Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Did I hear this correctly

or did I dream it?

In bed and deeply into The Letters of Noel Coward, I am informed by the television that Puerto Rico will deliver fifty delegates in a Democrats' primary, and that, given how close the race is, those fifty will be extraordinarily decisive. And yet, the good folks of Puerto Rico will not be voting in the general election.

Surely I am not alone in finding this absurd.

The two party system ought to be dismantled, and, it's rather time for Puerto Rico to desire and be granted statehood.

There. Look at me being political. That was quite exhausting and the closest I'll get to a political rant/tirade.

6 comments:

R J Keefe said...

I was going to ask what on earth you were doing in bed at six o'clock on a beautiful (if slightly chilly) spring afternoon when I remembered that you're probably not across town.

Those who are ignorant of history are condemned to live it — Santayana said that, didn't he — and perhaps this explains the Carolingian complexion of American politics.

Anonymous said...

As I understand it, PR doesn't pay federal income taxes, which is pretty darn juicy. Of course what usually happens is that nations without income taxes usually engage in clientalism, making their government beholden not to their citizens but to wherever their funding comes from. So taxes are not "the price we pay for a civilized society" but rather the price we pay for democracy. As such, PR would have to choose whether it was worth it to them to pay federal taxes, in an economy not as developed as the place the taxes were designed for.

As a resident of a non-state which DOES pay federal taxes and everything else PR does, I can tell you the thrill of voting for president is potentially overridden by the disadvantage of not having two senators and a rep.

Maybe the next vote they have will change that.

Tony Adams said...

Statehood would get them a candidate in the Miss America Pageant but they'd lose one in the Miss Universe Pageant. Their women are gorgeous and could hold their own against the cornfed gals of the midwest and the big blondes from Texas and the slinky-sexy coastal ones. We must focus on the important ramifications.

Anonymous said...

I am grateful that this is the closest you ever come to political rants, given the nasty climate so apparent on other blogs. I have decided to stop commenting on another popular blog, which has become a magnet for shrill voices with little or no moderation. I have yet to visit Puerto Rico, but I have been made to understand that many would prefer separation over statehood. Have I been led down the wrong path?

Mike said...

I'm in favor of independence for Puerto Rico. They have their own culture and language.

American Samoa should be reunited with western Samoa and become the country of Samoa.

The U.S. Virgin Islands should unite with the rest of the Lesser Antilles to for one country from St. Vincent, Grenada and Barbados all the way up to the British and U.S. Virgin Islands.

I'm not sure about Guam and the Northern Marianas, probably independence.

The District of Columbia should be retroceded to Maryland, like Arlington and Alexandria were to Virginia.

BigAssBelle said...

and i am exhausted just reading it. absolutely. there. that is all. i can't bear the political process these days. i am grieving in advance for the day john mccain replaces george bush.