[The Loan Arranger]

Hmmmm...what are your thoughts? Please, no racist posts, they are beneath us, leave those to the Democrats.

[Pyro7480]

The Muslim and Communist problems would have to be solved first.

[2banana]

Will they add to the tax base or be a drain on the treasury...?

[bahblahbah]

Considering they seem pretty cozy to the Chi-coms and they kicked our military out, there is more chance of Antarctica becoming a US state than the Philipines.

[So Cal Rocket]

It would add 6 Dem senators.

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

English only countries.

If we have to go to 51 states, Why not lump some of these tiny left wing New England States to go together as one state?

[Toddsterpatriot]

Hmmmm...what are your thoughts?

This is a good idea!! We don't have enough Americans sponging off the tax payer, let's bring in 86 million more!!!

[Semper Paratus]

Don't think they would be a 'Red' State.

[Bikers4Bush]

Hell no, the place is unstable and full of commies.

[shekkian]

We feel this is the only thing certain to secure both political and social democracy for the archipelago and set its people on the road to fairly distributed prosperity.

What do you mean by that?

[areafiftyone]

As long as they take care of the terrorist groups that are there first.

[MEG33]

Why would this even be proposed..

[FoxInSocks]

We also believe the Philippines can help restore perspective and purpose to a U.S. that has lost sight of its original, revolutionary dedications: liberty and justice for all, not just for people within the present 50 states but for all people who need liberty and justice, everywhere in the world.

I went to Manila ten years ago, and I don't have much faith in their providing any useful "perspective and purpose to [the] U.S." Besides, 50 is a nice, even number.

And I'm against a world government, even if it's proposed to be the U.S. government.

[zbigreddogz]

My gut reaction is that it's not a good idea. It's too far away, too culturally different, and has too many interest that would conflict with the rest of the nation.

I suppose some people made that argument with Hawaii, but in Hawaii isn't nearly as far away, and hasn't had the same sort of deep-rooted cultural differences. Hawaii was isolated from the rest of the world, while the Philippines is smack dab in the middle of a different section of it.

[cripplecreek]

It's certainly a mixed bag. One thing that concerns me is the fact that any terrorists in that country would suddenly become US citizens with all the rights and privileges.

[Mr. K]

YES!!!!!!!!

PI's are the hardest working and moral people I ever met. (And some of the most beautiful women *wink*)

[bert]

I would argue no.

While seemingly a democratic country, the Philippines are more of an aristocracy. The very wealthy control things and do not allow true market or democratic forces to act.

The Philippines have one of the best educated populations in the world but can't find jobs to support the graduates. Modern Saudi Arabia was built by very well educated Philippino/as working under the directioon of American and other western managers. They were or rather are, cheap Americans. They think American, that is they know US based codes...ASTM, ASHRE, Milspecs,etc.

The Aristos in Manila would never surrender the control to allow the masses to rise. If it were so, the Philippines would be the star economy in Asia.

[MikefromOhio]

I think we would want to gain states that would be located closer to home first, like say Puerto Rico (who already supplies soldiers to our military) or say Alberta and Saskatchewan or something....

[AntiBurr]

The Philippines has been independent for over 53 years, if one counts only the period since the U.S. withdrew on July 4, 1946. Oddly, the Philippines has decided to ignore its years as a colony of the United States and count its independence from 1898. The Philippine Centennial Commission dates things this way:
Just excersizing my memory, but we acquired the Phillipines at the end of Mr. Hearst's War in 1898. After we had taken it from Spain, we then had to take it from the Philipinos in the form of Aguinaldo. He had a nice treatment for prisoners of war...he staked them out alive on ant hills. I suppose since they were Army, it was o.k. to feed them to the army ants.
I think we called them a possesion rather than a colony like American Samoa and Midway Island.
Yeh, I think it would be more trouble than it is worth.

OTOH I recall that Michelle Malkin is half Philipino and she is a close runner up to Ann Coulter in my opinion.