#puerto rico status act

[imsobadatnicknames2]

When it comes to benefits from economic imperialism, is puerto rico also included among those who receive these economic benefits? Genuinely curious, I don't know much about the economic situation in Puerto Rico compared to the rest of América Latina

Have in mind that not being from there and I'm not like EXTENSIVELY well-read about US-Puerto Rico relations, but from what I've read the short answer is no.

I do think Puerto Ricans have a small privilege over other Latin Americans by virtue of being granted US citizenship (considering that just being a US citizen confers a non-trivial amount of passport privilege); but in the economic sense Puerto Rico is subject to the same kind of exploitative economic relationship that other Latin American countries have with the US, where the conditions enable American businesses to extract a staggering amount of wealth from the territory by operating there (either through labor outsourcing or exploitation of natural resources) in a way that benefits American investors and not the local economy, except this relationship is exacerbated by Puerto Rico's all but explicitly colonial status as an unincorporated US territory which allows American interests to create and maintain these conditions, and the fact that Puerto Rico is subject to the decisions of the US federal government while being denied any say in US politics.

I think a very straightforward example is the issue of how laws such as the Jones Act benefit certain sections of the US working class while having extremely negative consequences for Puerto Rican people. Puerto Rico, being a small island nation, is heavily reliant on importing goods and resources that can't be produced locally. The Jones act, among other things, requires all ships transporting goods between US ports (including those in territories like Puerto Rico) to be american-owned, operated, and built. Due to protecting the US maritime transport industry from foreign competition (and also due to codifying seamen's rights to compensation in the case of injury working on a US-flagged ship) it enjoys the support of US maritime worker unions, but it also increases the cost of imported goods in Puerto Rico by an estimate of 30%, which massively increases the cost of living for Puerto Ricans. (Which you know. I support labor unions, and the law does benefit maritime workers in the US, but it's an example of the way the influence that the American government wields over Puerto Rico is used to create conditions that benefit certain sectors of the US economy at the cost of the quality of life of people in Puerto Rico)

Another example is how Puerto Rico has become a tax haven for American companies and wealthy individuals under the guise of attracting investment. On top of already low property taxes, currently under Act 60 certain export industries are allowed to operate in Puerto Rico at a 4% corporate tax rate, and entitled to a 75% exemption from property taxes, 100% from passive income taxes, and 50% from municipal taxes, while US citizens who become new Puerto Rico residents as "individual investors" can apply for a 100% exemption from most income taxes.

Also there is the whole deal of disaster capitalism and American companies benefitting from natural disasters in Puerto Rico, such as firms like Whitefish Energy securing extremely profitable contracts to rebuild Puerto Rico's electrical grid after Hurricane María, or private equity firms like Blackstone swooping in to buy the affected hostels, homes, and farmland at extremely cheap prices.

Ultimately, I think the simple fact that US economic projects have turned Puerto Rico into what is considered a "high-income economy" while the poverty rate in the territory is currently 43% (more than double the poverty rate of the poorest US state) should be a pretty good indicator that Puerto Rico, despite nominally being part of the US, is on the receiving end of US economic imperialism and wealth extraction.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

This day in history

Support me this summer on the Clarion Write-A-Thon and help raise money for the Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers' Workshop!

#20yrsago Kalashnikov: US gov’t is pirating my AK-47 design https://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/26/world/who-s-a-pirate-russia-points-back-at-the-us.html

#20yrsago Real ships guerrilla DRM for the iPod https://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/26/business/media-realnetworks-plans-to-sell-songs-to-be-played-on-ipod.html

#20yrsago 30,000 anti-Induce Act letters sent to Congress https://web.archive.org/web/20040723084653/https://action.eff.org/action/index.asp?step=2&item=2918

#10yrsago Journalist believes his phone was hacked by spooks at HOPE X, will upload image for forensics https://thecryptosphere.com/2014/07/23/report-from-hope-x-surveillance-snowden-stratfor-and-surprises/

#10yrsago What’s original? Cloning games versus making games https://www.raphkoster.com/2014/07/23/when-is-a-clone/

#10yrsago Great video explainer: Vint Cerf on ICANN and NTIA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vd3dH90tdhk

#5yrsago Trade war: Hasbro is shifting manufacturing to Vietnam and India, drawing down production in China https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-07-24/world-s-top-toymaker-joins-companies-leaving-china-s-factories

#5yrsago #Rickyrenuncia: Bowing to popular pressure, Puerto Rican governor Ricardo Rossello has resigned https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-07-24/puerto-rico-lawmakers-push-to-impeach-crisis-beset-governor

#5yrsago #29leaks: someone leaked 15 years’ worth of data from London’s most notorious shell-company factory https://www.counterpunch.org/2019/07/24/this-london-firm-helps-the-wealthy-hide-assets-or-steal-them-luckily-we-have-15-years-of-their-client-communications/

#5yrsago E-scooter companies are desperate for repo men to stop impounding their vehicles https://www.theverge.com/2019/7/24/20696405/dockless-scooters-share-repo-men-repossessor-lawsuit-tow-yard-lime-bird-lyft-uber-razor

#5yrsago Adblocking: How about nah? https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/07/adblocking-how-about-nah

#5yrsago Countries with higher levels of unionization have lower per-capita carbon footprints https://www.researchgate.net/publication/331445998_Is_Labor_Green

#5yrsago Analyzing 800 daily tweets that say “Today was the day that Donald Trump became president” https://twitter.com/waxpancake/status/1154098035183329280

[aci25]

Puerto Rico’s housing crisis is no accident—it’s by design

Puerto Rico faces some of the most significant affordability challenges in the United States, yet it is often overlooked in national housing policy discussions.

Puerto Rico faces some of the most significant affordability challenges in the United States, yet it is often overlooked in national housing policy discussions. While many of the same problems—such as rising home prices, displacement, and aging infrastructure—are present in various states, Puerto Rico’s territorial status introduces unique constraints that shape its housing challenges. For over a century, Puerto Rico has existed in a legal and economic limbo, subject to U.S. federal laws while lacking full political representation.

This ambiguous relationship, where Puerto Rico is governed by the U.S. but not fully integrated, has contributed to market distortions, driven up costs, and restricted economic growth. Policies like the Jones Act and federal oversight through the Puerto Rico Oversight, Management, and Economic Stability Act (PROMESA) have made it more difficult for Puerto Ricans to afford housing. Additionally, the archipelago’s limited autonomy hinders the development of local solutions. As a result, Puerto Rico is caught in a cycle of displacement, rising costs, and dependency due to structural barriers beyond the scope of local policymakers. Resolving the question of political status would not only address long-standing constraints of self-determination but would also open the door to more comprehensive and effective housing strategies.

The roots of Puerto Rico’s housing crisis

Puerto Rico’s housing crisis is a result of long-standing displacement and property challenges. Many residents have migrated to the U.S. in search of better economic opportunities, a trend that intensified after Hurricanes Irma and María devastated the archipelago in 2017. A significant barrier to recovery is that many Puerto Ricans do not have formal property deeds. This often results from generational land subdivisions and verbal agreements that were never officially recorded. As a result, many were denied disaster aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), preventing them from rebuilding and deepening housing instability.

