5 thoughts on “Is the U.S. Navy violating the Puerto Rican government in scheduling a referendum solely in Vieques instead of all of Puerto Rico?”
some thoughts on the matter
Firstly, it seems to me, that being a colony is a violation of Puerto Rican sovereignty–just as neocolonialism is also. And would PR escape such a fate were she independent? Probably not. Be that as it may–and all the ramifications that grow out of exploring such a question–I would say that the singling out of a municipality and having them alone vote on the issue of the Naval presence in Vieques is fundamentally a trespass on Puerto Rican governing authority. I believe Rosello agreed to it but, as we all well know, this is consistent with his parcelling out of different assets of the country for sale. For example, the telephone company. Even the way the referendum has been described: It is the Navy which is having the referendum, not Puerto Rico. They might, at the very least, have cloaked it as a Puerto Rican initiative–as they have the bogus plebiscites we have seen under Rosello.
It is comparable to having New York City alone vote for having the Russians dock in our city ports and practice war maneuvers. The underlying assumption is fundamentally flawed and contradictory. You can not divide and conquer or perhaps you can.
I wonder what the considerations were in casting such a narrow referendum net. Perhaps, the general unpopularity of the Navy and its war practices figured into the formula.
Perhaps it would be easier to influence a smaller electorate with promises of millions of dollars for local development and cleanup–easier to attempt a quid pro quo or a bribe, depending on how you look at it. It might be easier to get a smaller number to sell out their country again–one parcel at a time. This time Vieques which the Navy has always wanted unpopulated.
Vieques Referendum
I agree with KS that this is equivalent to parcelling out the national interests of Puerto Rico; and, I might add, an exquisite example of deconstruction as applied to social & political strategem.
The scary part of this proposal is that the US government would not have proposed this limited referendum if it didnt feel that there were fairly good odds of winning their position. Is this possible!
I would also like to see how question(s) in the referendum are framed and its overall structure.
PR elections reflect Vieques Referendum outcome
If the Navy was convinced of that possibility by Rosello and Romero, the pro-statehooders–well they’re out of the picture and Calderon and the PPD won the elections campaigning on the promise to get the Navy out. How’s that for a referendum–nationwide. I also believe, and correct me if I’m wrong, that Calderon attempted to reverse the government decision that made the referendum possible, but it was not reversible. I don’t know the details of this. Last I heard, she and the PPD were trying to petition Clinton and the Navy to put an end to this whole unseemly business.
RE: PR elections reflect Vieques Referendum outcome
AS LONG AS WE CONTINUE TO DEMAND FROM HILLARY, CLINTON, THE BUSH’S OR WHAT EVER ASWHOLE IN THE UNITED STATES COME’S INTO POWER; WE WILL CONTNUE TO FACE REFERENDUMS AND THE STRONGHOLD THEY HAVE ON PUERTO RICO AND IT’S PEOPLE WILL CONTINUE TO EXSIST. WE MOST PUT OUR PRIORATIES UP FRONT AND BECOME STEAD FAST ON OUR GOES TO REMOVE THESE CRIMINALS FROM OUR HOME LAND. WE MUST COME TO THE REALIZATION OF WHAT THIS COUNTRY IS ALL ABOUT; RIGHT NOW THE PRECIDENT TO BE NOMINATED DONALD DUCK. I MEAN DONALD RUMSFELD TO BE THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE AND “IF I’M NOT MISTAKENLY WRONG” SIED THAT (HE WOULD BE WHAT THE COUNTRY NEEDS TO BUILD A BETTER DEFENCE FOR THE COUNTRY); MY QUESTION IS WOULD THIS MEAN AT THE EXPENCE OF THE PUERTOQUAN PEOPLE OF VIEQES?
WE HAVE A FOOT IN THE DOOR NOW THAT SILIA HAS WON; IT’S TIME TO OPEN IT WIDE AND SHOW THE ENAMY (NAVY AND ALL MILITARY),THE WAY OUT SO THAT WE CAN CHOOSE OUR OWN WAY OF LIFE AND HOPEFULLY WE’VE MATURED ENOUGH IN THOSE FIVE HUNDRED YEARS NOT TO MAKE IT A STATE OF THE UNION; FOR IN SO DOING WE BECOME THE LOSER’S AND CONTINUE TO BE THE OPPRESS.
