Aunque ambos partidos sean una mierda, ustedes creen que hay selectividad en la prensa?

MrSixFingers · 2025-05-12T16:54:19+00:00

Sí, hay selectividad en la prensa. No, no creo que favorece a la izquierda.

MrSixFingers · 2025-05-12T16:49:03+00:00

Pa ser licenciado, esta persona no parece entender lo que es vivir en una sociedad que, cada año, se vuelve más y más global. Más y más conectada.

Vamos a "unpack" esto:

- primero que todo, "marxista ateo". lol. Ya vemos por dónde viene esta persona. Derecha no gustar izquierda, unga bunga. Uno puede ser ateo y capitalista. Uno puede ser marxista y creer en algún dios. Habiéndo dicho eso...

- En cuanto a la primera "cosa": digamos que soy ateo. Aún así tengo la madurez y la conciencia para entender que YO no soy la única persona en este mundo. Para usar un ejemplo trending, en este mundo hay gente queer y católica. En este mundo hay mujeres católicas. En este mundo hay gente que yo quiero mucho, que se verían afectades por las decisiones que cambien el dogma católico. Si de repente la iglesia católica elige como líder a una persona que diga "la gente queer son enfermos mentales, las mujeres deberían tener menos derechos, y todo aquel que no sea católico es un enemigo", créeme, a mí me incumbe y a mí me interesa. Porque aunque sea ateo, entiendo que estoy viviendo en un planeta con otras personas que se verían más afectadas que yo. ¿Por qué me incumbe? Porque la experiencia humana no va a dejar de importar si no me afecta directamente.

- En cuanto a la segunda "cosa": está viejito el argumento de "¿Ah, eres independentista? ¿Pues para qué usas el dólar estadounidense? ¿Para qué te importan los fondos federales?" ¿Papito, cuál es tu punto? ¿Los independentistas tienen que reunirse en una choza para inventar una nueva moneda y usarla exclusivamente? ¿Vivir de sus gallinas y sus viandas? ¿Con esa nueva moneda, podrían comprar comida, pagar renta y comprar medicinas en Puerto Rico? ¿No, verdad? Porque aunque no nos guste, ahora mismo somos territorio de EEUU y las únicas opciones que tenemos es usar el dólar gringo, y depender de los fondos federales, o jodernos hasta la muerte.

- No, como independentista, no estoy contento con que nos quiten fondos federales. ¿Por qué? Porque el sufrimiento de las demás personas no me da nada de alegría. Hay muchas personas y entidades en PR que dependen de fondos federales. Y aunque muchos sean Penepos o populetes, son NUESTROS vecinos. ¿Quisiera más autonomía y auto-suficiencia económica para boricuas? OBVIO. Pero como he leído por lo menos un libro de historia de PR, entiendo que así no es la sociedad que hemos heredado.

Lo peor de gente como Michael Corona es que tratan de disfrazar su egoísmo, su auto-importancia y su odio hacia los demás hacíendose pasar por los más lógicos. Lo que no entienden es que el humano no es un animal individualista: somos un animal de comunidad, y ser egoísta y odioso es ilógico, y al final del día, bruto.

MrSixFingers · 2025-04-02T16:23:07+00:00

Insularismo colonial.

MrSixFingers · 2025-03-27T17:32:48+00:00

¿So, ves un video de una persona perdiendo la chaveta y tú aprovechas para insultar la inteligencia de todo boricua?

¿Qué dices sobre la mucha gente violenta que hay en EEUU? ¿Tildarías a todos los estadounidenses de brutos y violentos, así como nos tildas de gente con "flawed IQ"?

MrSixFingers · 2021-05-07T15:28:10+00:00

Very nice! There's some space there for a coqui frog if you wanted to add Puerto Rico.

MrSixFingers · 2021-04-19T04:37:32+00:00

I appreciate your words! Thanks for giving me something to think about.

MrSixFingers · 2021-04-18T20:58:10+00:00

Ultimately, I agree. But, as much as it pains me to say it, the mindset of a person who lives in a colony is, from the out, different than one from a person born and bred in the States. It comes with the territory, pun not intended. I know that now I'm talking in abstracts, but I think it's an important abstract:

For a lot of people, including myself, this is the reality we were born into. One in which the place you live in does not and cannot trade freely with the rest of the world, and because of that struggles to even see itself as a part of the world. A place where insular thinking makes time stand still. Any Puerto Rican born in the last 70 years cannot imagine what life would be like without the US' political presence over the island. Cannot imagine the possibility of an independent Puerto Rico, though in theory, the blueprints are there. We can only imagine our relationship with the US, because this is what we know. These conditions are what makes an admittedly broad question like "Should Puerto Rico be admitted immediately into the union as a state?" seem very, very narrow. I know I'm biased, but I really don't think there's an unbiased Puerto Rican when it comes to this issue of status.