The combination of natural disasters, economic decline, and policy failures has led to widespread property abandonment. Today, Puerto Rico has the highest number of vacant properties in the U.S., with nearly 30% of housing units either abandoned or not on the market, far surpassing states like Maine and Vermont. Rather than using these vacant units to meet local housing needs, policy decisions have made the market more attractive to outside interests than to Puerto Ricans themselves.

At the same time, policy decisions favoring outside investors over local residents have further distorted the housing market. Act 22, part of Puerto Rico’s tax incentive program, allows U.S. investors to move to the archipelago and pay zero federal or local taxes on their capital gains and passive income. While the intent is to attract investment, the policy prioritizes wealthy newcomers at the expense of Puerto Ricans, many of whom are priced out of their own communities. Although Act 22 is a local law, it reflects the broader limitations imposed by Puerto Rico’s political status. As a U.S. territory, the archipelago has limited authority to develop economic strategies or trade policies that serve the long-term interests of its people. With greater autonomy, Puerto Rico could pursue global investment on its own terms, without relying on incentives that benefit outsiders more than residents.

This tension between attracting capital and protecting residents is at the heart of the housing crisis, especially when policies are designed without full political or economic self-determination. As a result, this approach has created a lopsided market where incoming investors benefit from special treatment, while everyday Puerto Ricans face high energy costs, rising home prices, and limited access to capital. The government’s preferential treatment of these outside actors has shaped a housing system that caters to profit-driven speculation, not long-term stability or affordability for local residents. And even when Puerto Rican leaders try to implement reforms, they’re often constrained by federal oversight or denied the autonomy needed to respond effectively to the archipelago’s housing needs.

These broader economic limitations are not abstract—they show up in people’s daily lives and in the affordability crisis unfolding across the archipelago. In 2024, average home prices increased by 15%, with the typical home now costing $221,824. New homes surged even more—by 20%—reaching an average price of $351,407. Meanwhile, Puerto Rican families earn only 61% of the income needed to qualify for a mortgage, and the median household income is just $25,621. Homeownership is becoming increasingly out of reach, and renters are also facing financial pressure. These dynamics are pushing people out of their communities, driving up displacement, and worsening the cycle of abandonment.

PROMESA and Puerto Rico’s constrained fiscal authority

In 2016, Congress enacted PROMESA in response to the archipelago’s $72 billion debt crisis. The law established the Financial Oversight and Management Board (FOMB), commonly referred to as La Junta, to oversee Puerto Rico’s finances and restructure its debt.

But the roots of the crisis run deeper. For years, locally elected leaders avoided making hard decisions, delayed structural reforms, and allowed dependency on federal funds to grow. Rather than addressing the growing debt when it was still manageable, they allowed problems to build until outside intervention became unavoidable, leaving Puerto Rico vulnerable to the kind of fiscal oversight that PROMESA now imposes. Since its implementation, PROMESA has prioritized debt repayment, often at the expense of public services and long-term investment. More than 600 public schools have closed, funding for the University of Puerto Rico has been drastically cut, and many essential services have been reduced. These cuts have made it more difficult to recover from disasters, invest in affordable housing, or establish stable economic conditions.

Puerto Rico’s limited political power exacerbates this challenge. Unlike U.S. states, the archipelago lacks full representation in Congress and doesn’t control its fiscal future. Financial Oversight and Management Board for Puerto Rico (FOMB) members hold sweeping authority, but they’re not elected by or accountable to Puerto Ricans, deepening the sense of disconnection from those making critical decisions that affect daily life. This is similar to what happened in Greece during its debt crisis, when external creditors imposed harsh austerity policies that led to deep cuts and long-term consequences. In both cases, fiscal control by outside actors, regardless of intent, has made it nearly impossible to prioritize long-term recovery while meeting short-term repayment demands.

Ultimately, PROMESA is a symptom, not the root cause. It reflects the long-term consequences of failed leadership but also underscores what happens when a place lacks both economic autonomy and the political power to chart its own path forward.

Other federal policies that fuel the crisis

Several federal laws further limit Puerto Rico’s capacity to respond to its housing crisis:

1. The Jones Act and its impact on the cost of living

The Jones Act (Merchant Marine Act of 1920) is a federal law requiring that all goods shipped between U.S. ports be transported on U.S.-built, owned, and operated vessels. This restriction has made Puerto Rico one of the most heavily impacted regions, driving up shipping costs and limiting trade efficiency.

A recent study by economists Russell Hillberry and Manuel I. Jimenez, published by the Cato Institute, estimates that the Jones Act imposes an annual burden of $1.4 billion on Puerto Rico, effectively functioning as a 30.6% tariff on shipping. Puerto Rican consumers alone shoulder $692 million of this cost annually— a hidden financial burden that has rivaled or exceeded typical U.S. tariffs on imports in recent years, and may become even more painful as new tariffs take effect. Additionally, the law increases the cost of investment by $403 million per year, discouraging economic growth and making housing and infrastructure development even more expensive.

This means that construction materials, appliances, and essential goods are significantly more expensive in the housing market, making homebuilding and renovations increasingly unaffordable. It also disrupts supply chains, leading to delays in disaster recovery efforts. Despite numerous calls for reform over the years, the Jones Act continues to be in effect, disproportionately affecting Puerto Rico while failing to provide the intended national security benefits.

2. Federal disaster aid and housing recovery

Puerto Rico’s territorial status has limited its access to federal disaster aid, especially after major hurricanes. Unlike U.S. states, Puerto Rico receives FEMA and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) disaster funding under different conditions and often faces longer delays. After Hurricane María, over 330,000 FEMA applications were initially denied, with around 79,000 rejections tied to a lack of formal property deeds. Many Puerto Ricans inherit property informally through generational arrangements, leaving them without official titles. As a result, thousands were deemed ineligible for aid and unable to rebuild, deepening housing instability and fueling migration to the mainland.

In addition to the FEMA denials, the federal government’s overall response was slow and uneven. This contributed to a wave of displacement and abandonment of homes across the archipelago. Bureaucratic hurdles and additional layers of oversight uniquely applied to Puerto Rico delayed the disaster recovery process by over $20 billion in HUD disaster mitigation funds. Internal reviews later confirmed that HUD’s own policy bottlenecks also played a significant role in delaying the disbursement of urgently needed aid.

3. HUD and Section 8 housing funding disparities

Beyond disaster recovery, Puerto Rico continues to face long-standing disparities in federal housing assistance. Despite a poverty rate of over 40%—more than double that of the poorest U.S. states—the archipelago receives less federal housing support per capita than many places with fewer challenges. In FY 2024, Puerto Rico’s Public Housing Administration received approximately $178 million from HUD’s Capital Fund. However, this level of support falls short when measured against the scale of need across the archipelago.

