View Full Version : Puerto Rico - statehood or not?
Raptorman
02-22-05, 08:06 AM
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,148279,00.html
What is everyones opinion on whether Puerto Rico should become a state or not? Personally, I don't have a problem with it. They are pretty much a state anyway (just without taxes and voting priviledges).
Riptide
02-22-05, 08:31 AM
I don't know enough about the situation to cast a vote in the poll. Do the people there support statehood?
sytaylor
02-22-05, 08:57 AM
I'm in the don't see why not catagory, but then I know very little about the situation.
CybrSage
02-22-05, 10:53 AM
Every few years they vote in a referendum on statehood. So far, it has failed each time (obviously). They are allowed to be a state provided they follow the rules outlined for statehood, one of which is a vote of the people.
NO! giving aid to them is different than making them a state. You have to ask, will they help or hurt the US. I say they are a economic money pit. They should be their own country and we should do business with them and that is it. Cut off the forgien aid...I hate forgien aid.
NO! giving aid to them is different than making them a state. You have to ask, will they help or hurt the US. I say they are a economic money pit. They should be their own country and we should do business with them and that is it. Cut off the forgien aid...I hate forgien aid.
Everybody in rich countries hates forgien aid.......shame the poor countries dont feel the same about revieving it :D
Everybody in rich countries hates forgien aid.......shame the poor countries dont feel the same about revieving it :D
Why should we give forgien aid? Why? It is only used for bribery any way. It has nothing to do with being rich. Don't make this a arguemtn it isn't.
Why is the idea of cutting forgien aid so shocking to people? We should be trading partners not welfare pimps. It is not our responsibility to GIVE money to the rest of the world. That money is take from you and me. I don't want to give it to Israel, Egypt, Puerto Rico ect. It is morally wrong.
intercede007
02-22-05, 11:47 AM
Why is the idea of cutting forgien aid so shocking to people? We should be trading partners not welfare pimps. It is not our responsibility to GIVE money to the rest of the world. That money is take from you and me. I don't want to give it to Israel, Egypt, Puerto Rico ect. It is morally wrong.
It's all about the redistribution of wealth, and the fact that some people on the planet (I.E. Peter Singer) belive that those that have it don't deserve to keep it if it can go somewhere else.
Choice is a freedom many people seem hellbent on taking.
Why should we give forgien aid? Why? It is only used for bribery any way. It has nothing to do with being rich. Don't make this a arguemtn it isn't.
Why is the idea of cutting forgien aid so shocking to people? We should be trading partners not welfare pimps. It is not our responsibility to GIVE money to the rest of the world. That money is take from you and me. I don't want to give it to Israel, Egypt, Puerto Rico ect. It is morally wrong.
calm down bruv im on your side here, i dont wanna give my money away either.
CybrSage
02-22-05, 11:54 AM
I am stuck on the Foreign Aid issue.
For me, I suppose it depends on the government receiving the aid, and why. We should give Iraq aid in rebuilding its country, up until their oil industry is working properly again.
We should give aid to nations who are honestly trying to make their nation better for their people. Build roads, power plants, kill mosquitoes, make clean water, etc. But ONLY if the government there is good to their people. For instance, if Belize needed aid, they would deserve it. If Sudan wants it, no way, stop slaughtering your people first!
Reward the nations who are not evil to their own people, and not support those who are.
I wasn't upset. I was just laying out my argument. ;)
It shouldn't matter what country it is. Look at it this way, how many people here are all for coporate subsidies or (corporate welfar)? I would be willing to bet almost no one is. Forgien is the same only we don't get anything back for our investment, at least companies provide jobs and circulate money. That having been said I am against corporate welfare.
Reward the nations who are not evil to their own people, and not support those who are.
You wan't to reward people for doing what they sould be doing in the first place? That is backwards in my ipinion. I would not pay my son to clean up his room because he is supposed to. I pay my son for things I ask him to do that benefit me or others. That is what a business contract is.
We should give aid to nations who are honestly trying to make their nation better for their people. Build roads, power plants, kill mosquitoes, make clean water, etc. But ONLY if the government there is good to their people. For instance, if Belize needed aid, they would deserve it. If Sudan wants it, no way, stop slaughtering your people first!
Helping a country out who needs it is different than never ending forgien aid. There are private contractors who are willing to help with such ventures that you discribed. Why should we do this for a coutry that wont do it for them selves?
As far as Iraq is concerned, of course we need to give aid. We are responsible for their welfare since we initiated the change. This is different than forgien aid that we give to countries like Israel, egypt ect.
Riptide
02-22-05, 12:15 PM
UDawg I agree 100%.
CybrSage
02-22-05, 12:16 PM
I know some of the aid is a leftover from ally making during the Cold War. That definately needs to be looked into and changed.
As for not getting anything, it depends. Many have said that extremists come mainly from impoverished nations. If we can help them raise their standard of living, maybe we can reduce the number of extremists created.
