Thursday, February 9, 2012

is puerto rico yet a state?if not, why not? what is exactly puerto rico to the US? how does puerto rico benefits the US? can puerto ricans vote for the next presidential election?|||Puerto Rico is not a state. The U.S. has only 50 states, and Puerto Rico is not one of them. It is a "territory". Puerto Rico doesn't serve a major advantage to the U.S., other than that it gives them territory in the Atlantic. Puerto Ricans do vote, as do the U.S. Virgin Islands. The question I have is this: how is Puerto Rico able to have its own Olympic team if its really part of the U.S.? It's all weird.|||Puerto Rico is a country with a compact of association as a commonwealth or Associated Free state with the US since 1952.|||Nop, Puerto Rico is not an Independent Nation YET!! It is complicate because there are huge economic reasons. Not for us, yes for US. Why not?? the ELA gave a political status of the better of control with any compromise for social issues. But the external police of divide the people and win, it will have hard consequence in the Island. PR has some benefits of US , but we pay many times a huge price and is not fair. If we are Independence we are going to be in a better economic position. Why? We can buy in the global market and at this moment we can not. You can vote for the next presidential election if you take a plane!|||The voting issue is one of residency.

Puerto Rico is a "Free, Associated State" but not one of the 50 states. Every Puerto Rican is a US citizen (since 1917) and therefore has the right to vote EXCEPT when residing in Puerto Rico. No US citizen with residency in Puerto Rico can vote. So if you are from Idaho and move your residency to PR, you can not vote for the US presidency. The vote is only for citizens (non-felons) with residency within the 50 states. Puerto Ricans vote in the primary (63 delgates) but not in the general election.

In my opinion there are more benefits to the "US" than to Puerto Rico, particularly for corporations (big surprise.) Residents of Puerto Rico do not pay federal taxes - but pay import export taxes to the US on goods manufactured there if they wish to consume them. For example, a pill produced in one of the many pharmaceuticals in the island at the cost of 3 cents, may be consumed in Iowa for 11 cents. But that same pill costs about 96 cents in PR after adding import/export costs. There is a high cost to the privilege of being a US citizen living in Puerto Rico. Most outrageous is the draft --because you are a citizen you can't opt out, but still can't vote! Even when fighting in Iraq? Nope, still can't vote.

However, all foreigners who become citizens when they join the military can vote right away. The only ones who can't vote are multi-generational American citizens who claim Puerto Rico as a place of residence.|||It's not a state, but a territory. To the U.S. is a unique hybrid of a country and a state. All federals laws apply to the island. and President George Bush is the head of state and president.

The U.S. benefits in cheap labor for things that must be manufactured 'in' the U.S., such as chemicals, medicines, drugs, etc. Plus it's a tax heaven for U.S. companies doing biz in the island. Also a large pool of people to go to war for the U.S. in case it's needed, (the draft).

IF the live in the island, they cannot directly vote for the prez, but they can and do vote in the primaries, sending like 60 delegates to either Repubs or Dems. Plus in the wintertime for many is an easy hop to spend the weekend a a nice posh hotel, while still flying domestically withouth all the overseas paperwork ans Sh*t and all that B.S.|||Puerto Rico is not a state, mostly a commonwealth. Puerto Rico becomes a territory to the U.S. in 1898 in the Spanish vs U.S. war

In the years a "peblicito" "publicities" is made to decide whether Puerto Rico should be state, commonwealth or independent. If its decided to be a state or independent, then the decision is decided by the congress of the United States of America. As mostly they are the ones who decide our fate.

Puerto Rico would benefit the U.S.? No in many cases, but, Puerto Rico is mostly there for military and economically strategies. Economically? for private companies. Military? because of its position as of why Puerto Rico have been under 5 flags in the past including the U.S. But due to the military removal from here, and including the protests, but the major decision on the removal is because of the funding in military resources, even the war, and other things, the U.S. military is very tight, and that why they are closing many military bases around the world and now the application of more modern military hardware and remotely devices. Human soldier is being replaced by the machine, sounds like a movie. But the economy have many potential, Puerto Rico have a lot of potential, but thanks to the people and government, well, we dont have the potential to stand up in the economic level.

What is this is a state? If so, nothing major would happen, just the same old stuff, just now we are residents. Is like every state, they will have problem and good stuff happening. And maybe other details that some states have in terms of government and laws. And also we would vote for presidential., i think.

Presidential voting? Nope , we cant, since we are a commonwealth, we are not residents, we are just territory.. I think is the same case with Guam, they cant vote. Im not looking for it now but maybee in the future i will look it to it.|||Puerto Rico is an unincorporated territory of the United States. It was turned over by the Spanish to the US after the end of the Spanish-American War as war reparations. So was Cuba. Puerto Rico was kept because it represents a strategic entry point into the Caribbean Sea. Until recently it played a key role in military preparedness for the Navy. During WWII it was a key early-warning point for the US and allies. Puerto Ricans can vote in presidential elections, we have the same rights and responsibilities as any citizen. The difference is that presidential elections are only held in the states and incorporated territories (US Virgin Islands, for example). The US benefits quite a bit from Puerto Rico, as we are (last time I checked) its 10th largest trading partner outside the 48 states. We also have the highest percentage of veterans per capita than any state of the union, including the "volunteer state". And that's just the beginning of a long list.|||puerto rico is a state and its part of the us because ofa war that happened during the 1700s

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4 comments:

  1. Dear Partner,

    After the approval of the 33rd United Nations’ resolution by consensus on June 23, 2014 asking the United States (US) to immediately decolonize of Puerto Rico, we should work together to force the United States government to comply with it.

