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Thread: Another wack for PR

  1. #1
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    Unhappy Another wack for PR

    From today's WSJ:

    By Talal Ansari and
    Arian Campo-Flores
    Updated Aug. 28, 2019 2:08 pm ET

    Dorian became a hurricane as it headed toward the eastern coast of Puerto Rico on Wednesday afternoon, where residents had prepared for a lashing of heavy rains and high winds only two years after the island endured Hurricane Maria’s devastation.

    As of midday Wednesday, the storm had maximum sustained winds of 75 miles an hour with even higher gusts, according to the National Hurricane Center.

    Puerto Rico’s main concern is heavy rainfall, which could provoke flooding and landslides, said Roberto García, a National Weather Service meteorologist in San Juan. But for the islands of Vieques and Culebra, off Puerto Rico’s eastern coast, strong winds could prove a more-significant factor, he said.

    After making landfall in Puerto Rico, Dorian is forecast to grow into a Category 3 hurricane as it heads toward the east coast of Florida.

    “All indications are that by this Labor Day weekend, a powerful hurricane will be near the Florida or southeastern coast of the United States,” the NHC said.

    Carlos Acevedo, commissioner of Puerto Rico’s emergency management agency, said the National Guard was prepared to move supplies to affected areas. He said he had spoken to many of the territory’s mayors, some of whom requested generators, tents and other equipment.

    Mr. Acevedo said 23 shelters were open across Puerto Rico, and a smattering of residents had begun to show up. Power and water service largely were functioning normally, he said. The island’s ports had been closed, and some airlines had canceled flights.

    “To the citizenry, remain calm,” Mr. Acevedo said.

    Late Tuesday, President Trump approved an emergency declaration for Puerto Rico ahead of the storm, ordering federal assistance to supplement local response efforts.

    Puerto Rico Gov. Wanda Vázquez declared a state of emergency on Monday. The entire island is under a hurricane watch, as well as tropical storm and flash-flood warnings, according to the National Weather Service in San Juan.

    The NHC said it expects four to six inches of rainfall on the island, with up to 10 inches in isolated areas, and warned of possible “life-threatening” flash floods and rip currents.
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty” ---Sir Winston Churchill
    "Political extremism involves two prime ingredients: an excessively simple diagnosis of the world's ills, and a conviction that there are identifiable villains back of it all." ---John W. Gardner
    “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” ---C. S. Lewis

  2. #2
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    Looks like there better prepared this time.

  3. #3
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    I thought we were going to nuke it.....

  4. #4
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    No ill will to PR but I am much more worried about the east coast of Florida where the hurricane is forecast to make landfall as a major hurricane cat 3 or more.
    OPINION....a view or judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge.

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    Quote Originally Posted by wacojoe View Post
    Why are we holding on to this territory? It offers the United States nothing but gum on our shoe.
    Give them independence and repeal the Nationality Act of 1940.
    AMEN, Brother!
    The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible - Arthur C. Clarke

  6. #6
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    The last time a Caribbean island nation was up for grabs, the Soviet-backed communists took a toehold that's lasted 60 years...I'm all for PR being independent, but cutting them loose with 3 million people accustomed to being on the dole is just begging for another takeover by America haters...Why does nation-building no longer work for democracy, but is a slamdunk for socialists and religion-based dictators?......Ben
    The future is forged on the anvil of history...The interpreter of history wields the hammer... - Unknown author...

  7. #7
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    Ben, great minds think alikebut I was thinking the same thing. We have been their nanny for so long if we take the bottle away they will find somebody else to feed them. Maybe a dictatorship in South America or Cuba? The Soviets have desired a toe hold in this hemisphere since time began. Right now the only reason folks are stirred up about PR is because they say bad things about Trump. The damn storm is already past them anyway. Time to worry about our folks in Florida and the Southeast.
    OPINION....a view or judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge.

