Questions for our American friends

[palo5]

Originally Posted by winebeavis

I think Palo meant that the expense is for an independent campaign. Sort of how Ross Perot dug into his own pocket to pay his. Didn't read it to mean that voters had to pony up if they wanted to vote for anyone else.

Thanks winebeavis, that is what I meant

[jagturan]

Originally Posted by winebeavis

As for the other territories, I'm not sure if many Americans could find Guam or Samoa on a map without a struggle. But to be fair, the stereotypes about bad geographical knowledge are there for a reason.

The mention of Guam and its geography kick started my memory of a question an elected Congressional Representative asked Admiral Willard concerning the transfer of U.S. Marines from Okinawa to Guam a couple two or three years ago. It's not funny, it's really scary that such people are put into positions of making laws and passing the budget. This video points out the grave responsibility ordinary American Citizens are tasked with when it comes to voting. If you don't vote, you get the undesirables put in charge of your life.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNZczIgVXjg

[DTravel]

Originally Posted by deepsepia

. . . and a way with women. I suspect that he's probably more people's "Great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandpa" than any other founder.

It was those air baths he took.

[tygrkhat40]

Originally Posted by awboy33

Many people would probably disagree with me, but the closest the US has had to having a dictator would probably have been FDR, a Democrat. He had solid majorities in both houses of congress, but it took the supreme court to restrain him. The next one would probably be Abraham Lincoln, a Republican, because he arrested and imprisoned newspaper editors, suspended the Writ of Habeas Corpus, and other rights all under the authority of the President during war.

I would agree awboy on your assessments of FDR and Lincoln. But remember that both were operating during times of extreme nation crisis; FDR during the Great Depression and World War II and Lincoln during the Civil War.

I seem to remember the story of a cabal of businessmen and military types who plotted against FDR in the 30's, but nothing ever came of it. If any one else can supply details on this, it would be greatly appreciated.

[blueballsdc]

Does this work for you?

Thanks to op

[Top_Gum]

Originally Posted by deepsepia

Puerto Rico has had referendums/plebiscites on Statehood several times, Statehood has never won.

The basic political calculus is this: in a very narrowly divided United States, Republicans don't want to admit a State that would be heavily Democratic. At the same time, Commonwealth status provides some significant Federal financial benefits to Puerto Rico. Another part of the ambivalence is that some Puerto Ricans want independence; Statehood would make that impossible (cf the Civil War).

So Commonwealth status, even though its not really anyone's first choice of what they want, ends up being where the situation rests.

Here's a fairly long--but very readible-- Law Review article challenging the constitutionalality of PR as a "Commonwealth" since the Constitution only speaks of territories and states.
http://www.bu.edu/law/faculty/schola...erto-Rico.html

[deepsepia]

Originally Posted by tygrkhat40

I seem to remember the story of a cabal of businessmen and military types who plotted against FDR in the 30's, but nothing ever came of it. If any one else can supply details on this, it would be greatly appreciated.

This is a contentious allegation. Retired Marine Major General Smedley Butler, who was an opponent of [what would later come to be called] the "military industrial complex" (his own book was titled "war is a racket") claimed to have been approached by business leaders to overthrow Roosevelt.

The episode is referred to as "the Business Plot" -- and seems to have been a hoax that took on the some of the passions of the time.

Given Butler's well known point of view, it seems unlikely that business leaders would have chosen him to execute a coup . . .

see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Business_Plot

[scoundrel]

Originally Posted by deepsepia

Puerto Rico has had referendums/plebiscites on Statehood several times, Statehood has never won.

The basic political calculus is this: in a very narrowly divided United States, Republicans don't want to admit a State that would be heavily Democratic. At the same time, Commonwealth status provides some significant Federal financial benefits to Puerto Rico. Another part of the ambivalence is that some Puerto Ricans want independence; Statehood would make that impossible (cf the Civil War).

So Commonwealth status, even though its not really anyone's first choice of what they want, ends up being where the situation rests.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_...,_2012#Results

I wonder if this will put the cat among the pigeons. Even if we count the spoiled ballots (nearly 5%, a very significant number) as "No" to statehood, the population, in a turnout of almost 80%, has voted yes to change and yes to statehood. It seems to me that it is far from an overwhelming majority, but quite sufficient to warrant an application by the Resident Commissioner for an Act of Congress to admit Puerto Rico into the Union. I do not imagine that this will pass entirely unopposed; there might even have to be a fresh referendum on terms on Congress's choosing to convince Congress that the people of Peurto Rico actually want to their home to be a US state. It is possible that some elements in Congress will argue that Puerto Rico ought not to be a state anyway.

What will happen now, do you suppose?

[blueballsdc]

Originally Posted by scoundrel

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_...,_2012#Results

I wonder if this will put the cat among the pigeons. Even if we count the spoiled ballots (nearly 5%, a very significant number) as "No" to statehood, the population, in a turnout of almost 80%, has voted yes to change and yes to statehood. It seems to me that it is far from an overwhelming majority, but quite sufficient to warrant an application by the Resident Commissioner for an Act of Congress to admit Puerto Rico into the Union. I do not imagine that this will pass entirely unopposed; there might even have to be a fresh referendum on terms on Congress's choosing to convince Congress that the people of Peurto Rico actually want to their home to be a US state. It is possible that some elements in Congress will argue that Puerto Rico ought not to be a state anyway.

What will happen now, do you suppose?

I don't think Puerto Rico will become a state. At least not on its own.

How could we add just one star to the flag? It would completely unbalance the current star field.

[palo5]

Originally Posted by blueballsdc

...How could we add just one star to the flag? It would completely unbalance the current star field.

You could give Alaska back to Russia - problem solved