One reason is that HUD’s funding formulas are based on data sets and criteria tailored for the 50 states, often failing to accurately reflect Puerto Rico’s economic conditions. These formulas can underrepresent the severity of poverty, housing insecurity, and infrastructure needs in the territory. Puerto Rico also faces recurring delays in accessing HUD funds—even when allocated—due to administrative complexities and overlapping federal oversight. These structural barriers have left Puerto Rican residents with fewer affordable rental options and little recourse in the face of rising housing costs.

4. Energy and infrastructure costs drive up housing expenses

Puerto Rico has some of the highest electricity costs in the U.S., with residents paying 23.77 cents per kilowatt-hour as of 2024, 41% higher than the U.S. national average of 16.88 cents per kWh. The high costs are primarily caused by a mix of fuel price fluctuations, regulatory inefficiencies, and Puerto Rico’s limited capacity to negotiate energy trade agreements due to its territorial status. Additionally, the Jones Act contributes to these elevated costs by mandating that imported fuel be transported on expensive U.S.-flagged ships, which restricts the archipelago’s ability to pursue cheaper alternatives.

While home prices in Puerto Rico are rising, high electricity costs make homeownership and renting less affordable. Frequent power outages and infrastructure failures add further financial strain, and under PROMESA, debt repayment has taken priority over critical energy investments. As Northeastern University Professor Laura Kuhl explains, “It’s impossible to understand anything about energy policy in Puerto Rico without acknowledging how much of its colonial relationship impacts all decision-making and all aspects of daily life.”

Recently, a loophole in the Jones Act allowed Puerto Rico to begin receiving U.S. liquefied natural gas (LNG) via an older U.S.-flagged ship built before 1996. While this marks the first LNG shipment from the mainland in years and may bring some savings, it’s no long-term solution. The vessel, American Energy, is over 30 years old and costly to operate, far less efficient than modern tankers.

A sovereign path to housing stability

Puerto Rico’s current territorial arrangement makes it extraordinarily difficult to address the housing crisis in any meaningful or lasting way. Federal laws like the Jones Act inflate the cost of importing construction materials, food, and basic goods, making life and homebuilding more expensive across the board. PROMESA, the federally imposed fiscal control board, continues to prioritize debt repayment over basic investments in housing, infrastructure, and energy. Without the legal authority to restructure its own economy, Puerto Rico remains trapped in a cycle of dependence that blocks locally driven solutions.

Independence would give Puerto Rico the ability to negotiate its own trade agreements and diversify its economy beyond the limitations of U.S. policy. It would enable Puerto Rico to design tax structures that serve the long-term interests of Puerto Ricans, instead of catering to wealthy outsiders. Rather than relying on flawed incentive programs like Act 22, Puerto Ricans could support local business development and create housing strategies rooted in the needs of their own communities, not the priorities of distant investors. Sovereignty would also give Puerto Rico the power to restructure its energy sector, invest in resilient infrastructure, and revitalize the thousands of abandoned properties that sit unused while families struggle to find affordable places to live.

Statehood, by contrast, would not necessarily resolve these foundational challenges. Many U.S. states are already grappling with federally induced housing crises driven by zoning restrictions, sluggish disaster aid, and inequitable HUD formulas. Statehood would not give Puerto Ricans the full decision-making power to design an economic future tailored to their specific and unique needs. Transferring oversight from one distant government to another would still leave Puerto Rico without the sovereignty to shape policies based on its unique context.

Ultimately, Puerto Rico’s housing crisis is not just a matter of policy inefficiencies—it’s a question of control: a question of who gets to decide what kind of future Puerto Rico builds, and for whom. For decades, its housing system has been influenced by external interests, resulting in displacement, speculation, and increasing inequality. Families are being priced out of their neighborhoods, and young people are leaving Puerto Rico in search of opportunities that should be available at home. Communities that have existed for generations are disappearing.

Sovereignty is not just a political concept; it is a practical means of safeguarding communities and ensuring that Puerto Rico serves the needs of its residents. The island must have the authority to protect what it has built, address what has been overlooked, and create a future where staying is not only possible but also sustainable.

Article by: Christina Mojica Land Use and Housing Policy Analyst, Reason Foundation Source: reason.org

[divinitymctions]

HEY, i think i just saw DRUSILA “DREW” CLEMENTE walking down the strip. stop by to catch up and you’ll learn the THIRTY-TWO YEAR OLD is working as a LEAD INVESTIGATOR OF THE BOO CREW + OWNER OF DEADLY POSSESSIONS HAUNTED MUSEUM and lives in A SHITTY FIXER-UPPER IN HENDERSON. given they are WARMHEARTED but AIMLESS, it’s likely that they ARE NOT a vampire. on the flipside, rumor has it that SHE WAS AN ACCESSORY TO A MURDER and it keeps them looking over their shoulder. i bet you can find them tearing up the dance floor to UPSIDE DOWN BY DIANA ROSS and you’ll know why they’re called THE SELL-OUT.  ☾ .⭒˚ adria arjona. cis woman + she/her. bisexual + virgo.

    TRIGGER WARNINGS:  murder is mentioned, not detailed.

FULL NAME.    drusila mariela clemente milian NICKNAME.    drew AGE.    thirty-two DATE OF BIRTH.    september 12th ZODIAC SIGN.    virgo PLACE OF BIRTH.    san juan, puerto rico HOMETOWN.    sleepy hollow, new york SEXUALITY.    bisexual  /  alloromantic GENDER & PRONOUNS.    cis woman, she  /  her NATIONALITY.    american ETHNICITY.    latine  ;  guatemalan  /  puerto rican  /  spanish descent RELIGION.    roman catholic  (  agnostic  ) LANGUAGES SPOKEN.    spanish, english, italian & portuguese RELATIONSHIP STATUS.    single ladies (put a ring on it) by beyoncé plays in the background CURRENT LOCATION.    las vegas, nevada

WAS BORN IN PUERTO RICO, but her family moved to sleepy hollow, where her extended family resided — it’s the village where her parents were raised and met. ever since she could remember, the clementes spent their vacations on the island for spring break, thanksgiving, and christmas breaks. as to why drusila was born there? ask her parents.

considering her parents, THEY WERE ALWAYS INTO THE PARANORMAL—hell, that’s how they met—and owned a shop in drew’s hometown, and of course, with the popular cryptid of the headless horseman lore... and a whole bunch of others if the townsfolk were interested. whatever and however they ran the shop, it was entirely up to them. a young drusila was inquisitive and nosy when it came to the supernatural/paranormal.

fascinated with all things ghosts and cryptids, DREW DID AMATEUR GHOST HUNTS AS A TEENAGER, joining her parents on these hunts. it didn’t genuinely start until her early 20s since she couldn’t wait any longer, her patience running thin. you’d find her doing hours of research, so she was more than prepared. on a random day during the summer, when boredom struck, drew had sent some of the hunts she had done/recorded to a producing company, never thinking much of it.

out of the blue, or when drusila least expected it, they contacted her if she was interested in a contract for a tv series — she happily said yes, of course. no, she wasn’t proposed to. AND THUS, THE BOO CREW WAS BORN. drew’s the lead investigator, and her longtime friend, salem, is the team’s medium. it went well, and she was able to start her own business in the process—the museum! it has taken most of her time away from the crew and her family, so... it’s gotten in the way of some things, iykwim.

in sleepy hollow, she was an accessory to a murder before moving to las vegas—a relative of her longtime friend. after venturing into the business, drusila fears it’ll come back to bite her in the ass. CURRENTLY, DREW ACTS LIKE EVERYTHING IS OKAY, occupying herself as much as she can or if her body tolerates it... deep down inside, her life is falling apart, and doesn’t want to burden anyone else with her troubles.