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    I'm with Ben. Cutting them off is a lot like cutting our nose off to spite our face.
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty” ---Sir Winston Churchill
    "Political extremism involves two prime ingredients: an excessively simple diagnosis of the world's ills, and a conviction that there are identifiable villains back of it all." ---John W. Gardner
    “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” ---C. S. Lewis

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    Okay, y'all have convinced me. Let's keep them but make them more responsible for their own welfare.
    The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible - Arthur C. Clarke

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    Quote Originally Posted by Mike View Post
    Okay, y'all have convinced me. Let's keep them but make them more responsible for their own welfare.
    ...and instead of teaching them to become more responsible we call them names and demean them

    For the record, the poor economic condition of PR is not all of their doing. You might find reading about Act 936 of interest. Instead of weaning the baby we tossed the bottle away. PR is at a distinct disadvantage in manufacturing---transportation costs, both coming in and going out.
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty” ---Sir Winston Churchill
    "Political extremism involves two prime ingredients: an excessively simple diagnosis of the world's ills, and a conviction that there are identifiable villains back of it all." ---John W. Gardner
    “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” ---C. S. Lewis

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    They did not ask to fall under the US---we made that decision for them. A lot like having children---they have no say in picking their parents. Just like any responsible parent does with their children to raise them up to be responsible and contributing members of society, we have the same obligation to PR. To date we have not succeeded in that, but that does not excuse us from that obligation.
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty” ---Sir Winston Churchill
    "Political extremism involves two prime ingredients: an excessively simple diagnosis of the world's ills, and a conviction that there are identifiable villains back of it all." ---John W. Gardner
    “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” ---C. S. Lewis

  12. #12
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    I limit the time I spend arguing with "fence posts"

    You seem to think we were some how "forced" to take PR---and BTW---what the hell did they have to do with blowing up a ship in Cuba?

    I guarntee if they were the possession of a US company in-lieu of the USA---they would in a far different position today.
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty” ---Sir Winston Churchill
    "Political extremism involves two prime ingredients: an excessively simple diagnosis of the world's ills, and a conviction that there are identifiable villains back of it all." ---John W. Gardner
    “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” ---C. S. Lewis

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dave Grubb View Post
    I guarntee if they were the possession of a US company in-lieu of the USA---they would in a far different position today.
    Good idea...Find a wealthy wooden furniture manufacturer, or a rich retired lawyer to buy PR, and let him run the island for a profit......Ben
    The future is forged on the anvil of history...The interpreter of history wields the hammer... - Unknown author...

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by Truckman View Post
    Good idea...Find a wealthy wooden furniture manufacturer, or a rich retired lawyer to buy PR, and let him run the island for a profit......Ben
    I vote for the rich retired lawyer---it could make an honest man of him

    In the interest of full disclosure, I did have a stint in PR back in the 90's. When Knoll was bought by Westinghouse they had a plant in PR---for tax reasons. It was a disaster and I wanted to move the manufacturing to the mainland--I lost that battle until the tax angle was repealed---then we could not get out of there fast enough.

    The core problem was that Westinghouse made no effort to make that operation profitable---they were nothing more than a tax advantage---when that dried up they became a burden---not by their own doing but buy the failure of Westinghouse---who was on the skids to their own failure.

    And another---When I was a kid my father hired four men from PR to work on the farm. We had many of the same come back year after year--they became family. My Mother fussed over them and made sure they had a good diet (part of their pay was all their meat) and sent cloths and such to their families still in PR. They were very poor---obvious to us but not a concern to them, they believed they had a good life---and what more does any of us want? Each spring was like a reunion and each fall a sad parting.
    Last edited by Dave Grubb; 08-29-2019 at 11:35 AM.
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty” ---Sir Winston Churchill
    "Political extremism involves two prime ingredients: an excessively simple diagnosis of the world's ills, and a conviction that there are identifiable villains back of it all." ---John W. Gardner
    “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” ---C. S. Lewis

  15. #15
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    Something new learned today. I didn't know the Philippines was ours for a while.
    The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible - Arthur C. Clarke

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