That is why I am still undecided about the aid. I am easily swayed either direction at this point. :)
I know some of the aid is a leftover from ally making during the Cold War. That definately needs to be looked into and changed.
As for not getting anything, it depends. Many have said that extremists come mainly from impoverished nations. If we can help them raise their standard of living, maybe we can reduce the number of extremists created.
That is why I am still undecided about the aid. I am easily swayed either direction at this point. :)
I think I can pursuade you.
Yes getting rid of old treaties during the cold war is a good idea.
Let me ask you this. Who were the extremists that crashed the planes in the world trade center? Who is Osama and his chronies? They are all middle or upper class kids. Not one of them came from a poor back ground. The reason why is because in those countries the poor are stepped on by the goverment. Only the rich can afford to speak out. This is a myth that it is poverty that produces terrorists. It is people who think they are being oppressed or are oppressed who finaly rise up. For the most part in these cases it is a relgious idea that their idea should be the truth for ever one. Poor people are not interested in ideas. They are interested in their next meal. They don't have the time like Osama and his gang have to sit and think about Sharia and its roll in the world. So giving money to these countries is a waste of time. The people who need it will never see a dime.
CybrSage
02-22-05, 05:13 PM
Which is why I put in the stipulation about rewarding those nations that are doing good for their people. Like it or not, that is the world in which we live. People get bonuses at work for doing a good job, this is the same.
Osama may have planned the attackes, mainly because he is a power mad phycho who hijacked a religion, but it was the poor people who died committing those acts.
I think we should remove aid to any nation that is not:
1. Democratic
2. Trying to improve the lives of the common people
But I think it should only be debt forgiveness.
Which is why I put in the stipulation about rewarding those nations that are doing good for their people. Like it or not, that is the world in which we live. People get bonuses at work for doing a good job, this is the same.
I understand your point and there is a fundamental difference here between you and I.
The goverment gets the money they have from taxes as you know. They don't make or sell anything to raise money for them selves, thus all their money is from taxes, that is you and I. Now taking money from you and me and giving to some one else for no other reason other than the goverment wants them to behave differently or better is immoral. The goverment should not be in the business of picking winners and looser or who is worth to receive tax money or who is not.
Secondly wrt to getting a job at work doesn't work as an analogy because those countries do not work for the US and again the US is not a company who makes or sells goods for money. They are indipendent companies so-to-speak that are getting money for nothing other than a bribe that says "please do things our way and play nice with us" That is wrong.
We should be trading with these countries not giving them money. You can help a man better by teaching him to fish in stead of just giving him a fish.
Riptide
02-22-05, 05:41 PM
We should be trading with these countries not giving them money. You can help a man better by teaching him to fish in stead of just giving him a fish.
Damn you hippies. :p
I don't know enough about the situation to cast a vote in the poll. Do the people there support statehood?
why would they? they don't pay taxes and get tons of aid from america...
would lose some of that free money they get..
once the people there realise they will lose some of their current perks, they go from willing to hell no in a heartbeat :D
we should be giving that aid to the STATES that make up america... for this reason I support their statehood... no mooching please...
Every time it has been put to a vot Puerto Rico has voted it down. So no, they do not support statehood.
Riptide
02-22-05, 08:41 PM
Well if they are just mooching and refuse to become a state why don't we just grant them independence and let them go?
Shamrock
02-22-05, 09:28 PM
sure, why not support them IF they want to be a state...shoot, if Canada wants to become a state, I support them too!
:rofl
on a serious note. I currently have a friend over in Iraq. She is from Puerto Rico, and she is defending OUR country. She puts her life in danger on a DAILY basis, for us. She has been shot down twice already. Yet, she climbs in her A-10 without fear. I pray for her nightly that she comes home safely, and she has. Did I mention she is AWESOMELY beautiful? :p
I support PR to become a state...it's just a matter if THEY want to or not. It's up to them really.
Raptorman
02-22-05, 09:48 PM
sure, why not support them IF they want to be a state...shoot, if Canada wants to become a state, I support them too!
:rofl
on a serious note. I currently have a friend over in Iraq. She is from Puerto Rico, and she is defending OUR country. She puts her life in danger on a DAILY basis, for us. She has been shot down twice already. Yet, she climbs in her A-10 without fear. I pray for her nightly that she comes home safely, and she has. Did I mention she is AWESOMELY beautiful? :p
I support PR to become a state...it's just a matter if THEY want to or not. It's up to them really.
Shot down twice in an A-10? Is she trying to fly through a building? Those things are like a tank with wings. No offense to her, but geeze.
Riptide
02-22-05, 11:43 PM
I think I heard somewhere that the average pilot usually doesn't want to go up again after ejecting twice. Supposedly it really beats the hell out of you. ;)
evilchris
02-22-05, 11:52 PM
No More States!
No More States!
No More States!
sytaylor
02-23-05, 02:55 AM
Invade Qubec!
n stuff...
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