Puerto Rico Wants Their Independence
By Daniel Miessler on March 28th, 2006: Tagged as Government | Politics
So, they don’t pay taxes while simultaneously receiving funds from the U.S. In other words, they get many of the benefits and don’t have to contribute. That’s why they can’t vote, by the way; they don’t pay income tax.
Anyway, there was a baseball tournament there recently and the Puerto Ricans were cheering for the Cuban team rather than the American one. It seems they’ve come to admire Cuba now, and are interested in attaining their independence from the United States.
I say let them go.
Let’s see what the country looks like in 5 years after they no longer are a colony. It’d be interesting to see how much they admire Cuba after actually becoming more like it. I abhor those who don’t appreciate what they have.
I mean, it’s important to note that nobody seems to be risking their livelihood to escape Puerto Rico via inner tube. It takes a certain type of intense, negative pressure to push a human to do such a thing, and to advocate embracing the system that created that pressure is, in my mind, utterly foolish.
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You do know that the Puerto Rican “Independence Party” is funded by the US Gov’t, no?
I’m Puerto Rican by ancestry, and my parents recently moved back to the island.
I agree with you. Let it go. I’d love to see what happens.
Comment by aireiq zh'eceanoh — 3/29/2006 @ 2:38 am
Well, I’m all for letting them be independent if that’s what they want. But, let’s get a little reality check. Cheering for a Cuban baseball team is not equivalent to supporting the Cuban government or way of life. Nor is cheering against a US team equivalent to rejecting all of the things that the US stands for. Perhaps it was a case of cheering for the underdog. Of course maybe it was a case of cheering against the US. Maybe it was a case of people wanting the US to have a little reality check of its own. A case of people wanting the US to lose once in a while just to learn a little lesson in humility. With the arrogance shown by the current administration, one could hardly blame people in the world for being frustrated at the US government (hey, I’ll admit to being a tad frustrated myself). But, Daniel, this does not mean that they reject EVERYTHING the US stands for or that they advocate embracing a system that makes people so desperate that they flee their home country on inner tubes. You’ve expressed disbelief/frustration/etc. at some of the positions of our current administration. I’ve never once taken this to mean that you reject the US.
Comment by Carl M — 3/29/2006 @ 7:44 am
Indeed.
That’s my fault for not giving any background. Puerto Rico is in fact moving in many respects away from the U.S. and what it stands for.
While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it’s sort of throwing out the baby with the bathwater, so to speak. They seem to be going the way of Argentina and Venezuela, i.e. moving toward socialism and away from any affiliation with the U.S..
Given the current administration it is, of course, easy to see why this sort of mentality may be prevalent, but for a country like Puerto Rico to advocate breaking ties with the United States is simply, in my view, not good for Puerto Rico.
And that’s the thing for me — not that challenging the U.S. on certain things is a bad thing to do. That’s definitely not the case. The problem is this, “Socialism will save me.” mentality that seems to be gaining ground in recent years.
I think the people who are pushing this sort of model need to decide whether or not they’d like to live in a country that subscribes to such a system. If not then they should reconsider their support of emmulating said system in their own country.
Comment by Daniel — 3/29/2006 @ 8:56 am
No, I didn’t know that. Interesting…
Comment by Daniel — 3/29/2006 @ 8:59 am
puerto rican politics…
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