Puerto Rico, let's converse about SHTF.

At what point did we actually consider these folks US Citizens? At best they wanted US Funds to support thier lives, just another entitlement subside at best. I like the the PR's, but I don't think WE should support thier island contrived privilege that they think is thier right!
A skinny ass and how to shake it ain't my idea of why I want to pay for it. (Perhaps this isn't in keeping with)

 

At what time did they vote that this wasn't acceptable?
Needless to say it was at thier peril!
They wanted to get wiped out, they got want they wanted, WHAT IS OUR REQUIRED RESPONSE? Should we let them to thier own devises? What makes you think that we need to respond to thier whining?

 

It certainly could be but like I said, the US has already taken Puerto Rico on as a territory and assumed, by precedent, the taking care of them. I can't see as the US government has much other choice but to take care of its citizens. I would certainly prefer seeing a well thought out, tough budget on the part of Puerto Rico but I think that went out the window with the storm.

 

Puerto Rico is an off-shore manufacturing haven for US businesses. The island has little in the way of natural resources, so they export a little canned tuna and some rum. But along with that, they also export chemicals, electronics, clothing, medical equipment. and beverage concentrates.

They import chemicals, machinery and equipment, clothing, food (including fish), and petroleum products.

Most of what they import comes from the US, most of what they export goes to the US.

The US sends Puerto Rico A and B, and Puerto Rico sends the US AB. Their real resource is cheap labor. They import raw materials and export finished products.

Despite being a modern country, Puerto Rico is not even remotely self-sufficient in any way: not in food, energy, or anything else.

But their economy runs (or ran) at a whopping profit. In 2001 they imported $29.1 billion in goods and exported $49.6 billion in goods.

So why are they 120 billion dollars in the red? (MOL)

In a word: Corruption. And the mismanagement that goes right along with it.

Now that the fan has been well and truly hit, what can the average Puerto Rican do?

Almost nothing, They have no resources, and no infrastructure, and they're stranded on a desert island--even if the desert part is mostly pavement.

All they can do is beg for help and hope they can hold out until it comes.

Obviously, they'll be scavenging, scrounging, and looting, and trying to make do with whatever they can in the meantime.

But they really don't have much to work with, because, like many Americans, they mostly live from paycheck to paycheck.

97% of the population voted to become an American State in the last referendum. Why didn't it happen? Because Congress prevented it to protect the profits of Big Biz.

If Puerto Rico joins the US, a lot of laws will start applying that don't right now. Chief among them, I suspect, will be the Minimum Wage.

If that happens, bye-bye cheap labor, hello lower profits.

 

I am afraid that Porto Rico is the canary in the coal mine. They import 100 % of their fuel for all of their energy needs, 85 % of their food, totally depend on the US their defense, most of their industry only exists to convert raw materials from off the island to exports to other countries with the profits going to firms located off the island. 39 % of the labor force works for the government, in education, or health care. A major source of income is money sent back to the island by family members living in the US. The population on the island is shrinking, ageing, and the best educated and most capable are leaving the island. Most of the building materials are imported and that includes lumber and while they make cement, they must import the fuel to make it. They import nearly all their transportation and capital goods and most of the goods sold in their stores with much of it coming from China. They have a high unemployment rate, lower labor participation rate, high debt rate, and problems with poverty, drugs, and crime. Unfortunately the same could be said about Detroit, Cleveland, several other large cities or parts of them, northern New Hampshire, parts of Maine and Vermont and I don't fully know how the rest of the US would compare, but with a crisis of similar proportions and no FEMA and low cost loans, gifts, etc, I think many areas of the US would react very much like they did and thus I think it should encourage us to prepare to do as much as we can to be self sufficient. It would seem that a few hundred watts of solar and some LED's and water purification, etc, would be a step up from standing in line 6 hours a day hoping to get fuel for your generator for a few months while they hopefully rebuild the electrical grid.

 

No.
I don't give two good shits about PR, Haiti, Somalia or any other 3rd world shithole that spits in our face, murders our people but can't wait to take in the billions of dollars that the limpwristed libs can't wait to send them. The biggest difference between Cuba and PR is that PR is still on the US tit.

 

"Am I being to cynical?"
I am with @Tully Mars on this. ABSOLUTELY NOT! They live on an island for crying out loud. Why would they not be prepared? And, frankly, I am sick to death of having to give, give, give and give some more for places like Haiti, Somalia and $70Billion in Foreign Aid and I can't even get reasonably price Health Insurance in this country - in fact - all I get is a good screwing on almost everything: medicine, taxes, etc., etc., etc.... so excuse me but I don't really care because...if it was me they wouldn't care one iota.

But, I will say that America is at least as corrupt as Puerto Rico - I mean - the people voted to become a state but nooooooo...can't have that and mess with the profits.

 

Puerto Rico will become a state IF or when Commiefornia successfully secedes from the USA, and its northern 1/3 joins with the southwest quarter of Oregon to form the State of Jefferson in order to stay with the Union. Pretty far-fetched aluminum foil hat stuff some would say.....Like when Alaska and Hawaii entered the Union, one politically balances the other....somewhat.

Sorry for bringing up the KALI state, but the discussion is about PR and its possible statehood. I believe the two could be conditionally linked from afar by our politicians.

The state of Jefferson would be the conservative counterbalance to the high concentration of liberal socialists that senators and congressmen from the state of Puerto Rico would bring into US politics, including 3.5 million mostly democrat party votes within that entitlement-minded population. Don't you think the likes of Sen. Schumer and Rep. Pelosi would love that?

I doubt this would ever happen because even the Californicator politicians realize that once they open that Pandora's Box, other sections of their state (the choice, productive semi-rural regions) will want to join with the new state of Jefferson, perhaps far south along its current eastern border with Nevada. That would isolate the heavily populated coastal cities, ports of entry, and Hollywood to make their own country, and laws, and fend for themselves like some of their legislature already think they can do.

Such ideas make for food for thought and wonder. Personally, I would hope for the status quo, but that's JMHO.

Jefferson (proposed Pacific state) - Wikipedia

 

RUM

 

A man after my own heart

 

I had one too many Hurricane Parties and learned quickly that Beer is the first thing you buy and stronger spirits came next.

 

Arrrrg Rum Yes by all means bring on more rum. Now Monkeys listen up! This here is a Tribe. A Family more or less. As in the infamous words of Rodney King, "Can't we all just get along"? Tac out.

 

If this place didn't have such onerous gun laws. I'd say this a buying opportunity for a ranchette in the hills.

 

PR is a Territory of the US so it is our responsibility to help them but I think there is a limit that should be placed on the recovery. The US had three major hurricane/flooding events in a matter of weeks. I am hoping this is not a case of he who whines the loudest gets the biggest chunk of government money.

 

I believe that there is a strong possibility that all six of the able bodied individuals left before the storm.

 

I might be able to answer the question about why they didn't prep more. When we were in Bolivia, everything costs more because of tariffs. Even with a 7 to 1 dollar to bolivar exchange, everything costs more. Those dinky $40 solar chargers would be a life saver right now for them, but they probably cost close to $400 out there and the wages are significantly lower. Suddenly prepping is a luxury item...even when you know the emergency is going to take place.

 

Why is everyone so obsessed with them having electricity? Am I missing something?