4 ms·

I can see why Puerto Rico would want to become a state, but why would the US want Puerto Rico to become a state?

• gumby 10y ago
  I don't understand your question: why would they not? The only reason against it I can see is a short term one: if PR were seen to add a Party X congressional delegation, Party Y might try to block statehood.
  • gozur88 10y ago
    >I don't understand your question: why would they not? Because the new obligations we'd be taking on wouldn't be offset by the benefits.
    • sqeaky 10y ago
      In the short term that might be true. In the long term it seems likely that adding 3.5 million people (Twice the population of Nebraska), mostly in a single metro area, would contribute to the economy and society in a beneficial way. As it is now they cost us more, getting them to be more self sufficient like every state is, would cost us less even if they never contributed after they fixed their problems. Then there is the human side of this. Sentences like "Because the new obligations we'd be taking on wouldn't be offset by the benefits" entirely ignore the human cost. These are our fellow Americans and we are willing to just let them suffer. It says something that we don't help them, and it says something different if we do.
      • toomuchtodo 10y ago
        Thank you for your last paragraph. You don't see much compassion for others on HN (IMHO).