Sovereignty issues don’t carry much weight here
I guess sovereignty issues don’t weigh in very much in these discussions! It is a gross violation of Puerto Rican sovereignty that the Navy should have this isolated referendum. I don’t believe states in the U.S. would go for it. It is also a poor precedence of relinguishing power to a foreign government on the part of the Puerto Rican government. But what else would one expect from Rosello and the PNP? Glad their out.
some thoughts on the matter
Firstly, it seems to me, that being a colony is a violation of Puerto Rican sovereignty–just as neocolonialism is also. And would PR escape such a fate were she independent? Probably not. Be that as it may–and all the ramifications that grow out of exploring such a question–I would say that the singling out of a municipality and having them alone vote on the issue of the Naval presence in Vieques is fundamentally a trespass on Puerto Rican governing authority. I believe Rosello agreed to it but, as we all well know, this is consistent with his parcelling out of different assets of the country for sale. For example, the telephone company. Even the way the referendum has been described: It is the Navy which is having the referendum, not Puerto Rico. They might, at the very least, have cloaked it as a Puerto Rican initiative–as they have the bogus plebiscites we have seen under Rosello.
It is comparable to having New York City alone vote for having the Russians dock in our city ports and practice war maneuvers. The underlying assumption is fundamentally flawed and contradictory. You can not divide and conquer or perhaps you can.
I wonder what the considerations were in casting such a narrow referendum net. Perhaps, the general unpopularity of the Navy and its war practices figured into the formula.
Perhaps it would be easier to influence a smaller electorate with promises of millions of dollars for local development and cleanup–easier to attempt a quid pro quo or a bribe, depending on how you look at it. It might be easier to get a smaller number to sell out their country again–one parcel at a time. This time Vieques which the Navy has always wanted unpopulated.
Vieques Referendum
I agree with KS that this is equivalent to parcelling out the national interests of Puerto Rico; and, I might add, an exquisite example of deconstruction as applied to social & political strategem.
The scary part of this proposal is that the US government would not have proposed this limited referendum if it didnt feel that there were fairly good odds of winning their position. Is this possible!
I would also like to see how question(s) in the referendum are framed and its overall structure.
PR elections reflect Vieques Referendum outcome
If the Navy was convinced of that possibility by Rosello and Romero, the pro-statehooders–well they’re out of the picture and Calderon and the PPD won the elections campaigning on the promise to get the Navy out. How’s that for a referendum–nationwide. I also believe, and correct me if I’m wrong, that Calderon attempted to reverse the government decision that made the referendum possible, but it was not reversible. I don’t know the details of this. Last I heard, she and the PPD were trying to petition Clinton and the Navy to put an end to this whole unseemly business.
RE: PR elections reflect Vieques Referendum outcome
AS LONG AS WE CONTINUE TO DEMAND FROM HILLARY, CLINTON, THE BUSH’S OR WHAT EVER ASWHOLE IN THE UNITED STATES COME’S INTO POWER; WE WILL CONTNUE TO FACE REFERENDUMS AND THE STRONGHOLD THEY HAVE ON PUERTO RICO AND IT’S PEOPLE WILL CONTINUE TO EXSIST. WE MOST PUT OUR PRIORATIES UP FRONT AND BECOME STEAD FAST ON OUR GOES TO REMOVE THESE CRIMINALS FROM OUR HOME LAND. WE MUST COME TO THE REALIZATION OF WHAT THIS COUNTRY IS ALL ABOUT; RIGHT NOW THE PRECIDENT TO BE NOMINATED DONALD DUCK. I MEAN DONALD RUMSFELD TO BE THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE AND “IF I’M NOT MISTAKENLY WRONG” SIED THAT (HE WOULD BE WHAT THE COUNTRY NEEDS TO BUILD A BETTER DEFENCE FOR THE COUNTRY); MY QUESTION IS WOULD THIS MEAN AT THE EXPENCE OF THE PUERTOQUAN PEOPLE OF VIEQES?
WE HAVE A FOOT IN THE DOOR NOW THAT SILIA HAS WON; IT’S TIME TO OPEN IT WIDE AND SHOW THE ENAMY (NAVY AND ALL MILITARY),THE WAY OUT SO THAT WE CAN CHOOSE OUR OWN WAY OF LIFE AND HOPEFULLY WE’VE MATURED ENOUGH IN THOSE FIVE HUNDRED YEARS NOT TO MAKE IT A STATE OF THE UNION; FOR IN SO DOING WE BECOME THE LOSER’S AND CONTINUE TO BE THE OPPRESS.
Sovereignty issues don’t carry much weight here
I guess sovereignty issues don’t weigh in very much in these discussions! It is a gross violation of Puerto Rican sovereignty that the Navy should have this isolated referendum. I don’t believe states in the U.S. would go for it. It is also a poor precedence of relinguishing power to a foreign government on the part of the Puerto Rican government. But what else would one expect from Rosello and the PNP? Glad their out.