    MUN’S NOTE:  i try to avoid mentioning religion as much as possible, but considering she’s an agnostic catholic and a ghost hunter, DREW WEARS A ROSARY 24/7. i didn’t know where to mention it, but i believe it could be interesting because of the group’s premise. wink, wink. idk. drew’s not gonna talk your muses’ ear off, pinky promise. ♡

[rauthschild]

Public. "In another sense the word does not mean all the people, nor most of the people, nor very many of the people of a place but so many of them as distinguishes them from the few". Black’s Law Dictionary, 4-6 Ed.

As a result of the substitution fraud engendered by the "election" of Abraham Lincoln as the "President" of the British Territorial Corporation doing business as "the United States of America, Incorporated" in 1860, and his subsequent usurpation of powers belonging to the Federation of States and The President of The United States of America under False Pretenses, there has been a continuing confusion about "Which Public?" is to be served by the Federal Government Subcontractors --- their own "public" consisting of their own incorporated "citizenry", or our General Public of the American States?  

The quick answer is that their organizations exist because of their respective Constitutions, but they are not parties to nor beneficiaries of the Constitutions.  They are paid employees charged with duties and limitations provided by the Constitutions.  Federal Employees denoted as Federal Citizens, or specifically as U.S. Citizens or citizens of the United States, work under the provisions of their respective Constitutions, but have no Guarantees provided by the Constitutions, for they are not Parties to the Constitutions nor Creators of the Constitutions.  

This has always been the case, ever since the implementation of the Constitutions in 1787, 1789, and 1790, respectively.  

In respect to the American Federal Subcontractor, the States of America functioning under The Constitution for the united States of America, provisions were made to enable Americans born in the States of the Union (the original Union, not anything to do with the Civil War) to retain their Constitutional Guarantees as American State Citizens on a private basis while rendering international public service as employees of the original Federal Republic government.  

This arrangement was known as "Federal Dual Citizenship" and was set up by the first Naturalization and Immigration Act --- this phrase "Federal Dual Citizenship" has since been redefined and subverted to mean that present day Federal Subcontractor Employees from anywhere on Earth are "presumed to be" both Territorial U.S. Citizens and Municipal citizens of the United States, but this is not the customary and intended meaning of the Public Law still standing among the United States Statutes at Large, Unrevised. 

The British Territorial Government made no such provisions, because their U.S. Citizens already owe allegiance to the British Monarch and have adopted British Territorial/Commonwealth political status the same as the people of Puerto Rico, which is a British Commonwealth nation. 

The Municipal Government run by the Holy Roman Empire similarly never referenced Americans; their citizens of the United States were understood to have their Federal Dual citizenship allocated already by their allegiance to the Pope/Roman Pontiff.  

Thus, among the original Federal Subcontractors, you had three different possible kinds of "Federal Dual Citizens": 

United States Citizens - American State Citizens 

U.S. Citizens - British Territorials citizens of the United States -- Holy Roman Empire citizens.

This results in three distinct populations with unique political identities and "public" bodies associated with each. 

None of these "publics" are the Public to be served under the provisions of any Federal Constitution, though enterprising public servants have usurped against the Employers and sought to substitute their "publics" for the American Public. 

When the American Federal Subcontractor ceased to function in April 1861, the other two foreign Federal Subcontractors rushed in to fill the gap and to provide the services and exercise the authority and delegated powers of the American Federal Republic in its "absence". 

This has been their story and excuse ever since.  They, both Britain and Rome, have told the world that the American Government is unaccountably "absent", "missing, presumed dead", and "in interregnum".   

All that is or ever has been "missing" is a Subcontractor of our government, not our actual government which delegated all the federal powers in the first place. 

The two remaining foreign Federal Subcontractors freely misrepresented themselves as our custodians and representatives, usurped the powers delegated to the American Federal Republic, and exercised those delegated powers without a contract to do so. 

From the perspective of the trusting American Employers, all appeared to be well.  The duties of the Federal Republic were being accomplished and the exact details of how this was being done -- via the two other Federal Subcontractors -- was conveniently not revealed. 

Thus the actual American Government was left in the dark and gradually fell into a comfortable stupor, while the remaining Federal Subcontractors were reorganized as commercial and municipal corporations, created "state of state" franchises for themselves and grew more and more corrupt.  

We began waking up in the 1960's - 1970's when a series of events began ringing alarm bells.  United States District Courts apart from the district courts of the United States (Article 5) appeared, but no effort was made to distinguish between these foreign Territorial and Legislative courts serving the Federal citizenries, and Article 3 Federal Courts and the actual State and County Courts owed to Americans. 

The Office of the Secretary of War was renamed the Secretary of Defense.  The Vietnam "War" was admitted to be a "Conflict" --- not a war.  Richard Nixon converted healthcare into a for-profit enterprise to please his cronies at Kaiser-Permanente.  Both the Internal Revenue Service and the Municipal IRS began prosecuting Americans for not "voluntarily" filing Federal Income Tax returns -- despite the fact that these Americans had no Federal Income and no legal duty to report.  

By 1980, Jimmy Carter had the brass cajones to take over and federalize public education in America, leaving no doubt that as far as he was concerned, the "public" to be served was the British Territorial U.S. Citizen version, and not the American Public.  

Carter scrubbed all mention of American History from the libraries and "public" schools, leaving only United States History to be studied by the next three generations of school children.  Local School Boards were reorganized as "School Districts", even though no Federal Constitution allows this and even though, like public health, no mention of education exists in any Federal Constitution. 

There seemed to be a concerted, organized effort to confuse Americans with their Federal Employees --- but to what end? By 1998, as we approached yet another Municipal Corporation bankruptcy (2000-2001) we raised our hand and objected to this continuing malfeasance and misrepresentation and served notice on the United States Secretary of State and the Commissioner of Internal Revenue and numerous other officials, challenging their authority and jurisdiction, dereliction of duty, and non-performance. 

Coming out of the 2000 bankruptcy in which the City of Washington, DC, was emptied for 120 days, more alarming rumors began circulating, to the effect that foreign banks, most notably, the World Bank, Global Federal Reserve, and International Monetary Fund were making claims on abandonment, seeking to act as creditors of the foreign Federal Corporations and trying to attach American land and physical assets as "abandoned collateral" belonging to "unknown persons".

That would be us, or to be exact, the purportedly "absent" American Government -- which was only an American Federal Subcontractor instead -- that disappeared in the wake of the Civil War.  

Unfortunately for them, we are still here, and still guarding our own Autochthonous people and our own country.  

Their initial scheme, to use False Claims on Abandonment to steal everything from everyone, has failed.  

Their further scheme, to misrepresent themselves and substitute a British Territorial Federal Republic for our long-lost American Federal Republic, has also failed. 

