Posted on 08/01/2006 1:40:59 PM PDT by Ebenezer
I wouldn't typically engage in any sort of meaningful or intelligent debate with a puertorican, as it would futile not to mention degrading. Might I also remind you that personal attacks are not allowed on this site. However, putting down a 'boriqua' scumbag (oxymoron) is too tempting and I shall respond in kind.
-It's inconceivable that puertoricans actually participated in the Revolutionary War and if they did it was probably on the British side. I don't believe the Continental Army could afford the copious amounts of liquor and pot that would have keep puertoricans on their side.
-I refer you to factual contributions by Cubans to the history of the U.S, particularly the Revolutionary War. Even at the ‘boriqua’ reading level, you can hopefully comprehend part of it.
http://www.amigospais-guaracabuya.org/oagoo003.php
-I’ve done more for this country than 3,999,950 of your kind have. I’m sure you’ll claim to have served in the armed forces, is that right?
-Your island can boast about contributing exactly what to the world, ‘RAGAYTON’?
I don't intend to get into a flame war with you. I called you an ignorant fool because your comments reflect your ignorance of reality. And history.
At least we have kept our communists at a tiny minority. You let yours take over your island.
Yet we welcomed and harbored throngs of your brethren to our land. But that does not give the right to any Cuban to call for Puerto Rico to be cast off into the hell you created, or allowed, for your people.
And yes. I retired from the Armed Forces after 22 years of service.
I'll continue to support my Cuban cousins, here, on the mainland or on the other island, in spite of poor examples like yourself.
Saludos,
cll
"How many referendums on statehood have y'all had?"
Valid, binding referendums sanctioned by Congress?
The answer is none.
Referendums within Puerto Rico?
Flame war it is, was not my intent either, but you my friend have history all wrong.
Be honest with yourself. Had Puerto Rico not been a U.S. protectorate, the history of the island would have taken a very different course. You claim puerto rico was able to "resist" communism. Yes, you were able to resist the forces of populism and communism, not because you are an enlightened people -which you certainly are quite far from being- but rather the U.S. would never have allowed it.
The level of development you have achieved is owed entirely to the generosity of the U.S. Had the Americans not built up your infrastructure, you people might still be living on trees or ruled by the Taliban.
Pre-Castro Cuba could boast of a world class health system, better wages and a more robust economy than many European countries. I'd like to compare the 1957 socioeconomic statistics of both countries; now that comparison would put your beloved puerto rico to shame.
While hundreds, possibly thousands of Cubans did settle in your island after the Revolution, you conveniently ignore the mass exodus of your brethren to New York in the early part of the 20th century. Why exactly did they leave, o learned boriqua sage? Did they leave with the sole purpose of spreading 'salsa' to the world? Perhaps they left because Puerto Rico was an intolerably awful place to live in during that time; just as Cuba became after Castro took control. Yea, that's why. In fact, didn't you just have a mini-crisis that sent yet another wave of boriquas to Orlando...hmmm......
True enough, Cuba is today an awful place to live in. Unfortunately, this occurred because Latin America suffers from intrinsic flaws in its political DNA. These structural flaws have caused instability from Mexico to Argentina. The only reason these countries haven't suffered the same fate as Cuba is simply that Castro happened to be born on the island. But you wouldn't know anything about that...would you.
Even if Satan himself ruled Cuba I still wouldn't have migrated to puerto rico. Crime rates are high, people are ugly,stupid, rude and have this bad habit of imitating things. Like copying Cuban music, calling it 'salsa' and claiming it as their own invention. No, I can thank God for putting me right here in the U.S. of A.
Do yourself a favor, pick up a history book sometime. I figured you would claim military service, and for that, boriquas all over the world thank you.
From what I've heard, Cubans and Puerto Ricans don't generally like each other, so let's try to keep it nice.
Oops, too late;))
SEVERAL HUNDRED BILLION OF THE U.S. TAXPAYER'S HARD-EARNED DOLLAR$ KEPT THE COMMUNISTS FROM TAKING CONTROL OF PUERTO RICO!
The residents of Puerto Rico had nothing to do with it.
Watch what happens on your island when our money stops pouring in.
Who's going to support the 50% of the island's residents that are collecting Food-stamps and Welfare?
Who's going to pay for the Socialized medicine for 1.5 million residents?
Who's going to pay for the Socialized car insurance for your 2 million car and motorcycle drivers?
Who's going to pay the salaries of the 39% of the island's workforce that are working for the state and local governments and the 30% working for the federal government?
Hell, I don't believe that 70% of Communist China's workforce works for the government and you claim the island's not Communist, yet?
LOL!
The only status choice that ever received a majority of the vote, in any of the past 3 plebiscites on the island, was 'NONE OF THE ABOVE'!
LOL!
According to the Census 2000, only 29% of the island's residents actually do.
"You could live here for years and years and not need to speak Spanish at all."
Unless you sue some drunk driver in a local P.R. court for almost killing you, then it's $75.00 per hour for an English/Spanish translator.
