Why does the U.S. have "territories"?

[SHRED]

This unfolding tragedy in PR has reopened my eyes.
3.5 million U.S. citizens with NO vote in the mainland USA.

What can we do to change this?
Should we change this?

It just seems so wrong.

[exboyfil]

1. They should be a state

Population more than 20 states. The other territories should be another state.

[former9thward]

2. Time and time again Puerto Rico has been given the opportunity

to change its status. Time and time again they have rejected it. They pay no income taxes to the federal government. They apparently do not want to change that.

[DonViejo]

5. Wrong. The people of Puerto Rico voted for statehood in 2012 and again in 2017

On edit:

Your assessment of tax status is also incorrect. If the pay-roll money originates in the U.S., they must pay taxes on it; if it originates in PR, no taxes

[leftstreet]

10. And the ballot questions are always gibberish

Puerto Rican voters were asked two questions: (1) whether they agreed to continue with Puerto Rico's territorial status and (2) to indicate the political status they preferred from three possibilities: statehood, independence, or a sovereign nation in free association with the United States.[2] 970,910 (54.00%) voted "No" on the first question, expressing themselves against maintaining the current political status, and 828,077 (46.00%) voted "Yes", to maintain the current political status. Of those who answered on the second question 834,191 (61.11%) chose statehood, 454,768 (33.34%) chose free association, and 74,895 (5.55%) chose independence.[3][4]

The governor-elect Alejandro García Padilla of the Popular Democratic Party (PPD) and several other leaders who favor the present status had recommended voting "Yes" to the first question, and leaving the second question blank as a protest to what they said was "an anti-democratic process" and "a trap".[5]

Critics said that voters who favor a developed version of the current status of Puerto Rico (a commonwealth which is part of the United States with internal self-government) had no alternatives on the ballot. As a result, leaders of the Popular Democratic Party (PPD) instructed such voters to leave the second portion of the ballot blank, or to invalidate the ballot.[27]

-snip-

Because there were almost 500,000 blank ballots, creating confusion as to the voters' true desire, Congress decided to ignore the vote.[28]

History professor Luis Agrait explained the result in this manner to CNN: "If you assume those blank votes are anti-statehood votes, the true result for the statehood option would be less than 50%."[29] Considered as a percentage of the total number of votes cast in the first ballot, 44% voted in favor of statehood on the second ballot.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_Rican_status_referendum,_2012#Criticism

[former9thward]

12. And for most people the money originates in PR

So most pay no federal income taxes. Is that fair?

Please be accurate on the statehood question. The "people" of PR did not vote for statehood. There were boycotts of the vote both in 2012 and 2017. In 2012 there were 500,000 blank ballots cast. Of those who voted "no" (54%) to the current status about 61% voted for statehood. So the pro-statehood vote was a tiny percentage of the island vote.

In 2017 there was a boycott by the pro-status quo party, the PPD, and only 23% voted and those who did vote almost all voted for statehood. This was not a vote of "the people".

[Zambero]

3. Puerto Rico should have statehood status

OR, as its citizens see fit, be granted the right to pursue independence as a sovereign nation. I do not quite understand the legitimacy of the "no taxation and no representation" territorial status. This puts Puerto Rico in a very vulnerable predicament, especially now. Having no political standing is not serving its citizens well, having to rely on the "good graces" of the United States government, thus far woefully inadequate.

[Wounded Bear]

4. The US has always had territories, from the beginning...

All of those on the continental US have since become states. Our overseas territories have not all become states. There is often a political reason reason or reasons for that. Puerto Rico has had several votes on whether they wanted to become a state. It hasn't passed yet. But there is also congressional action needed before statehood is awarded. Right now, I'm sure it would be blocked by Repubs who don't want to expand the Senate with what would most likely be a blue state.

[jberryhill]

6. For several reasons...

One of which has been the historical lack of consensus among Puerto Ricans as to what would be preferable.

There is no doubt that we will again see on DU a repeat of oversimplified arguments about the hopelessly ambiguous 2012 referendum which, by the way it was structured in two questions, did not make a meaningful measurement.

There was a more recent referendum which attracted 23% of the vote in PR, and in which the ballot asserted various disputed premises (which was the reason for the remarkably low turnout).

What I find most curious in the various attempts at self-determination in Puerto Rico, is how it has managed to happen that in no recent instance has the actual ballot been designed to render a clear measurement.

[sarisataka]

7. The US has always had "territories"

31 are now states and 4 became independent countries.

[DesertRat]

8. They vote in the presidential primary and are granted delegates

But they can't vote in the general election because of the Electoral College system.

Puerto Rico voted for Marco Rubio in the GOP primary. I think that's why trump is punishing them now.

[DBoon]

9. because the word "colony" is not politically correct

We are the final colonial power, ruling over those who we do not allow a voice

Every civilized country has either she'd their colonies or incorporated them into their nation

We are not a civilized nation

[Calista241]

13. We're not the last colonial power.

The Dutch, Portuguese, French, English, and the Spanish all maintain territories outside their national boundaries.

Even though they divested themselves of most former colonies in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, they still maintain control over islands in the Caribbean, Pacific, and southern Atlantic ocean.

I've been watching the Vietnam documentary series by Ken Burns, and in it one Marine said "We didn't become the dominant species on Earth because we were nice," and "People always said, 'the military turns kids into killing machines.'" And then he said, “We’re a very aggressive species. It is in us. People talk a lot about how well the military turns kids into killing machines. I always argue that it’s just finishing school.”

[DBoon]

20. French overseas territories vote in French national elections

Puerto Ricans cannot

[Orsino]

11. Brown people are not allowed much Congressional represention under the best of circumstances. n/t

[Yupster]

14. Just my opinion, but

they should be an independent nation, and so should Hawaii.

[JI7]

15. They have voted against becoming a state. That might change now

[DesertRat]

17. Puerto Rico voted for statehood in June. nt

[jberryhill]

19. 23% of voters turned out for that

Because the ballot was less than a model of objectivity.

[malaise]

16. One word no three

empire & imperialism.

And I read Mark Twain before I read Marx or Lenin.

[FSogol]

18. Because of Tax Breaks for Citicorp! If it becomes a state, taxes will need to be paid.

https://dealbook.nytimes.com/2013/03/25/puerto-rico-creates-tax-shelters-in-appeal-to-the-rich/