    The facts that the United States government has maintained Puerto Rico as its colony for 116 years, has had Oscar López Rivera in prison for 33 years for fighting for Puerto Rico decolonization, and has ignored 33 UN resolutions to decolonize Puerto Rico, confirm that the US government has no intentions of ever decolonizing Puerto Rico. Therefore, we need to form a tsunami of people to force the US to comply with the 33 resolutions.

    We should peacefully protest at least 3 times a year until we achieve our goal. The first one will be a march up to the US Courthouse in Puerto Rico on the Abolition of Slavery Day on March 22. The second will be another march in Puerto Rico on a day before the UN’s Puerto Rico decolonization hearing. The third one will be a protest in New York City on the same day the UN holds its Puerto Rico decolonization hearing.

    These 3 protests are indispensable, because those who have colonies don’t believe in justice for all.

    Sincerely,
    José M López Sierra
    Jlop28vislophis@gmail.com
    Comité Timón del Pueblo
    United Partners for the Decolonization of Puerto Rico
    www.TodosUnidosDescolonizarPR.blogspot.com

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  2. Dear Partner,

    Since the United Nations determined in 1960 that colonialism is a crime against humanity, there is no longer a need for plebiscites. The solution is to give Puerto Rico her sovereignty.

    But being the United States government does not want to, it continues to advocate the use of plebiscites to find out what Puerto Ricans want. Even if 100% of Puerto Ricans would want to continue being a US colony, Puerto Rico would still be obligated to accept her sovereignty to then decide what she wants to do.

    The only thing these plebiscites are good for is to divide Puerto Ricans. A Puerto Rican didn’t invade us to make us a colony. When will we understand that we need to unite?

    This is why we must peacefully protest at least 3 times a year until Puerto Rico is decolonized!

    José M López Sierra
    www.TodosUnidosDescolonizarPR.blogspot.com

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  3. Not true that there are 3 political status options for Puerto Rico

    The United States (US) government has made Puerto Ricans believe that there are 3 political status options for Puerto Rico. That is a lie. The purpose for that is to have Puerto Ricans fight amongst themselves. The plan has been a huge success! Puerto Rico has been a colony of the United States for 116 years, and judging by the 80% voter turnout in the colonial elections, the majority of us has not realized that we have been lied to.

    In reality, there is only one option. The United Nations (UN) in 1960 determined that colonialism is a crime against humanity. Therefore, the only thing that Puerto Rico can do is to become her own nation. That means that the US must give Puerto Rico the sovereignty that the US illegally took away from her by virtue of the July 25, 1898 military invasion.

    Thus far, the US government has ignored the 33 UN resolutions asking it to immediately decolonize Puerto Rico. Instead, it has tried to hide these petitions, and at the same time appear to believe in democracy by pushing for plebiscites so that Puerto Ricans could decide between colonialism, being a US state, or independence (decolonization as required by the UN).

    The problem with the US pushed plebiscites are that they:

    1. don’t comply with international law that prohibits a nation to have a colony.
    2. don’t comply with international law that requires the empire to give the sovereignty it illegally took away to its colony.
    3. don’t comply with international law that requires that to have free elections, that country must be free first.
    4. have 2 options that are not permitted by international law- continuing being a colony and becoming a state of the country that has the colony. For the option of becoming a state of the country that has the colony to be considered, the colony must first become her own nation (decolonized).

    This is why we have to peacefully protest 3 times a year until the US government complies with the UN resolutions for Puerto Rico decolonization.

    José M López Sierra
    www.TodosUnidosDescolonizarPR.blogspot.com

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  4. Because, the United States government's intent in entering the American Spanish War was to gain Cuba and Puerto Rico as its colony.

    The Second Oscar – Mandela March in New York City 2015

    We will be having our 2nd Oscar – Mandela Protest March on Monday, June 22, 2015. We will start marching peacefully at 9 AM from Hunter College on East 68th Street and Lexington Avenue, to East 43rd Street and Lexington Avenue. We will then go East (turning left) to end up at the Ralph Bunche Park on First Avenue (across from the United Nations).

    We will be at the park until 5 PM. We will be giving out flyers and talking to people about who Puerto Rican political prisoner Oscar López Rivera is. We will also be educating the public about Puerto Rico’s colonial relationship with the government of the United States (US).

    Most people don’t know that every year, usually on the Monday after Fathers’ Day, the United Nations holds its hearing about the decolonization of Puerto Rico. The petitioners will usually join our protest after this meeting.

    The UN determined in 1960 that colonialism is a crime against humanity. Since then, the UN has issued 33 resolutions asking for the US government to immediately decolonize Puerto Rico. The US government has ignored these resolutions. What kind of democracy is that?

    The US government tries to keep these hearings a secret. What we are trying to do is to get them out of the closet. The UN is in its 3rd decade trying to make the world colony-free. Please help us!

    Most people also don’t know that the United States government takes out 14 times more money than what it invests in Puerto Rico. But, that is what colonies are for!

    This savage exploitation impedes Puerto Rico’s ability to provide opportunities for Puerto Ricans in Puerto Rico. That is why there are now more Puerto Ricans living away from Puerto Rico than in their homeland.

    Oscar López Rivera has been incarcerated for 34 years for his struggle to decolonize Puerto Rico. Since colonialism is an international crime, international law gives Oscar the right to use whatever means necessary to decolonize his homeland. Nelson Mandela was incarcerated for 27 years for doing the same thing as Oscar. This is why we say, Oscar López Rivera is our Nelson Mandela!

    United Partners for Puerto Rico Decolonization invites the public to be part of the tsunami of people that will be necessary to make the US government comply with the UN resolutions. These annual protests in Puerto Rico and at the UN are absolutely necessary, because, those who maintain colonies, don’t believe in justice for all!

    José M López Sierra
    787-429-1981
    www.TodosUnidosDescolonizarPR.blogspot.com

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