Most recently, they have hauled another fraud scheme out of the rag-bag of history, and they are attempting to pull the same public trust bait-and-switch fraud that was used by Oliver Cromwell during the English Civil War. 

What remains is for these fraudsters to Cease and Desist and admit that they have no standing in these matters of American health, education, finances, and asset management,  no authority, and no contract allowing them to interpose themselves as our custodians or representatives.  

Mr. Lincoln, his Executive Orders, his Lieber Code --- all of it, was exercised in fraud and with malice aforethought, all resulting in criminal malfeasance, unlawful conversion of American assets, and a century and a half of unlawful and illegal mercenary warfare carried out under color of law.  

We, the American People, and that means specifically, the American State Citizens and American State Nationals, are the Public to be served by the Federal Subcontractors; our erstwhile employees are not empowered to serve themselves at our expense. 

Our Autochthonous American State Citizens are the Principals enabled to enforce the Federal Constitution Contracts, and we are enforcing them in all jurisdictions, with prejudice, against the other Principals and Treaty Partners, their employees, subcontractors, and agents, not limited to the Holy See, the Holy Roman Empire, the Inner City of London, the Belgian Government, the British Government of Westminster, the British Monarchy, His Imperial Majesty King Charles III, Pope Francis, the Patriarch of the West, and all their various corporations, including their incorporated banks. 

[coffee-n-bagels-comic-universe]

Granite Hills Bios: Angel Vega (1980)

Architecture, Criminology, Music Technology & Theatrical Studies Student A. R. Vega.

Student & Member of several groups Angel Ramon Vega.

"The University, incredible, the town, ehh, not so much."

Name

Full Legal Name: Angel Ramon Vega

First Name: Angel

Meaning: From the medieval Latin masculine name 'Angelus', which was derived from the name of the heavenly creature.

Pronunciation: AYN-jel. ANG-khel

Origin: English, Bulgarian, Macedonian

Middle Name: Ramon

Meaning: Catalan form of 'Raymond', from the Germanic name 'Raginmund', composed of the elements 'Regin' 'Advice, Counsel, Decision' and 'Munt' 'Protection'.

Pronunciation: ra-MON

Origin: Catalan

Surname: Vega

Meaning: From Spanish 'Vega' meaning 'Meadow, Plain', of Basque origin.

Pronunciation: BEH-gha

Origin: Spanish

Titles: Mr, Señor

Nicknames: N/A

Goes By: Angel (Pronounced: ANG-khel)

Characteristics

Age: 24

Gender: Male. He/Him Pronouns

Nationality: American Citizen. Born in Puerto Rico

Ethnicity: Latino. Puerto Rican

Birth Date: 26th January 1956

Sexuality: Straight

Religion: Catholic

Native Language: Spanish

Known Languages: Spanish, English

Relationship Status: Single

Astrological Sign: Aquarius

Played By: Alfred Molina

Appearance

Height: 6'3" / 190 cm

Eye Colour: Brown

Hair Colour: Black

Hair Dye: None

Body Hair: Hairy

Facial Hair: Varies

Tattoos: None

Piercings: None

Scars: None

Health and Fitness

Allergies: None

Alcoholic, Smoker, Drug User: Social Drinker, Occasional Smoker

Illnesses/Disorders: None Diagnosed

Medications: None

Any Specific Diet: None

Relationships

Affiliated Groups: Alien Seekers, Granite Hills Crime-Stoppers, Historical Re-Enactment Society, Music Appreciation Society

Friends: Easton White, Douglass Bernard, Chuck Sheppard, Quentin Hollister, Holden Lynn

Shares A Dorm With: Cesar Leon, Terry Jepson

Significant Other: None

Parents: Oriol Vega (48, Father), Queralt Vega (50, Mother, Née Borja)

Siblings: None

Extras

Classes: Architecture, Criminology, Music Technology, Theatrical Studies

Occupation: Student

Employer: None

Hobbies/Interests: swimming, ice skating, rugby, dancing, calligraphy, star gazing, magic, acting, note taking & researching, music (both creating & listening to), cooking, card games

[freehawaii]

KE AUPUNI UPDATE - JANUARY 2024

UN Was Used to Capture Our Nation... By the end of World War II, the United States had completely fooled the entire world — including nearly every Hawaiian — into thinking that Hawaiʻi was a United States territory. But in 1946 the US was presented with a problem. At that time, about 75% of the world was under the colonial rule of nine European countries and the United States. The newly formed United Nations decided to emphasize decolonization of the world. The plan was for the colonial powers to assist the people in their territories to determine for themselves what form of governance they wished for their future — whether to remain a dependent territory, become integrated into the colonizer, or to become independent. Since then, about 80 of the original 100 or so territories on the UN list for decolonization chose independence, and became members of the United Nations. Today, there are only 17 territories remaining on that list. In 1946, the US placed “Hawaiʻi” on the UN decolonization list, along with Alaska, American Samoa, Guam, Panama Canal Zone, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. It is now apparent that the US intended to use the UN decolonization process to legitimize their 1898 fake annexation of Hawaiʻi. Sure enough, in 1959, the US conducted a “statehood” referendum rigged to manufacture consent to absorb Hawaiʻi into the United States. The voters were not told this was actually a decolonization vote. They were not informed of other possible choices (like independence) and were kept in the dark about the international ramifications of the vote. The only option presented on the ballot was: ‘yes’ to statehood. After this and other irregularities, the United States submitted a report to the United Nations claiming the “people of Hawaiʻi” had consented to become a “state” of the United States, and as a result, the US had made Hawaiʻi the 50th state of the Union. In December, 1959 the UN General Assembly, without checking on details, adopted Resolution 1469, accepting the United States’ report, and deeming the political status of the Hawaiian Islands to be settled — Hawaii was a “state” of the United States and its people were citizens of the US. Thus, the UN became an unwitting accomplice to the fraud of Hawaiʻi statehood. Even though it is an error based on fraud, UNGA Resolution 1469 stands today as the official stance of the United Nations (and the entire international community) on the question of Hawaiʻi’s sovereignty. This stance blocks and frustrates all legal challenges to previous wrongful acts such as the overthrow, the annexation, and flagrant land-taking… The key to freeing Hawaiʻi is to expose UN General Assembly Resolution 1469 as a grave error that binds our nation in captivity to the US; and to persuade the UN to rescind the offending resolution. This will open wide the legal and political paths to a Free Hawaiʻi.  

“Love of country is deep-seated in the breast of every Hawaiian, whatever his station.” — Queen Liliʻuokalani ---------- Ua mau ke ea o ka ʻāina i ka pono. The sovereignty of the land is perpetuated in righteousness.

------ For the latest news and developments about our progress at the United Nations in both New York and Geneva, tune in to Free Hawaii News at 6 PM the first Friday of each month on ʻŌlelo Television, Channel 53. 

