I can certainly see Puerto Rico becomming a state within the next 20 years or so. Some of the other territories seem to small for me.

Though it does lead an interesting question of how we're gonna further our expansion of territory and land mass after the next few decades.

I won't pretend to have any special insight into the matter, but I do have some anecdotal comments. I have a professor at school from Puerto Rico who could only be described, I think, as a Puerto Rican nationalist, as funny as that sounds. Usually this is manifested in the assertion that Puerto Rico has the best music/coffee/women/people/weather/etc., but I think he is the type of person who would be highly opposed to becoming a state. In fact, I imagine he would favour independence. As he says: "Haha, sometimes I forget that I am American!"

Then, of course, there is the whole issue of language: It's one thing to ask immigrants from Mexico and the rest of the Americas to learn English because "it's the language we speak here (except in some parts of the southwest where people have spoken Spanish since the 1500s but never mind about that)," but Puerto Rico is a Spanish* speaking Island. I don't know how this works out with them being a territory as far as government documents and stuff goes, but I would imagine it might become more complex with them becoming a full fledged state. Especially if, for example, they decided to elect a representative who did not (horror of horrors!) speak English.

*Albeit really trashy, polluted, incomprehensible Spanish.

__________________
"Jesus said: I have cast fire upon the world, and behold I guard it until it is ablaze."
Gospel of Thomas

How?

Or if?

__________________
"Jesus said: I have cast fire upon the world, and behold I guard it until it is ablaze."
Gospel of Thomas

Well obviously people don't wanna become where they feel colonialised or a part of an empire and wanna keep their independance but it is beneficial to their residents that they become the 51st state, i think if anoher refferendum was to take place now they'd easily vote to become a state.

I think its a how and it is obviously in our best interests to expand our land and territory. But like O'sullivan said though having a new state that then had residents who weren't happy at being a state in the union could be truly disasterous leading to rioting/violence and calls of succession/independance and it'd end up a real mess.

Obvious?

__________________
"Jesus said: I have cast fire upon the world, and behold I guard it until it is ablaze."
Gospel of Thomas

Yeah and we have continued to do ever since our independance from Britain (with losses and gains with Mexico during war) and have generally increased our land and territory over the years.

If we are to stay the world's most dominant and only superpower we have got to continue to increase our power and might.

You increase power and might by increasing your land mass? I can think of a lot of ways to increase power and might, like not being an asshole for one because you see if you have friends they are willing to help one out militarily speaking. Quite honestly, I think there is a lot more power in that.

__________________
New to the forum? Check out our Newbie's Guide!
Interested in supporting USPO? Click here!

We have enough allies to support us militarily, if they want to but i couldn't care less if they did or didn't, if the world doesn't support us, in our case we go in anyway and have done all the way from Korea and Vietnamm to the present day, do you think that policy is ever gonna change? It was with Dems back then (50's through 70's) and the GOP now. We're not "needing" others to be with us, that's why we are the world's greatest superpower.

As for land mass expansions well...say Cuba gradually transitions to democracy, say they eventually become a U.S. territory like Puerto Rico over years to come, you don't think it would help to have say the one island in the continent that isn't a democracy to be a part of us?

Fifty stars on our flag fit nicely. It's beautiful as is. Imagine 51 stars; that would look messy.

So...we need to add five new states at once. Then it would be an addition of another row. That would be OK.

__________________
I am an American. That's the way most of us put it, just matter of factly. They are plain words, those four: you could write them on your thumbnail, or sweep them clear across this bright autumn sky. But remember too, that they are more than just words. They are a way of life. So whenever you speak them; speak them firmly, speak them proudly, speak them gratefully. I am an American. ...a tradition

But is that necessarily in our best interests?

Why don't we run along to my Hegemon thread and discuss this?
What kind of fantasy world do you live in!?

__________________
"Jesus said: I have cast fire upon the world, and behold I guard it until it is ablaze."
Gospel of Thomas

Well do you think Puerto rico was always a territory of ours?

No, it was ceded to the United States from Spain in 1898 by the Treaty of Paris, along with Cuba, which went on to become independent.

__________________
"Jesus said: I have cast fire upon the world, and behold I guard it until it is ablaze."
Gospel of Thomas

ROFL. That comment is Proof No.1 that you are indeed of Columbian background. The Spanish in Puerto Rico is indeed filled with 'Spanglish' and other slang. I heard plenty when I was there and plenty then and now from native Puerto Ricans and Puerto Rican Americans in the States--things like 'roofo' (roof), 'lunche' (lunch), 'pregnanta' (pregnant), 'typiando' (typing), etc.

Even though the government of Cuba these days say the white star in the Cuban flag stands for independence, it was originally put there to express the wish of the Cubans to become a State of the USA.

__________________
President Josiah Bartlet: Sweden has a 100% literacy rate. 100%! How do they do that?
Leo McGarry: Maybe they don't and they can't add.