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America was born by defeating imperialists, it opposed the british empire and foreign colonial powers. Its supported many Independence movements. That’s why i am supried as to how Americans can justify themselves as anti-imperialist and yet have territories which to not belong to them, they govern a completely different countries with different cultures, surely this is not right. Why havent these territories been given Independence, surely this is the democratic way?
Those areas are territories, in the same way that Hawaii and Alaska once were, they are given all the rights and protections of US nationals (with a few exceptions).
As for the ‘democratic way’ you spoke of, those territories are given the choice to stay autonomous OR become full fledged states. Every time it comes up for a vote in Puerto Rico they have chosen to stay a territory. If they ever wanted complete sovereignty they could hold a vote for that too, but they so far have prefered staying under the protective umbrella that comes from being associated with the USA. They haven’t been ‘given’ independence because they don’t want it, and until they vote otherwise they will belong to the US.
And yes America was born by defeating imperialists, but imperialism wasn’t the motivation for the Revolution. As for us supporting independence movements, that was because those peoples expressed a great desire to be free. The US helped them in their efforts to regain sovereignty and autonomy. You don’t see people rioting in the streets in American Samoa attempting to overthrow some kind of American dictatorship. So maybe if their were legitimate independence movements in those territories, the US would re-evaluate their position as territories.
The US could have long ago forced those areas into state-hood, but just like with Alaska and Hawaii, who chose to join the union, they were given the CHOICE. There is nothing more democratic than that.
Terran | Oct 15, 2008
Do they want independence?
MiCarl | Oct 15, 2008
Many of the US States used to be territories before becoming states.
Puerto Ricans are statutory U.S. citizens, since Puerto Rico is an unincorporated territory and not a U.S. state, the U.S. Constitution does not enfranchise U.S. citizens residing in Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rico does participate in the internal political process of both the Democratic and Republican parties in the U.S., accorded equal-proportional representation in both parties, and delegates from the islands vote in each party’s national convention.
People born in American Samoa are are American nationals, but not United States citizens.
Samoans elect one non-voting delegate to the United States House of Representatives. They also send delegates to the Democratic and Republican National Conventions.
StanS | Oct 15, 2008
I know very little about the situation of Puerto Rico, and so will not write about it. However, you are completely off base when it comes to American Samoa, with which I am extremely familiar. Read the document (or at least search for "Samoa" and just read those sections) in my source section for the comments by Governor Tauese Sunia, and Congressman Eni Faleomavaega of American Samoa to the United Nations attempt to have them categorized as a "colony" and a "non-self governing territory" of the United States.
In summary of those comments, Congressman Faleomavaega said that "Contrary to criticism of the United States, the people of American Samoa had never had their rights suppressed. Too often the Special Committee had been used as a platform to attack the United States and he resented that American Samoa was being manipulated for that reason. The mischaracterization of American Samoa as a colony had been perceived as an insult and an outrage by the people of that territory."
Governor Sunia said, in the same conference, "asked that American Samoa be de-listed as a
American Samoa ought to be independent and allowed to unite as one country with Weatern Samoa just like Ireland ought to be both North and South of the partition created by the British Government.
I think a large part of the reason American Samoa dosen’t have independence has a lot to do with Nancy Pelosi and her ties to Starkist Tuna. And the fact that many Samoans live in the US. Watch what happens with tsunami relief in Samoa.
SNOPES” VALIDATES THE FACTS BELOW :
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s home district
includes San Francisco .
StarKist Tuna’s headquarters are in San Francisco , Pelosi’s home district.
StarKist is owned by Del Monte Foods and is a major contributor to Pelosi.
StarKist is the major employer in American Samoa employing 75% of the Samoan work force.
Paul Pelosi, Nancy ’s husband, owns $17 million dollars of StarKist stock.
In January, 2007 when the minimum wage was increased from $5.15 to $7.25,
Pelosi had American Samoa exempted from the increase
so Del Monte would not have to pay the higher wage.
This would make Del Monte products less expensive than that of its competitors.
Last week when the huge bailout bill was passed,
Pelosi added an earmark to the final bill
adding $33 million dollars for an “economic development credit in American Samoa ”
Pelosi has called the Bush Administration “CORRUPT” and many other things !!!
How do you spell “HYPOCRISY” ?
SHE’S SHAMELESS….