Cut Them Loose

For John, BLUF:  Time for Puerto Rico to be independent.  Then they can decide about coming back in, as a state.  Nothing to see here; just move along.

A news organization known as Latin American Press had the following news item on Puerto Rico, with a dateline of 20 June 2013.  The issue is the relationship between Puerto Rico and the United States and the UN Decolonization Committee♠ has issued a report.  It can be found here.

The unalienable right to sovereignty

The UN Decolonization Committee described the relationship between Puerto Rico and the United States as a “subordinated” one.

In a resolution approved on June 17, the United Nations Decolonization Committee reaffirmed the unalienable rights of Puerto Rico to free self-determination and independence, ratifying it as a Latin American and Caribbean country “with a distinct and well-defined national identity”. In addition, the committee described the relationship between Puerto Rico and the United States as a “subordinated” one.

The initiative put forth by Bolivia, Cuba, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Venezuela referred the non-binding ballot carried out in Puerto Rico on Nov. 7, 2012 — the same date as the elections for the country´s new governor — in which the majority of voters rejected the country´s free association status with the United States, held since 1952, due to the inability of Puerto Ricans to vote in US presidential elections and lack of representation in Congress.

The always reliable Wikipedia tells us♥:

On 6 November 2012, a two question referendum took place, simultaneous with the general elections.  The first question asked voters whether they wanted to maintain the current status under the territorial clause of the U.S. Constitution.  The second question posed three alternate status options if the first question was approved: statehood, independence or free association.  For the first question, 54 percent voted against the current Commonwealth status, and in the second question, of those who responded, 61.1% favored statehood.  On December 11, 2012, Puerto Rico's Legislature passed a concurrent resolution to request to the President and the U.S. Congress action on the November 6, 2012 plebiscite results.  But on April 10, 2013, with the issue still being widely debated, the White House announced that it will seek $2.5 million to hold another referendum, this next one being the first Puerto Rican status referendum to be financed by the Federal government.

It has been my long-standing view that the current relationship between the United States and Puerto Rico is wrong and needs to be changed.  While there are advantages to the United States of having Puerto Rico as a Commonwealth, as part of the United States, the fact is that the relationship does not conform with our Declaration of Independence.

It isn't like people haven't tried to fix this.  In 1936, US Senator Millard Tyding (D-MD) introduced legislation to grant independence to both the Philippines and Puerto Rico.  For the Philippines it past and the island nation became independent on 4 July 1946.  For Puerto Rico there was opposition from within the island and it did not pass.

So, we have a Senator Tydings, an attempt to assassinate President Truman, the November 2012 referendum and a President's Task Force on Puerto Rico.  Let us cut through the fog and just grant the nation independence.  Then, and only then, if they wish to become a state within the Union, invite them in.

Here is what I have advocated.  The US Congress should pass legislation putting Puerto Rico on a five year path to independence, decreasing US subsidies to the nation progressively over those five years.  At the end of five years, Puerto Rico is independent.  At that point, and only at that point, they may, if they wish, hold a referendum to join the United States as one of the several states, becoming the 51st.  The legislation—I would call it the Millard Tydings Memorial Puerto Rico Act (MTMPRA)—would allow for automatic acceptance of Puerto Rico as an English speaking state in the United States.  There would be no special deals, aside from what new Puerto Rican Congress members could gain through the pork barrel.  There would be no separate teams in the Olympics.  Just another state, like Montana, albeit smaller and warmer.

Guam, on the other hand, is a different case.  Guam is where America's day begins.  Guam is good.

Regards  —  Cliff

♠  There is a web site, but they would do well to hire Lynne Lupien to help them update and maintain it.  Heck, they would be money ahead to hire me.
♥  Actually, that was a little slight of hand.  I quoted from the Wikipedia article on Puerto Rico, but linked to the article on the November 2012 vote.