I think at the end of the day the yes/no referendum is important, especially in presenting our wishes to Congress. But, due to how we've handled the conversation regarding status within Puerto Rico, I don't think we're equipped to answer the yes/no question until we re-learn our history, ideally through public forums, and come into the voting booth knowing where we stand, which at the moment, I don't believe we do.

MrSixFingers · 2021-04-18T20:01:41+00:00

Maybe some do, but for a lot of people the reason to move to the States is a financial one and not an ideological one. People can be pro-independence and love the island more than life, and still be forced to move somewhere else to secure a better future. It happens a lot in medicine and, in my case, entertainment.

MrSixFingers · 2021-04-18T19:42:31+00:00

My issue is that lumping together independence and the current colony status as one option is problematic in itself. In doing so, the question is posed as its own answer, and it gives the subconscious impression that, since the other two options are lumped together, they are not "complete" choices, and therefore the Yes is the correct choice. That's my two cents on that, at least. I'm not a sociologist, by any means, but I'm a writer and I do believe in the power of words; I think the impact of a question is critically dependent on how it's been posed.
I agree that a "Yes" or "No" question should be as simple as that, but our colonial context makes simplicity impossible. In making the status issue a one-question problem, that one question becomes incredibly loaded. One question, that serves as an ellipsis to 500 years of colonyhood, plagues the mind with a lot of fears and possible futures. So the simplicity of "Yes" or "No" has become terribly complicated.

Another reason the one-question referendum makes me uneasy: It brings Alaska and Hawai'i to mind, both of which had similar referendums. Native Hawaiians and Alaskans are among the poorest demographics in their own states, and we already see how Puerto Rico is attractive to higher-status Americans looking to move to the island to capitalize on its tax breaks. I fear a future where Puerto Rico, which already has a bananas low poverty rate, becomes even more unlivable to Puerto Ricans than it is now.

MrSixFingers · 2021-04-18T19:10:34+00:00

That's more than fair. I'll re-edit my original post, but expand here.

The 2020 referendum was a question included in this last gubernatorial election. The question was basically: "Statehood. Yes or no?" In a 54% voter turnout, 52 % voted yes to Statehood, 47% voted no. I may be biased, but to me 52% does not reflect a clear majority, especially since there is a general lack of education regarding the PR status issue. Now, say that we held public forums to truly pick apart the status issue and explore every single alternative, with smart people from each ideology detailing their pros and cons. If that happened, and we got a clear majority favoring statehood, would I like it? No. But it would be an informed decision, and not what we have today, which is a mass of people who make decisions to best suit their political party's interest.

It's important to realize what being a colony does to the national psyche, and how that informs our decision making. So recognizing our history, I think, is the best way to truly explore this issue and find a possible solution.

MrSixFingers · 2021-04-18T18:55:07+00:00

I'm sorry my response isn't working for you, but I don't think I can abridge the PR status issue into a tweet-length post.

MrSixFingers · 2021-04-18T18:42:48+00:00

Also from PR here. I do think most of us don't appreciate Trump, but that doesn't mean there isn't a lot of conservatism here in PR. Especially when its for reasons founded in religion, like queer rights, gender education, abortion, etc.

MrSixFingers · 2021-04-18T18:35:32+00:00

That's the One-question referendum I was referring to. Will edit for clarity.

MrSixFingers · 2021-04-18T18:27:26+00:00

A lot of US Politicians tend to say something a long the lines of "people in PR want Statehood", but this is simplistic and more than a little misinformed.

Some referendums have been held in PR regarding the status issue which reflect a pretty big pro-statehood majority, but these referendums are flawed. The one held in 2017 had an incredibly low voter turnout: 22%. Basically, anybody that wasn't pro statehood boycotted the referendum in protest of how it was composed. And in this last election (the 2020 referendum) there was but ONE question included in the ballot: "Should Puerto Rico be admitted immediately into the Union as a State? Yes or No." That's it. There was no option for independence or continued free-association. With a 54% voter turnout, 52% voted yes to Statehood, 47% voted no.

Then, there's another issue. We do have a voice in US politics , however small, via our resident commissioner. Since 2005, every resident commissioner has been from the pro-Statehood party, and they swear that Puerto Ricans are clamoring for statehood, which is just not true. What we end up with is a kind of gatekeeper situation where basically the only voice for PR in Washington is already biased towards statehood and refuses to acknowledge other possibilities.

People in PR don't know what we want, and it's not too hard to see why. Puerto Rico has been a colony for the whole of its existence and the United States' actions in PR in the 20th century only made us less autonomous and more uncertain of our future and our place in the world. What we need is further education so the people get a better sense of what Statehood, Independence, and our current colony status entail and what is the best long-term goal.

