Comments by "Dangic23" (@Dangic23) on "Juan González: In Surprise Move, Gorsuch Challenges U.S. Colonialism in SCOTUS Ruling on Puerto Rico" video.

@holdon4992 No. The voting that has ever taken place is symbolic, and has never been a true representation of the electorate. And even if 100% of the people in Puerto Rico vote for 1 option, the vote is still 100% meaningless, since it is only up to US Congress to decide.
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@ericquiabazza2608 Tax haven for US Corporations
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@michaelsouza6987 If PR were a State, it would have 4-5 House Representatives, and 2 Senators. Currently as a Colony, it has 1 non-voting Representative in the House.
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@greymann The US Constitution is stopping them. Only Congress has the authority to change the Status of PR. Doesn’t even require any voting in PR.
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@greymann Negative. It is explicitly stated on the Territorial Clause of the US Constitution that only the US Congress , with a simple majority vote, has the granted power to change the status of an Unincorporated Territory. It also states that consulting the inhabitants of such territories is NOT required. So even if all 3 million people in PR, including newborns, all vote for 1 status option, it is still a null vote.
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@greymann Small correction. PR pays almost zero Federal Income Tax. All other Federal taxes are paid at the same rate as the 50 States, and a few at a higher rate than 48 States (Jones Act).
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@greymann True. Hundreds of people in the US renounce their citizenship every year. And they go on and move to their newly desired country. People in PR who wish to renounce US citizenship, wish to stay in Puerto Rico as a PuertoRican. But the US State Department does not recognize PR as a sovereign entity, so folks who do renounce, end up country-less. It’s a very interesting Court case.
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@greymann Not an excuse. It’s an actual fact. There is a Court case of a person that renounced US citizenship, and is still country-less because he lives in PR. So now he is an ilegal in his own Island where he lived his entire life. Kind of like the movie “The Terminal”
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@greymann I am only stating what it is written in the law and the US Constitution. Anything outside of that would have to be approved by Congress. And since 1901, zero bills have been introduced by Congress to do so. The actual result of either State or Free Country is not the issue or a factor on what I am presenting. Only sharing the actual law of the Land, because you can see people have opinions in the comments, but none will ever be resolved if the Law is not changed first. So as of today, no vote made by PuertoRicans, even a unanimous one, has any weight against the US Constitution, or Congress. So yes, null vote, until Congress changes the law.
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@shawnmount2685 She can’t vote on the floor. PR should have 4 to 5 voting Representatives and 2 Senators. But under the current colonial status, they have one Commissioner in the House with zero votes and zero influence. So I guess she is representing the US citizens in PR properly by being invisible to Congress.
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@beckyb2814 Debt is not the reason. Puerto Rico is for the US what the Cayman Islands are for the UK. USA will let PR free when it’s no longer beneficial to US interests
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@dontaylor7315 I hear you about all the topics. But yes, what you said, Only Congress can Free or make PR a State. Per US Constitution, only requires simple majority in House and Senate, and could be done anytime. As if it’s unjust or not, that irrelevant to the Constitution. But Neil Gorsuch did write an opinion last week where he said that he is willing to throw away the 1901 SCOTUS ruling that created this entire mess with the US colonies. There is hope
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@greymann The US did impose US citizenship on PR in 1917. Then in 1940 extended Birthright Citizenship to PR. So people in PR are not able to reject US citizenship. It is also impossible for people in PR to renounce US citizenship for PuertoRican citizenship, because it doesn’t exist.
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@greymann Also, People in PR do not have Representation in Congress, so demanding representatives to do something, and voting on the issue is impossible.
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@greymann I think he will be alright. He is an ilegal in his own land. Only problem he will have is that he can’t leave the Island due to no PR passport.
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@jammcguire1276 Maybe poop will make a comeback in the future.
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@greymann When the movement for independence was active in PR, The US banned, Spanish, implemented a Gag Order, banned all displays of the PR flag, massacred dozens of people, incarcerated and tortured many more. These actions completely eliminated any further moves from the folks on the Island.
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@fulanichild3138 That has nothing to do with the issue. Congress has never moved to resolve the status of PR. Closest was the Young Bill back in 1998, 100 years after being a US possession, and the Bill was DOA.
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@wdy922 FYI PR pays almost zero Federal INCOME Tax. All other Federal taxes are paid at the same rate as the 50 States, and a few at a higher rate than 48 States (Jones Act).
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@dontaylor7315 Only Congress can do that.
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@grovermartin6874 True. But meaningless debates. It’s all in the hands of Congress and SCOTUS.
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