------ "And remember, for the latest updates and information about the Hawaiian Kingdom check out the twice-a-month Ke Aupuni Updates published online on Facebook and other social media." PLEASE KŌKUA… Your kōkua, large or small, is vital to this effort... To contribute, go to:  

• GoFundMe – CAMPAIGN TO FREE HAWAII • PayPal – use account email: info@HawaiianKingdom.net • Other – To contribute in other ways (airline miles, travel vouchers, volunteer services, etc...) email us at: info@HawaiianKingdom.net  “FREE HAWAII” T-SHIRTS - etc. Check out the great FREE HAWAII products you can purchase at... http://www.robkajiwara.com/store/c8/free_hawaii_products All proceeds are used to help the cause. MAHALO! Malama Pono,

Leon Siu

Hawaiian National

[coltonwandke]

Unlocking Puerto Rico’s Financial Incentives: A Strategic Approach to Business Growth and Investment

Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory in the Caribbean, has steadily become one of the most attractive destinations for businesses and investors seeking to capitalize on its unique financial landscape. With a blend of enticing tax incentives, a strategic location, and an educated workforce, Puerto Rico offers a fertile ground for businesses looking to grow, innovate, and expand into new markets. Through targeted economic development strategies, Puerto Rico has created robust incentives designed to draw investment, generate jobs, and foster sustainable business growth.

The island’s government has taken proactive steps to build an investment-friendly environment, offering significant financial incentives to local entrepreneurs and foreign investors. Whether you’re a small startup, a multinational corporation, or a high-net-worth individual, Puerto Rico’s financial incentives provide the tools you need to unlock new business opportunities and maximize long-term growth potential.

The Puerto Rico Incentives Code (Act 60): A Powerful Catalyst for Business

Act 60, also known as the Puerto Rico Incentives Code, is at the core of Puerto Rico's financial incentives. This legislation consolidates a variety of existing tax incentive programs under one umbrella, simplifying the process for businesses to access valuable benefits. Act 60's primary goal is to encourage business growth, stimulate job creation, and promote investment in sectors crucial to the island’s economic development.

Under this code, businesses involved in eligible activities—including manufacturing, tourism, export services, and technology—can take advantage of significantly reduced income tax rates, tax exemptions, and credits. For example, companies engaged in manufacturing and export services can enjoy an income tax rate as low as 4%, which is a fraction of the federal tax rate. This reduced tax burden allows businesses to reinvest savings into operations, innovation, and expansion, making Puerto Rico appealing for new and established companies.

Additionally, Act 60 offers tax incentives for research and development (R&D) activities. Companies investing in R&D can claim substantial tax credits, providing financial relief while encouraging technological innovation and advancement. These benefits have helped Puerto Rico become a hub for industries like pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and tech, which rely heavily on R&D to stay competitive in a global market.

Puerto Rico’s Strategic Location and Export Incentives

Puerto Rico’s geographical location offers a significant advantage for businesses engaged in international trade. As a U.S. territory, the island enjoys free access to U.S. markets, and its proximity to Latin America opens the door to a large and growing consumer base. In addition to its location, Puerto Rico’s export incentives are crucial in making the island an attractive option for companies looking to expand globally.

Companies that export goods or services from Puerto Rico benefit from several tax advantages. In addition to the 4% tax rate on income derived from export activities, businesses can also take advantage of exemptions from certain sales and use taxes, dramatically reducing operational costs. These incentives have proven especially appealing to manufacturers in industries like medical devices, electronics, and pharmaceuticals, where access to global markets is essential for profitability.

Furthermore, Puerto Rico’s access to U.S. trade agreements and its status as a U.S. territory allow businesses to trade freely with the mainland without incurring customs duties. This seamless access to U.S. markets and tax benefits makes Puerto Rico a prime location for companies looking to serve U.S. and international customers.

Special Economic Zones and Targeted Investment Opportunities

In addition to the general incentives provided by Act 60, Puerto Rico has developed specialized economic zones that offer even more lucrative benefits for businesses willing to invest in specific regions. These zones are designed to attract targeted industries and promote economic development in underserved areas of the island.

One of the key programs in Puerto Rico is the Opportunity Zone Program. This initiative encourages businesses to invest in low-income communities across Puerto Rico by offering substantial tax breaks and credits. The goal is to drive investment into areas that need revitalization, creating jobs and improving the economic outlook for these communities. By investing in Opportunity Zones, businesses benefit from tax incentives and play a part in the island's economic transformation.

The government has also established other special zones that offer additional benefits, such as tax credits for real estate development and infrastructure projects. This has attracted a wide range of investors, including those in the real estate, construction, and hospitality sectors, who can benefit from both the incentives and the island's growing demand for housing and commercial properties.

Incentives for Small Businesses and Entrepreneurs

Puerto Rico’s commitment to fostering business growth extends to small businesses and startups. The island provides a range of financial incentives designed to help entrepreneurs get their businesses off the ground and scale them to new heights. These incentives include low-interest loans, grants, and financing programs for small businesses.

The Puerto Rico Economic Development Bank (PRIDCO) supports small businesses. Through its various loan programs, PRIDCO provides low-cost financing for companies in agriculture, manufacturing, tourism, and technology businesses. Startups and small businesses can also access funding for expansion, innovation, and job creation, ensuring that even smaller companies have the resources they need to grow.

In addition to financial assistance, Puerto Rico offers mentorship programs, incubators, and accelerators that provide resources and guidance for entrepreneurs. These initiatives help new businesses navigate the challenges of starting and growing a company, giving them the tools they need to succeed in a competitive marketplace.

Workforce Development and Educational Incentives

A skilled workforce is vital for any business, and Puerto Rico has made significant strides in developing its talent pool. The island is home to numerous universities, technical schools, and research institutions that provide a steady supply of educated professionals in technology, healthcare, and engineering. Many of these institutions work directly with businesses to provide workforce training programs that align with employers' needs.

Additionally, businesses that invest in employee training and development can receive tax credits, reducing the cost of operating in Puerto Rico. These workforce development incentives help ensure that businesses have access to the skilled talent they need to innovate and grow, while also contributing to the overall strength of Puerto Rico’s economy.

Robust Infrastructure and Digital Connectivity

Puerto Rico’s modern infrastructure supports business operations and fosters growth across various industries. The island boasts a reliable transportation network crucial for domestic and international business, including ports, airports, and roads. Puerto Rico’s robust telecommunications infrastructure ensures that companies can access the high-speed internet and digital connectivity necessary for global operations.

The Puerto Rico Infrastructure Financing Authority (PRIFA) plays a key role in funding large-scale infrastructure projects, ensuring that the island’s infrastructure continues to meet businesses' needs. As Puerto Rico continues to invest in its infrastructure, it becomes an even more attractive location for companies that rely on efficient logistics, reliable communication, and modern facilities.

A Bright Future for Business in Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico’s financial incentives, strategic location, skilled workforce, and robust infrastructure make it an attractive destination for businesses and investors. With a range of programs to support businesses of all sizes, the island provides the tools needed for growth and success. Whether you’re a multinational corporation looking to reduce your tax burden or a small business seeking to expand, Puerto Rico offers the resources and opportunities to help you achieve your goals.