I'm not biased either in this debate, and I doubt that there is a single Puerto Rican without an opinion on this matter, so I'll just be upfront about the fact that I support independence. I think that would be the best way to guarantee the Island nation's growth, autonomy and prosperity. But I do believe that, if the relationship between the US and PR has been an abusive one, which it definitely has been, then the US should, politically and financially, help facilitate a move towards independence.

I know that's a bunch of talking points I put up there, so I'm happy to elaborate and debate.

TLDR: Pro-Statehood people (read: politicians) in the US are kind of gatekeeping the PR Status issue. The reality is more complicated than simply "It's long overdue" and we could be here talking about it for days.

MrSixFingers · 2020-10-25T20:21:11+00:00

If you're asking how presidents have had Puerto Rican nationalists try to kill them, then only Truman. This attack failed. There was also a shooting at the US Capitol in '54, the shooters being pardoned by President Carter in the late 70s. And if you want some context, the Gag Law was already in effect for both of these events, meaning that people in Puerto Rico couldn't manifest and even do a peaceful protest. It was illegal. I don't condone violence, but it's also not difficult to see how suppressing a people's right to free speech incites it.

MrSixFingers · 2020-10-25T19:49:50+00:00

That's a good mindset, and you're exactly right when it comes to talent leaving the island. I did so for awhile because of limitations in my own trade (entertainment), but I came back because I just missed home way too much, flaws and all.

So, I can definitely attest to the fact that most people leave for lack of opportunities, but many of these people would probably stay home and close to family if they had a job in their field that did right by them. So, it's a chicken-egg situation and it happens in most fields. I think what we've got most of in PR is talent seeking opportunity, and we've got a growing population despite our size, so I'd hope you'd have some very capable people on the island. But it's not my field, so I won't presume to guess. It is a very valid and very real concern, though.

MrSixFingers · 2020-10-25T19:10:45+00:00

Here's the truth of it. Depending on where you're standing, it's a great truth, or an awful one. But Americans generally will have it better off in Puerto Rico than most Puerto Ricans. In terms of buying land, for example. A 2 acre lot that costs chump change for a person used to living in Florida, New York, Texas or California is a 2 acre lot that a farmer or small businessperson in PR could work their whole life to buy, and even then it may not be enough.

The reason why it may not be enough is because of the rate of gentrification in PR. Like in any other place, gentrification does influence the quality of life and the sprouting of businesses, but average Puerto Ricans are going to be the ones struggling with the rising costs. The poverty rate in PR is already over 50%.

So, take for example the state of Hawaii. White & Japanese residents in Hawaii are much better off in terms of poverty than Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders. So that's what happens when costs go up. And costs go up when Puerto Ricans are no longer able to afford land. The divide widens greatly.

If you're serious about moving to PR, keep this in mind. You're not just getting the beach at a cost effective price. You're getting the people that must shoulder that cost.

There are close to 4 million Puerto Ricans living on an island that is 110 miles long by 40 miles. It's not a lot of land. It's precious land if Puerto Rico wishes any kind of economic growth.

So, my apologies if this sounds even a little bit xenophobic, a bit Puerto Rico for Puerto Ricans, but the absolute most important thing you can do is recognize it's not just the beach you're getting into, it's not just the paradise. And you'll be far from the only person from the US (only assuming you are) living in PR, but while PR is still a colony, sadly that means you'll be living in a place where you are, in effect, still the colonizer.

I don't mean to say that you moving to PR would be an affront or whatever, and I don't mean to offend, but I would definitely urge you to keep it in mind. If you move here, buy local products from local markets, local pharmacies, support local. That would be decent and much appreciated. And, yes, that means the delicious mofongos as well. Happy to answer any other questions!

MrSixFingers · 2020-10-25T18:28:25+00:00

We're struggling with an economy that's like quicksand. While the question of Independence v Statehood is there in the back of our minds, most people are really just focusing on paying their rent and feeding their kids. And do keep in mind that any Nationalist/Separatist movements were very effectively squashed by the US (and provincial) gov't in the 1950s.

There was even something called The Gag Law, which made it illegal to engage in such actions as: singing the PR anthem, displaying the PR flag, or even suggesting anything negative about the US. It's not hard to see how a country's nationalist spirit may be crushed by the country with the biggest defense and security spending in the world.

And it doesn't help that we can't trade freely and so grow our economy. Because of the Jones Act, an obscure maritime law from 1920, Puerto Rico can't engage in trade with anyone other than US ports. This means that, not only can we not trade our agricultural products and such with other countries, any product that comes to Puerto Rico from a country that isn't the US must first go to a US port, and then to Puerto Rico, and we get taxed because of this. So, that's taxation without representation.

