Hello folks,
Here I am commenting on future choices for Puerto Rico. I will start with the contention that in considering one possible future for PR, that of becoming a nation state, I think that the sector of the independence movement I’ve been exposed to here in NY has confused the ends and the means.
To me, political sovereignty has always been means to an end. The end itself has been to have a sustainable, high standard of living for the people of PR based on a thriving economy with justice and equality. I will refer to that end as PR Future 1. Further, in my view, Independence is a means to that end, not an end in an of itself.
My concern is that I have serious doubts about that means. I have serious doubts that independence can deliver on the promise of PR Future 1. Why do I say that? Well because of the fate of former colonies around the world and even in the Caribbean. They all become subject to the world economic order and usually don’t have the economic vitality, because of years of colonial arrangements, to maintain the needs of the country. Because of that, these countries usually ask for international loans to the various agencies that provide them. These include the world bank, the IMF and USAID. Essentially the worlds powers Europe, USA, Japan etc. contribute funds to these agencies that then lend them to the third world for a variety of purposes with varying degrees of dubiousness.
Lets see what the current climate of foreign debt is in the Caribbean. I must say, I’m not an expert in this, so some of my info may be shoddy. However, here goes….
As I think you can see from the maps, many nations in the Caribbean have foreign debt. Their economies are shaped often by the need to service those debts. Puerto Rico is suffering from debt as well, but from within the US economic system.
So the question is…if PR was to become a nation in the near future, what reason do we have to believe that starting from its current state, that it would somehow escape needing foreign loans to finance many aspects of its national economy? Why would it not need to incur foreign debt when so many of its neighbors have debt?
I don’t see a good reason. Further, no Independentista I’ve ever known has been able to tell me why this would be so.
What is significant about this for Puerto Rico in evaluating independence as a means to PR Future 1 can be seen in the quote from Thomas Sankara, former leader of Burkina Faso. In speaking about Africa that has many former colonies, he says….
“We think that debt has to be seen from the standpoint of its origins. Debt’s origins come from colonialism’s origins. Those who lend us money are those who had colonized us before,” he declared. “Under its current form, that is imperialism-controlled, debt is a cleverly managed re-conquest of Africa, aiming at subjugating its growth and development through foreign rules. Thus, each one of us becomes the financial slave, which is to say a true slave…”
This is a warning to many anti-colonialists. One we would do well to heed. The situation in for Puerto Rico would likely be very similar. The nation with big influence in the world bank and IMF is the good old USA. In many ways, we’d be going back to the US to help us leave the US. How different would that be in how the nation gets terms in agreements? Probably worse.
Consequently my point is that Independence is not a guarantee to PR Future 1. In fact, likely to be far from it. Thus, in my view, Independentistas have been writing checks that they probably can’t cash. This promise of better will in all likelihood not be true. Rather, I have not heard a reasoned argument to explain why the economic political situation would be better for Puerto Rico as opposed to lots of other places.
This vacuum of reasoned, evidence based positions in the independence movement may have a tiny bit to do with the fact that the movement is very weak on the island. Independentistas could create a case for their position. They are not prevented access to the information needed to make that case. Folks can do this on their own. Trouble is its probably not done and if it is, its locked up in closet somewhere. What I have observed is that Independence relies mostly on romance and emotion. However, romance and emotion doesn’t pay the bills.
Consequently, those that advocate independence have to grapple with this vacuum. Is it theoretically possible to come up with something? Maybe. Have they? Nope. Deal with the vacuum or it would not be wrong to say that independence advocates are essentially lying to the very people that they would like to advocate for. Not cool.
In sum, is there a good alternative means for PR to arrive at PR Future 1. Not that I can see. Its all very flawed with some pluses and many minuses. I say Boricuas have to coldly examine the options that have the most pluses and the least minuses. That includes inventing options not on the table right now. That requires creativity in this realm that seems sorely lacking in the progressive Puerto Rican community.
Onwards to PR Future 1!
pepitothinking 