As Puerto Rico develops its economic landscape, its financial incentives will become more appealing. Businesses that choose to invest in Puerto Rico can take advantage of the favorable tax environment and the support and resources necessary to thrive in a competitive global market. By unlocking the full potential of Puerto Rico’s financial incentives, businesses can achieve sustainable growth and contribute to the island’s ongoing economic revitalization.

[grp4engblog]

Dolls and Prawns: The Youngest Doll by Rosario Ferré Through a Feminist Lens 

📝Authors: Sheena Gonzales, Alfred Santiago, Andrei Taberdo

Figure 1. Book cover of The Youngest Doll Figure 2. Rosario Ferré

They smile with porcelain faces, sit still in perfect silence, and never speak back. Are they dolls, or are they women? In Rosario Ferré’s short story The Youngest Doll, this unsettling question lies at the heart of a tale where women are shaped by and trapped within the expectations of a patriarchal society. Set in Puerto Rico, the narrative follows an aging aunt who creates handcrafted dolls for her nieces, with the final doll reflecting the eerie fate of the youngest niece after marriage. 

“She always bathed her nieces before presenting them with their dolls.”

This routine highlights how the aunt teaches her nieces to value cleanliness and beauty which are qualities traditionally linked to femininity. The act of giving them dolls after bathing them reinforces the idea that a woman’s worth lies in her appearance and behavior, preparing them for a life of passivity and perfection. It reflects a society where girls are expected to grow into ornamental figures, admired but not heard.

Figure 3. A woman in Puerto Rico staring outside

“The youngest doll remained forever on the veranda, staring out at the river, her porcelain eyes eternally open.”

Here the doll symbolizes the woman’s fate; motionless, silenced, and trapped in a beautiful but powerless form. The youngest niece, now a wife, becomes a living doll, embodying how society reduces women to static roles within the home. Her eternal stillness reflects the long-standing gender norm that women should be quiet and submissive, always watching, never acting.

Figure 4. A river prawn

"...but I just wanted you to come and see the prawn that has been paying for your education these twenty years."

Here it shows how the aunt’s condition was taken advantage of by the doctor for his profit, reflecting how women’s pain are exploited. The mention of the doll devoured by ants in the text also signifies how the youngest niece was oppressed until nothing was left of her. It symbolizes how women are robbed of living their lives to the fullest.

Figure 5. A doll figurine

However, women still tries to protect one another and fight the patriarchy. The aunt transformed and combined her pain with her talent to take care of her nieces and make dolls. The dolls were used as a subtle resistance to patriarchy. The dolls given at marriage being different to the others shows defiance against the societal image of women. Moreover, submerging the dolls’ eyes in the stream illustrates how the aunt warns her nieces to watch out for oppressors. 

Figure 6. A trophy in a dark room

“Each day, he made her sit out on the balcony so that the passersby would be sure to see that he had married into high society.”

This line reveals how the youngest niece is reduced to a decorative object, paraded by her husband to elevate himself. Instead of being treated as a partner or an individual, she becomes a status symbol, dehumanized and displayed like a trophy. It emphasizes how the patriarchal society values women not for who they are but for how they can serve men's reputations and ambitions.

Figure 7. A gold pocket watch

“One day he pried out the doll’s eyes with the tip of his scalpel and pawned them for a fancy gold pocket watch with a long embossed chain.”

This disturbing image shows how men extract value from women’s bodies for personal gain. The eyes, symbols of awareness and autonomy, are removed and exchanged for material wealth, suggesting how women's insight and individuality are discarded for patriarchal benefit. The callousness of this act reflects how society often enables and ignores the exploitation of women.

Figure 8. Appreciation for all women

The Youngest doll is a masterpiece showing the sad reality of women in a patriarchal society. Women are subjected to oppressions and used by men to elevate themselves. Similar to a doll, they are controlled, resulting to loss of freedom and individuality. Just like the bite of a prawn, men are quick to oppress women. However, women are also shown trying to escape these oppressions.

The end of patriarchy is long overdue. Women are capable and should be loved and respected. It’s time for everyone, no matter their gender, to live their lives to the fullest.

📚 Read the whole text here: The Youngest Doll

References:

Ellis, M. (2019). Puerto Rico: The bite of a prawn in a patriarchal society. Marshall Digital Scholar. https://mds.marshall.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1220&context=colaconf#:~:text=Ferr%C3%A9%20takes%20this%20common%20object,form%20of%20the%20prawn%27s%20bite

Enhancing “The Youngest Doll.” (2017, May 1). Blog on the Hyphen. https://latinx.wordpress.com/authors-pages-2/authors-pages/enhancing-the-youngest-doll/

Lamb, R. (2024, March 6). Strong, courageous women supporting each other [Illustration]. Scottish Refugee Council. https://scottishrefugeecouncil.org.uk/women-supporting-women/

Lglglang. (n.d.). Vintage Mechanical Pocket Watch with Fob Chain Luxury Gold Case Hand Wind Gifts | eBay [Photograph].eBay. https://www.ebay.ph/itm/393650743809

Makkouk. (n.d.). Short Fiction Night: The Youngest Doll [Illustration]. BiblioEvents. https://bpl.bibliocommons.com/events/66f2b37c42c74a875d54957c

Paulina. (2024, May 24). A trophy with a gold base is shown on a blue table [Illustration]. Freepik. https://www.freepik.com/premium-ai-image/trophy-with-gold-base-is-shown-blue-table_205038679.htm

Staff, L. (2022, August 15). The Youngest Doll | Summary and Analysis - Litbug. Litbug. https://litbug.com/the-youngest-doll-summary-and-analysis/

TheKnowOwl. (2019, April 6). 33 historic photographs of San Juan, Puerto Rico in the 1940’s - KNOWOL [Photograph]. KNOWOL. https://www.knowol.com/information/puerto-rico/san-juan-pictures-1940s/

The Youngest Doll (Latin American Women Writers) [Illustration]. (n.d.). Goodreads. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/312915.The_Youngest_Doll

Weber, B. (2016, February 22). Rosario Ferré, Writer Who Examined Puerto Rican Identity, Dies at 77 [Photograph]. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/22/books/rosario-ferre-writer-who-examined-puerto-rican-identity-dies-at-77.html

Wikipedia contributors. (2025, April 18). Macrobrachium rosenbergii [Photograph]. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macrobrachium_rosenbergii

[worldofwardcraft]

GOP makeover.

February 3, 2025

For nearly two generations, Republicans held recognizable, bog standard conservative views as the party of Ronnie. Then came their ruinous transformation into the party of Donny. Today’s MAGAfied GOPers no longer believe many of the ideas Republicans once claimed to live by. As proof, we present excerpts from the Republican Party platform of 1980 — the one Reagan ran on. Compare them with the convictions of today’s Trumper Republicans.

• "As the Party of Lincoln, we remain equally and steadfastly committed to the equality of rights for all citizens, regardless of race." Contemporary MAGA mouth-breathers are rabid proponents of white supremacy and abhor racial diversity.

• "The Republican Party vigorously supports the right of the United States citizens of Puerto Rico to be admitted into the Union as a fully sovereign state." Trump is okay with Canada becoming a state. But not Washington, DC or non-white Puerto Rico.

