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The author compares Greenland to Puerto Rico, seeming to make the assumption that if somebody made a good offer, America would happily sell Puerto Rico. Can an

The author compares Greenland to Puerto Rico, seeming to make the assumption that if somebody made a good offer, America would happily sell Puerto Rico. Can any other Americans speak to the truth of this? It seems absurd to me that a country would happily sell off a territory and make a whole bunch of citizens non-citizens just for the financial benefit. Are Puerto Ricans not Americans? Do americans really view Puerto Rico as a budget line item that could be cut if necessary?

ereyes01 7y ago
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/26/upshot/nearly-half-of-americans-dont-know-people-in-puerto-ricoans-are-fellow-citizens.html https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/26/upshot/nearly-half-of-ame...
deleted 7y ago
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ghoulfarmer 7y ago
After we sell Puerto Rico Illinois will be next.
dsfyu404ed 7y ago
I think you grossly over-estimate how much most Americans care either way. If they want out I'm sure they could have out.
technothrasher 7y ago
> Are Puerto Ricans not Americans? Well... sort of? The short answer is yes, of course they are. But I don't think they quite view themselves as the same as other US citizens exactly. Both US and Puerto Rican courts have repeatedly recognized Puerto Rican citizenship as distinct from US Citizenship, as does the EU. Spain, for an example, allows Puerto Rican citizens to become Spanish citizens after living in Spain only two years (as opposed to ten years for other US citizens). The CIA World Fact Book defines the people of Puerto Rico as "Puerto Rican (US Citizenship)", as opposed to the entry for the US which defines the people as "American". Considering that statehood movements in Puerto Rico have historically been dismal, I suspect they like to be straddling the line of being "American". I'm not sure who would find financial or other benefit from acquiring Puerto Rico from the US, and independence votes there have been even more unpopular than statehood votes. So I don't think they'll be separating from the US any time soon. But after much rhetoric from Trump and other Republican politicians, I'm sure there are plenty of right wing folks that would delight in seeing them go.
- deleted 7y ago
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brighter2morrow 7y ago
A lot of Americans would offer money for someone to take Puerto Rico off out hands.
- User23 7y ago
  On a tangential note, moving to Puerto Rico is one of the better ways for a US citizen who doesn't want to renounce to lawfully avoid federal capital gains taxes. Domiciling on a tropical island for a year to avoid 15% can be pretty attractive even for relatively modest equity gains. Edit: Puerto Rico Act 22[1] is the law in question. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Act_22_of_2012 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Act_22_of_2012
  - Something1234 7y ago
    How so? What law?
sunstone 7y ago
Pretty sure that China would make an offer for Puerto Rico if they thought they could get it.
Townley 7y ago
Speaking for myself (as an American), I’d find this problematic without a referendum of support from Puerto Rico. Self-determination is important, and selling land with an entire culture and population based solely on a balance sheet seems shameful. That said, if the deal were mutually beneficial for Puerto Rico and the US (“We’ll invest heavily enough in PR to make them interested in approving the deal in a public referendum”) that would be fine.
adjkant 7y ago
> Are Puerto Ricans not Americans? They really aren't treated as such, particularly of late. I doubt many would be against it, though this is 100% an outside perspective and I agree with others that it should be self determination via vote if it was ever to occur.
jonnycomputer 7y ago
Well, I don't. Puerto Ricans seem split of statehood, but full independence seems far less popular, at least based on the 2012 referendum. I'd like them to become a US state. I feel similarly about all territories under US control. I feel it would be ultimately better for them than independence, and better for US moral character.

ereyes01 7y ago

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/26/upshot/nearly-half-of-americans-dont-know-people-in-puerto-ricoans-are-fellow-citizens.html https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/26/upshot/nearly-half-of-ame...

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ghoulfarmer 7y ago

After we sell Puerto Rico Illinois will be next.

dsfyu404ed 7y ago

I think you grossly over-estimate how much most Americans care either way. If they want out I'm sure they could have out.

technothrasher 7y ago

> Are Puerto Ricans not Americans? Well... sort of? The short answer is yes, of course they are. But I don't think they quite view themselves as the same as other US citizens exactly. Both US and Puerto Rican courts have repeatedly recognized Puerto Rican citizenship as distinct from US Citizenship, as does the EU. Spain, for an example, allows Puerto Rican citizens to become Spanish citizens after living in Spain only two years (as opposed to ten years for other US citizens). The CIA World Fact Book defines the people of Puerto Rico as "Puerto Rican (US Citizenship)", as opposed to the entry for the US which defines the people as "American". Considering that statehood movements in Puerto Rico have historically been dismal, I suspect they like to be straddling the line of being "American". I'm not sure who would find financial or other benefit from acquiring Puerto Rico from the US, and independence votes there have been even more unpopular than statehood votes. So I don't think they'll be separating from the US any time soon. But after much rhetoric from Trump and other Republican politicians, I'm sure there are plenty of right wing folks that would delight in seeing them go.

deleted 7y ago
[deleted]

brighter2morrow 7y ago

A lot of Americans would offer money for someone to take Puerto Rico off out hands.

User23 7y ago
On a tangential note, moving to Puerto Rico is one of the better ways for a US citizen who doesn't want to renounce to lawfully avoid federal capital gains taxes. Domiciling on a tropical island for a year to avoid 15% can be pretty attractive even for relatively modest equity gains. Edit: Puerto Rico Act 22[1] is the law in question. [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Act_22_of_2012 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Act_22_of_2012
- Something1234 7y ago
  How so? What law?

sunstone 7y ago

Pretty sure that China would make an offer for Puerto Rico if they thought they could get it.

Townley 7y ago

Speaking for myself (as an American), I’d find this problematic without a referendum of support from Puerto Rico. Self-determination is important, and selling land with an entire culture and population based solely on a balance sheet seems shameful. That said, if the deal were mutually beneficial for Puerto Rico and the US (“We’ll invest heavily enough in PR to make them interested in approving the deal in a public referendum”) that would be fine.

adjkant 7y ago

> Are Puerto Ricans not Americans? They really aren't treated as such, particularly of late. I doubt many would be against it, though this is 100% an outside perspective and I agree with others that it should be self determination via vote if it was ever to occur.

jonnycomputer 7y ago

Well, I don't. Puerto Ricans seem split of statehood, but full independence seems far less popular, at least based on the 2012 referendum. I'd like them to become a US state. I feel similarly about all territories under US control. I feel it would be ultimately better for them than independence, and better for US moral character.