Soon to Be a Nation of 51???

DeadSkunk wrote: split Texas into 4 reasonably sized states

With a population of 4, 5, 7, and 40mil......

yamaha wrote:

turboswede wrote: They've had a bitter sweet relationship with the US as well after the US helped them kick out the Spanish and then essentially took Spain's place. During WWII, they looked to the US to protect them from the Japanese (as the fighting with the US for their independence left them unready for the Japanese invasion) and many were given citizenship in the US after serving in the US armed forces. There is a still a symbiotic relationship with the US, but they certainly are an independent country. As for PR, I think that making them the 51st state is fine, if that is their choice. However, I think that if that doesn't happen, then they should be set free to govern themselves. I'm sure the Hawaiians are sending them letters essentially stating, "Don't do it!" or, "Its a Trap!" Since many Hawaiians believe their statehood was not by choice and that they have every right to self-govern themselves. Meanwhile in Alaska, someone fired a snot rocket and asked for another beer.

MacArthur was brought back from retirement to help the Phillipines form an army to defend themselves......even then they were overwhelmed, just like everyone else. Japan basically rick-rolled the Pacific. Many did recieve citizenship(one of the nicest things imaginable for the time), and many of Phillipine descent still live in the states. Hawaiians just got out-voted by all the people who moved there.... Also, Breaking news......the Alaskan Gov. just killed a moose. DINNERTIME!!!!

I know, my wife's surrogate grandparents met because of the war. Grandma was born and raised in the PI, while Grandpa was a US citizen who arrived on the shores of the US in 1920 and was camped in a foxhole in grandma's back yard during WWII when they met.

Hawaiians didn't actually get to vote, the "vote" was among the people that managed the plantations. They also shoved the Queen of Hawaii aside. Clinton officially apologized on the behalf of the US, but there is still an outstanding legal battle going there. Time is not on their side though.

we could always split michigan into two states too... they already basically are

mad_machine wrote: we could always split michigan into two states too... they already basically are

The same can be said for North and South Jersey, too!

And I was about to say that the UP should be part of Wisconsin.

oldsaw wrote:

mad_machine wrote: we could always split michigan into two states too... they already basically are

The same can be said for North and South Jersey, too!

I think we tried that back in the 70s.. the North didn't want us to go

RossD wrote: And I was about to say that the UP should be part of Wisconsin.

Then we get Toledo back from the Buckeyes!!

Actually on second thoughts, forget it. I’m not giving up the LSPR and Pasties to gain Tony Packos.

Wow, this is really cool. I was reading over the weekend about how they were voting on this and how the votes had been going towards independence over the years, so it sounds like it was quite unexpected.

How many seats would they get in the House? Just curious.

Looks like 5-7.

mtn wrote: How many seats would they get in the House? Just curious.

Currently at 3.7M, 5 seats. And 7 electoral votes.

If statehood happens prior to 2022 (the first house election after the 2020 census), probably the house would grow to 440 members, and then go back down to 435 when the census re-districts the US, and re-arranges.

That's what happened when Alaska and Hawaii joined- the House grew to 437 until the adjustment.

It's also possible that the House rules get changed to increase the total number of seats.

(edit- of course, the Senate would grow to 102 seats)

mad_machine wrote:

oldsaw wrote:

mad_machine wrote: we could always split michigan into two states too... they already basically are

The same can be said for North and South Jersey, too!

I think we tried that back in the 70s.. the North didn't want us to go

It's all about the money, isn't it?

You guys should figure out a way to start a war and emancipate all the migrant workers picking vegetables.

In reply to oldsaw:

ROFL

oldsaw wrote:

mad_machine wrote:

oldsaw wrote:

mad_machine wrote: we could always split michigan into two states too... they already basically are

The same can be said for North and South Jersey, too!

I think we tried that back in the 70s.. the North didn't want us to go

It's all about the money, isn't it? You guys should figure out a way to start a war and emancipate all the migrant workers picking vegetables.

It's always funny if you ask somebody from South Jersey to draw the line where North and South Divide.. they will always put Trenton in the North.

Ask somebody from North Jersey to draw that same line.. they put Trenton in the South.

dculberson wrote: I wonder what the flag would look like?

I vote for this:

jg

yamaha wrote: they have a HARP array in PR as well.....just sayin...

alfadriver wrote: Even without the federal taxes, a lot of money is sent to Puerto Rico. Interestingly, I've read a study that once they start paying federal tax, they will get even more federal monies.

On FARK, the issue of "benefits that come with statehood" came up and the Usual Suspects were thinking that only meant federal aid style money.

I guess those FARKers don't think having more representation in the Federal government is a benefit.

Again, there's a lot of interesting info on Wikipedia in the article on "51st State". Every President has basically said, hey guys, we're open to the idea of you becoming a state, but that's entirely up to you.

mad_machine wrote: we could always split michigan into two states too... they already basically are

Look up the history behind that, if you're not familiar with it. Interesting stuff.

Adrian_Thompson wrote: Then we get Toledo back from the Buckeyes!!

Didn't Ohio and Michigan have a war a couple hundred years ago to determine who had to take Toledo?

That's right, Southern friends - we had a war between the states before it was cool.

Knurled wrote:

Adrian_Thompson wrote: Then we get Toledo back from the Buckeyes!!

Didn't Ohio and Michigan have a war a couple hundred years ago to determine who had to take Toledo? That's right, Southern friends - we had a war between the states before it was cool.

Yep, I learned about that from the tv show "How the States Got There Shapes". It was a fight of the litoral rights that Toledo provided. Supposedly, that grudge has been continued through the Michigan/Ohio State college football rivalry.

Pretty neat. History is so berkeleying cool.

Anti-stance wrote: Pretty neat. History is so berkeleying cool.

Except for the part where people kill each other a lot, though.

That's why I found this passage rather amusing:

"The militias were mobilized and sent to positions on opposite sides of the Maumee River near Toledo, but besides mutual taunting there was little interaction between the two forces. The single military confrontation of the 'war' ended with a report of shots being fired into the air, incurring no casualties."

No word on how many of the militiamen were French, or if either side's parentage contained hamsters or the faint odor of elderberry.

Anti-stance wrote: Yep, I learned about that from the tv show "How the States Got There Shapes". It was a fight of the litoral rights that Toledo provided. Supposedly, that grudge has been continued through the Michigan/Ohio State college football rivalry. Pretty neat. History is so berkeleying cool.

Lots of intersting history on that show. The idea that most of the states after the first 13 ended up being smaller than they were as territories was fascinating to me.

In reply to Knurled:

Meh, maybe I am cold hearted, but even the terrible parts of history are so damn interesting to me. I am not saying I think its cool that a bunch of people died for what seems to be a trivial reason to us now-a-days, just that it is cool how interesting history is.

Very cool show too.

In reply to Hal:

Indiana had its own war between two small towns within the same county. The Attica/Covington war.

http://www.jstor.org/stable/27785402