LOL!
Don't take it personally, we're just tired of throwing billions of our tax dollars away on a bunch of ingrates.
What makes the residents of Puerto Rico think we owe them a living forever and ever?
What I'm saying is the Puerto Rico falls under the territorial clause of the U.S. Constitution, which mandates Congress to "make all needful Rules and Regulations respecting the Territory...of the U.S." The last time Congress moved in any significant way in regard to the status of Puerto Rico was in the early fifties when it approved a Constitution and a local government for Puerto Rico, and then submitted it to voters in PR for their approval, which they did.
Congress has not approved any referendum on Puerto Rico's status ever since. The three or four referenda that get batted around here and other forums have been locally produced, with no sanction from Congress. They have always included a poison pill option of different variants of the "Commonwealth" option, which severely dilute the pro-Statehood and the pro-independence vote. In reality, these referenda have been mere instruments to measure the political parties' strengths before major electoral events. Beauty contests, if you will.
You see, politics here are not divided along Democrat/Republican lines. They are divided along status options, with pro-statehood and pro-status quo forces about evenly dividing over 95% of the total vote, and the pro-independence sector getting the rest.
Our resident Puerto Rico hater, 4Freedom, is almost right in one regard. The "freeloaders" he frequently mentions consists almost exclusively of the pro-commonwealth Popular Democratic Party and their supporters (mostly Democrats). The only thing that keeps them from embracing full statehood can be defined by three words: Internal Revenue Service.
Thanks for the info. cll. Perhaps it's time for Congress to address the issue again. What are your thoughts on this???
In your tiny mind, every U.S. Taxpayer that doesn't want to be ripped off by Marxist/Socialist Puerto Rico anymore "hates" you.
You're sick in the head, you hate monger.
"The only thing that keeps them from embracing full statehood can be defined by three words: Internal Revenue Service."
Another joke. The IRS would only collect $1 billion dollars in income taxes in Puerto Rico from the few of its residents that declare enough income to pay federal income tax on.
Let's see, Cll thinks it's a good deal for the U.S. Taxpayers that the IRS would collect $1 billion dollars in federal income taxes in Puerto Rico every year while the U.S. Taxpayers continue to give Puerto Rico $30 billion dollars in cash, tax avoidance scams and high paying federal and private sector jobs each of those future years.
What happens when there are 10 million free-loaders on your island?
How much will Puerto Rico cost the U.S. Taxpayers then?
I don't "hate" you, I just think you're stupid.
LOL!
LOL!
I am of course a supporter of Statehood for Puerto Rico. Call me old fashioned but I think that a people must be represented in the Congress that enacts laws that apply to them, and that they should participate in the Presidential elections to choose the executive that enforces those laws. All we have right now is a non-voting delegate or Resident Commissioner to Congress.
There are currently two bills making their way through Congress that would address this issue. The one that's getting more traction, although it is already being torpedoed by the the vested interests of the "commonwealth", would call for two votes.
The first vote would ask Puerto Ricans if they would like to keep the current arrangement or if they would like to change it. If they vote to keep it, periodic votes, say every ten years, would be scheduled to see if that's still the case.
If they/we vote to change the current system, a second vote would be held and the only options would be Statehood or Independence, with an option of free association available after independence.
I think that's a fair bill and I think one of your Senators, Mel Martínez, is pushing it through the Senate, although he's not pushing it hard enough.
Honestly, I don't think the bill will fly. Our current Resident Commissioner, although a Republican, is a weak politician and has fallen for the "there's no will in Congress for a status change" stance. Our position is "well, Luisito, that's what we sent you there for. Make it happen".
Again, there are many powerful ineterest groups that do not like to stir this pot. These are mainly the people who profit from the current arrangement and they use all sorts of dirty tactics to keep it that way. That's unfair and un-American.
What I would like to see happen, and that's what I try to do here in Free Republic, is to enlist the help of the resident of the States to push their respective Congresscritters for action on Puerto Rico status. Again, we have a weak rep in Congress and when we try to talk to Congressmen from the states their attitude is "that's not my problem" or "your not a constituent of me".
But this is America's problem. As a minimum it's costing you as a taxpayer a bundle. But the most fundamental problem is one of principle. Here we go preaching democracy to the world when here at home we have four million Americans who can't vote in Presidential elections and who don't have adequate representation in Congress.
And the issue that we don't pay federal taxes so our status is a good compromise? A myth.
And thank you for your interest. But most importantly, thank you for keeping the most difficult job in the world, that of a military spouse. You're three times the citizen.
LOL
We don't. Actually no one likes Cubans; Mexicans and South/Central Americans despise us too. Many Cubans have achieved a significant level of economic success here in the U.S. and this has generated envy and contempt from our more downtrodden "Latino Brothers"; even more so now that the vast majority of Cubans did not support the recent illegal immigration marches.
We have a Cuban U.S. Secretary of Commerce, 2 U.S. senators, 4 U.S. Congressmen.
Puertoricans have: J-LO
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