog.com
www.race42008.com
"One man with courage makes a majority." - Andrew Jackson
Beside the enormous difference between 1845 sparsely populated state of California (apx. 3000 Mexican/Spanish at the time) compared to a highly populated Puerto Rico, there is one major flaw in the comparison of the Lone and Golden State to the Island of Enchantment--Puerto Ricans have no intention of becoming more American. The island went from Spanish as official tongue, to bilingual and then back to Spanish as official tongue.
we'll be lucky to keep the 50 we already have safe and free. Statehood had to stop sometime. Equal but separate. Free but protected. Even financed. It's not statehood but they have all the perks. You get the idea. These are reason's we heard for years and with merit.
provinces of Canada and if Canada makes a fuss, just take em. They got lots of nice resources and besides their population is more "USA" oriented than Montreal oriented.
"Nothing works like freedom, Nothing succeeds like liberty"
Kyle
being sovereign nations? We should annex both. We might as well take Cuba too. It's close enough. :-)
...from getting too cluttered, though.
The Fuzzy Puppy of the VRWC. I've been usurped!
Is if you take one for each side. The Republicans get one and the Democrats get the other.
That's how it worked for Alaska and Hawaii.
Of course, each side thought that they were getting the other, there...
Man is free at the moment he wishes to be. --Voltaire
their scientists just came out with a vaccine for sheep flatulence. Last thing we need is a bunch of repressed sheep just waiting to explode someday. Oh, the humanity!
Extreme taxation, excessive controls, oppressive government competition with business … frustrated minorities and forgotten Americans are not the products of free enterprise.Ronald Reagan
no one else has the right to decide. I say, give them independence then forget about it.(give them one year to decide if they want to remain US citizens and immigrate) They should not be a state, and this territorial status is a farce which gives them more privileges than other citizens.
As for the mass migration of 4-6 million you predict, so what? we got 20 million Mexicans in ten years, at least these people are already citizens.
"Nothing works like freedom, Nothing succeeds like liberty"
Kyle
Are some of you aware that Saipan is also a Commonwealth of the U.S. not just Puerto Rico. I did not here of any campaigning over there.... hmmm that's strange.
Puerto Rico IS NOT POOR as we think. Most leading pharmaceuticals are in Puerto Rico along with other Corporations who reap tax breaks and most of the island speaks english anyway. I think we should let it be.
If not then we should also take a closer look at Saipan and why they are not being counted....
We've come a long way from:
"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"
When were willing to deny self determination to people that are already Americans.
to start a new life, a productive life, a life that was solely up to them to determine without giving them government handouts from day one. Today's situation is vastly different.
they are rightly our equals under the law and the constitution.
There is nothing that is conservative about saying that they are lesser citizens than you or I on the basis of political belief or some descriptive trait. It is un-American.
who arrived here before government handouts were so readily available. The article also plainly states that they threw our military out. Let's see, that makes:
1. already had a corrupt leader up on charges
2. already getting subsidies from us
3. threw our military out
Sorry, one San Francisco is all we can afford. No statehood
showing all of us just how harmful it was to the Puerto Ricans to have our military there? Please include casualty figures and reports of all the damage we did as well, not just your opinions or anecdotal stuff from those who didn't like the situation. I look forward to it with great interest and will recommend even if it makes me vomit.
I dont think it was harmful...they point is that PR percieved it as harmful. Even here in the San Diego area (a relatively conservative community and very military friendly) residents don't like jets flying over their houses! They like the jets, love the pilots, and are appreciative of the freedom it provides them...but they would rather they trained in someone else's neighborhood.
Oh, well that puts a different face on it entirely. Maybe we could just get cranky in return and cut off some subsidies to PR. Reckon how they would perceive that?
As to San Diego residents not liking the jets flying over, two points: They knew about the base when they purchased homes and rented apartments. Don't like it, move elsewhere.
Second point--It's hard to bomb countries we're at war with with the components of a quiet suburb. I'll take the jets and their noise any day.
There is not 1 new territory admitted into statehood that did not first have to negotiate, promise, and provide some very good reasons for why the existing states should accept it as an equal state. That is the American Way - the way that it has always been. Have you any knowledge of US History?
Extreme taxation, excessive controls, oppressive government competition with business … frustrated minorities and forgotten Americans are not the products of free enterprise.Ronald Reagan
I am calling unAmerican those who would classify as lesser citizens those among us with different political beliefs or cultural experiences.
As for my understanding of history, the Republican Congress already offered PR statehood by sanctioning the '98 plebisite.
You do not have the right to insult people here by calling them nativists and anti-Americans. You will now apologize to Matt Sanchez for libeling him in your next post, or it will be your last post. Your call.
Moe
PS: "Sorry if you were offended" will not work: you will have to admit that you did something wrong.
The Fuzzy Puppy of the VRWC. I've been usurped!
The theme of this diary and a proponderence of the posts reflect nativist sentiment.
I've always been respectful of the site and the people that make up this community...and I will continue to be whether you suspend my account or not.
If I'm not welcome in this community I will leave, but in this case I have nothing to apologize for.
Trust me, we already worked out that conservatives and Republicans aren't quite real to people like you. The last few years have been quite instructive in that regard.
Ciao.
The Fuzzy Puppy of the VRWC. I've been usurped!
A lot of things have changed since the nineteenth century, we no longer need lots of unskilled labor to work on the railroads. we no longer have a frontier or allow homesteading on cheap or free government land.
By the way, yelling nativist, is IMO the latest refuge of a scoundrel.
"Nothing works like freedom, Nothing succeeds like liberty"
Kyle
As Mr. Sanchez pointed out, they are Americans in the legal sense only. They don't want to be Americans culturaly. No statehood!
Republican Party 2004 Platform
We support the right of the United States citizens of Puerto Rico to be admitted to the Union as a fully sovereign state after they freely so determine. We recognize that Congress has the final authority to define the Constitutionally valid options for Puerto Rico to achieve a permanent non-territorial status with government by consent and full enfranchisement. As long as Puerto Rico is not a state, however, the will of its people regarding their political status should be ascertained by means of a general right of referendum or specific referenda sponsored by the United States government.[13]
We recognize that Congress has the final authority to define the Constitutionally valid options for Puerto Rico to achieve a permanent non-territorial status with government by consent and full enfranchisement.
This means that Congresscritters™ that represent the political will of the folks living in the 50 states have the final authority on admitting Puerto Rico as a State - NOT the Puerto Ricans.
Extreme taxation, excessive controls, oppressive government competition with business … frustrated minorities and forgotten Americans are not the products of free enterprise.Ronald Reagan
remove entitlement programs, and I will personally host a welcoming party for 1000 new immigrants.
My parents came here yearning to be free in 1964.
Now, people come and are encouraged not to assimilate by various advocacy groups
Just say No! to statehood for Puerto Rico.
Pluto, the Ninth Planet - Forever!
_________________
Thou art the Great Cat, the avenger of the Gods, and the judge of words...-Inscription on the Royal Tombs at Thebes