Context: Donald Trump spewing bullshit about annexing Canada and Greenland. Meanwhile, Congress has been dragging their feet for YEARS on resolving Puerto Rico’s territorial status.

Citizens living in US territories do not receive equal representation in congress. For instance, PR has one “delegate” to the House (not an official voting member) and no senators. Taxation without representation.

Although, at this point I wouldn’t blame PR if they changed their minds about wanting to become the 51st state.

  • AA5B@lemmy.world
    1·
    1 hour ago

    That’s cool, I didn’t think Puerto Ricans had expressed a clear preference, but 56% is pretty good. What are we waiting for? Let’s define a path, let’s start walking it. Let’s chat about whether it’s the path they want.

    After a quick read on the issue, the biggest argument against was that Hispanics vote Democrat. But now that Trump broke that trend, maybe now’s the time to get Republicans on board.

    Both mainland us and PR have a lot to offer each other. PR can benefit from more investment in their economy, healthcare, infrastructure, etc, we can benefit from both a slight change in perspective, additional business and tourism opportunities, etc.

  • Snowclone@lemmy.world
    2·
    2 hours ago

    Just heads up, pointing this out makes his cult happier, they fully want him to snub a Hispanic territory for a country that says ‘speak white’ to other European languages also originating from white people.

  • ɔiƚoxɘup@infosec.pub
    9·
    8 hours ago

    “You’ll never have to vote again” was, I believe, the quote, so… Not to minimize this very real problem, but I think we all need to be worried about equal representation, right? 🤣😂😅😢

  • theangryseal@lemmy.world
    17·
    21 hours ago

    It’s amazing to me that Hawaii has around half the population of Puerto Rico and still they aren’t a state.

    It’s sad.

  • ✺roguetrick✺@lemmy.world
    891·
    1 day ago

    Oh I believe if you had a referendum right now, PR would go for independence. Tying yourself up to this ship would be bad news. Trump wouldn’t just bring back bombing Vieques, he’d turn the main island into a firing range.

    I wonder if he’d deport me since I have a PR birth certificate.

    • 60d@lemmy.caEnglish
      7·
      7 hours ago

      I wonder if he’d deport me since I have a PR birth certificate.

      Easy way to tell:

    • Hugin@lemmy.world
      6·
      8 hours ago

      I’m not so sure. Climate change had doomed PR. Increasing storms, sea level rise, and location make it an increasingly unviable place to live. If they go out on their own they have nowhere to go.

      As it they can move to a state and vote without needing any government approval or immigration. They are US citizens. I live in Florida and have a fair number of friends who are from PR. All of their families are planning on moving here.

      • anomnom@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        2·
        8 hours ago

        Moving is the only part that makes sense, until the trumpets convince the Supremes that birthright citizenship isn’t anymore.

        You can be sure PR citizens will be high on the list to be deported back to the island, and with fema and the rest of the doge shut downs, they’ll be fucked by the next hurricane anyway.

        • Hugin@lemmy.world
          1·
          7 hours ago

          It would take more than removing birthright citizenship. Congress granted U.S. citizenship to Puerto Rico citizens in 1917.

    • Stovetop@lemmy.world
      20·
      1 day ago

      Maybe the independence votes will grow, but since there is also still the large Puerto Rican diaspora in the US keeping close ties to the island, it would be difficult to separate from that with an independence movement. And a lot of Puerto Rican communities in the US who are eligible to vote for the president saw an uptick in support for the Republicans anyways, despite the “trash island” comment during Trump’s campaign.

      At least as of a few months ago, the symbolic vote on the island was still overwhelmingly in favor of statehood, with independence being the least supported option.

  • fahfahfahfah@lemmy.billiam.netEnglish
    70·
    1 day ago

    He keeps saying he wants to make Canada a state but we all know he means “territory” or at least that’s what the ultimate outcome would be. The people around him are not dumb enough to create a new massive state with like 50 EC votes that would 100% vote Democrat.

    • 60d@lemmy.caEnglish
      1·
      7 hours ago

      Too many “kot-tam limbrals” there in PR! The Cons would never allow statehood anyway. We’d need a Dem majority in the house, senate AND a Dem POTUS/SCOTUS.

  • Crashumbc@lemmy.worldEnglish
    91·
    1 day ago

    Although close the last couple times PR voted, they voted against becoming a state…

      • EldritchFeminity@lemmy.blahaj.zone
        4·
        1 day ago

        My understanding is that historically, the vote has been almost 50/50, but that there have been issues with the question that have thrown up doubts about the validity of the referendum conclusions. Stuff like giving the options of statehood or territory, but not independence, etc. Even the one you linked says that only around half of the population responded and over 200,000 ballots were thrown out for either being blank or invalid.

        I had thought that a significant portion of the population had been in favor of independence, especially since we came in and basically destroyed their economy. They had been one of the largest manufacturers of pharmaceuticals in the world before the US, and now I think their biggest industry is tourism, which, as someone who has lived in a tourist town for decades, is not conducive to a healthy economy.