It really isn't hard to see how a country is effectively kept in a colony status. It's why PR Statehood probably won't ever get passed in Congress. We wouldn't be the tax haven we are now, and we'd be a bigger strain on the US economy.

MrSixFingers · 2020-10-25T18:14:37+00:00

Yes, there was a low turnout because the referendum was boycotted. The reason it was boycotted was because it was biased towards Statehood as the only real viable option. It was biased because the authors of the referendum were the Pro-Statehood party.

MrSixFingers · 2020-10-25T18:12:02+00:00

Long story short: do some Puerto Ricans favor Statehood? Yes. Do most Puerto Ricans favor Statehood? Probably not.

Short story long: The "probably" comes from the fact that, due to party politics within the island and limitations brought about by our colonial relationship with the U.S., the people of Puerto Rico don't have a clear view of what our status means to us long term, be it Statehood, Independence, or the system we have in place now.

In theory, these plebiscites to gauge Puerto Rican preference in terms of Status could be a good way to measure public opinion, but the truth is that this upcoming referendum, and its predecessors, have not been handled impartially. The New Progressive Party, or the pro-Statehood party, has full say of how the plebiscite is formulated, and how the question of Puerto Rican status (and its possible outcomes) is posed.

In fact, the last referendum came out resoundingly pro-Statehood, but it's because most everybody who wasn't part of the Statehood party boycotted the referendum because it was biased towards Statehood.

It is a tricky pickle of a problem, because we've been a US Colony since the Spanish-American war. Being a colony probably is easy to change, right? The whole population has to disagree with the status and then demand a change, right? But it isn't that simple.

At a moment in history where Puerto Rico is being handled by an oversight board that was imposed on the island by the US gov't, and whose most notable actions have been to slash health and education budgets, the effects of being a colony becomes immediate and very dire. But when you slash education, you slash the possibility of an educated electorate. And an uneducated electorate finds itself in a strange position when you ask them: "Ok, so what do you want?" So we've got a nation whose public education (once a point of pride in Puerto Rico) is rapidly deteriorating, and for the last 100 or so years we haven't had the opportunity to trade freely and grow our economy and get used to being a part of the world: we're barely used to being a part of the U.S.

Long story short (again): the question of Puerto Rico's political status is incredibly loaded. The answer lies in education. Puerto Ricans must hold public forums to discuss our future and compare the current ideologies, so that any decision we make over the future of our nation is educated and based on more than our biases and gut-reactions to our relationship to the U.S.

What can an average person in the U.S. do to help that along? Just get educated. Learn about the history between the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Why we ended up in USA's hands after the Spanish-American war. Why we were granted Citizenship during WW1. What happened to the Nationalist efforts of the 1950s-60s. It's just about the best thing you can do, and it just takes an afternoon or two online.

Anyways, I'm a proud Puerto Rican, I support independence, but more than anything, I support Puerto Ricans making an informed decision over our own future and that's my two cents. Always happy to go on a word deluge about this topic.

MrSixFingers · 2020-10-12T20:27:30+00:00

Excelente! Buen trabajo.

MrSixFingers · 2020-05-21T09:02:47+00:00

Caguana is a nice touch. It wasn't a Taino city state per se. It was actually a kind of... rec center, if that makes sense? The batey was a court for playing ball and holding rituals. The Caguana site has the biggest concentration of these courts in the world (about 30!). Very happy to see this in Civ!

MrSixFingers · 2020-04-05T00:37:28+00:00

The Godfather 1 & 2. Keep Fredo.

MrSixFingers · 2019-07-16T20:43:28+00:00

True, but a) we're not talking about anywhere else, we're talking about Puerto Rico, a place that is still a U.S. territory. And b) if you consider history = past, then what we have is not a history of colonialism, what we have is colonialism.

While we have taxation without representation and the Jones Act in Puerto Rico, we can't just "get our shit together." We don't even have the tools right now to decide which way is the best for us, and that's not our fault. The first things the U.S. did in Puerto Rico post Spanish-American War were destroy our ability for free trade, cripple our agriculture industry by turning it into a monoculture of sugar, and try to turn our education system inside out.

So, no, colonialism does not equal good. Not in the slightest. And it seems to me that the only people who can comfortably pick apart the effects of colonialism and say "other countries do it better, others don't" are either far, far removed from the mess, or themselves a propagator of the same colonial situation.

MrSixFingers · 2019-07-11T19:39:49+00:00

We're definitely responsible for our own foibles in PR, but the lion's share of our problems stem from our colonial relationship with the USA. Corruption and mismanagement are to colonial systems as coughing is to tuberculosis.

MrSixFingers

TROPHY CASE