• "America has a great stake in maintaining standards of high quality in public education. The Republican Party recognizes that the achievement of those standards is possible only to the extent that teachers are allowed the time and freedom to teach." MAGAs regularly attack teachers as pedophiliac groomers and are constantly mandating what and how they teach.

• "We must maintain our commitment to the aged and to the poor by providing quality care through Medicare and Medicaid." Spending on all social safety net programs, including Medicaid, rose during Reagan's tenure. GOPers now want to slash Medicaid's funding and privatize Medicare.

• "Social Security is one of this nation's most vital commitments to our senior citizens. We commit the Republican Party to first save, and then strengthen, this fundamental contract between our government and its productive citizens." Today's Republicans are wholly committed to destroying this contract.

• "Republicans are proud that our people have opened their arms and hearts to strangers from abroad and we favor an immigration and refugee policy which is consistent with this tradition." Reagan went on to sign the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, which granted amnesty to three million illegal immigrants. The signing ceremony was held at the newly refurbished Statue of Liberty, which Trump would, if given the chance, melt down and sell for scrap (keeping the proceeds for himself, naturally).

Republicans, of course, still hate their fellow Americans — including the poor, the LBGTQ community, women, unions, etc — as much as they always have. And they continue to lust after deficit-inflating tax cuts for big business and wealthy oligarchs. But in many ways, the party of Reagan no longer exists. It's now the cult of Trump.

[piasgermany]

[Album+Video] Heavy Lungs veröffentlichen neues Album "Caviar" am 28. März!

Heavy Lungs veröffentlichen am 18. April ihr zweites Album "Caviar" auf FatCat Records. Die 2017 in Bristol gegründete Post-Punk/Noise-Rock-Band präsentiert damit den Nachfolger ihres 2023 erschienenen Debüts "All Gas No Brakes". Die Band besteht aus Danny Nedelko (Vocals / ja, der Danny Nedelko, den IDLES schon 2018 auf der gleichnamigen Single besangen), James Minchall (Bass), George Garratt (Drums) und Oliver Southgate (Gitarre). Die Verbindung zu IDLES besteht bereits seit einigen Jahren. So erschienen zwei EPs aus der Anfangszeit der Band über Balley Records, dem Label der Bristoler Kollegen, gefolgt von Support-Shows und einer gemeinsamen 7“. Der gewaltige Sound hat der Band mittlerweile auch Slots im Vorprogramm von Acts wie The Oh Sees, Portishead und Metz eingebracht.

Aufgenommen wurden die elf neuen Songs innerhalb weniger Tage in den Humm Studios in Bristol - umhüllt von Schwaden aus Zigarettenrauch und dem Schein des offenen Kühlschranks. Alle Songs wurden live aufgenommen, um die rohe Intensität ihrer berüchtigten, schweißtreibenden und kathartischen Auftritte einzufangen. Wie ein rasender Zug rollen die Tracks durch das dichte Soundgewitter aus messerscharfen Gitarren, verzerrten Bässen und dröhnenden Drums. Begleitet wird das von meist gebrüllten Texten, die mit einer Prise Humor unter anderem das Ausgebranntsein beklagen, aber auch das Streben nach Ruhm und Reichtum zum Thema machen. Passenderweise hat die Band den Longplayer nach Störrogen benannt, der für Status, Exzess und ein vermeintlich besseres Leben steht.

Ende Oktober erschien mit "Get Out" eine erste Single-Auskopplung, die die Flucht aus dem Alltagstrott behandelt. „In Puerto Rico, I’m drinking rum / Zero stress, zero alarms / Down at the beach, I’m getting a tan / Piña coladas on the sand”, singt Danny Nedelko voller Sehnsucht, während die wütenden und nach vorne peitschenden Instrumente eine Menge Sand aufwühlen und diesen in ebenjenen bereitgestellten Drink pusten.

Tracklist "Caviar": 01. Yes Chef 02. Cushion The Blow 03. Get Out 04. Caviar 05. Into The Fire 06. Ballerina 07. Self Portrait 08. Call It In 09. Put Thy Kettle On 10. Mr. Famous 11. Life’s A Buffet

Live: 06.05.2025 München - Import/Export 07.05.2025 Berlin - Urban Spree 08.05.2025 Köln - Bumann & Sohn Booking: Haldern Pop Booking

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[ramon-balaguer]

My Grandfather (GRHS) was Puerto Rican American per US Territory status, which gave us dual USA/DR Citizenship as my dad and I were born in the DR and not PR but being a Territory in my mind is a privilege and a problem that’s best resolved by declaring yourself Fully Sovereign Country Independent Ally of the U.S. like the D.R.or the 51st state of the United (actually very Divided) States of America‼️ 🤷‍♂️ As an American, I’d lean towards statehood but if I were Boricua (Puerto Rican) I’d want to restore my nationalistic Independence with loyalty to the US, Not there red-headed stepchild with LIMITED Rights❗️🙋‍♂️

[frontproofmedia]

Identity Politics: Should Puerto Rico Embrace Edgar Berlanga? Part 1

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By Hector Franco

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Published: September 13, 2024

The views and opinions expressed on this website are solely those of the original authors and other contributors. They do not necessarily represent those of Frontproof Media, the Frontproofmedia.com staff, and/or any/all contributors to this site.

Since the 1930s, when Sixto Escobar first raised his hands as a bantamweight champion, the sweet science and the island of Puerto Rico have gone hand-in-hand. Escobar's victory sparked a chain reaction, leading to more than sixty world champions and 12 fighters inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. The island has produced more world boxing champions per capita than any other country, with 15 or 16 champions per 1 million people. 

CANELO ALVAREZ VS. EDGAR BERLANGA

The next potential titleholder carrying the island's flag will receive his opportunity to claim his status as a world champion is Edgar "The Chosen One" Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs). The 27-year-old will take a massive step up in competition when he meets Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (61-2-2, 39 KOs) in the squared circle on September 14. Despite starting his career with 16 straight first-round knockouts and an undefeated record, Berlanga is a huge underdog against Alvarez. Upon its announcement, the fight itself was met with more eye-rolls and groans than genuine excitement. According to DraftKings, Alvarez is an -1800 favorite, and Berlanga is a +1000 underdog. 

The event has been promoted as another chapter in the rivalry between Mexico and Puerto Rico. Fighters representing both countries have engaged in some of the best fights the sport has seen and some of the biggest from a box office perspective. In September 1999, 25 years ago, the most anticipated and significant money-drawing event involving fighters from Puerto Rico and Mexico occurred between Felix Trinidad and Oscar De La Hoya. The fight drew 1.4 million PPV buys and, at the time, was the most sold on PPV for a non-heavyweight match. Although plenty of battles between Mexico and Puerto Rico resulted in a better fight inside the ring, none captured the sports world quite like De La Hoya and Trinidad.

The fight's success led to promoters using the rivalry to promote future bouts. At times, in ways where it felt manufactured and not genuine. In the case of the power-punching Berlanga, who was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, his representation of Puerto Rico has come off as disingenuous and has received mixed feedback from fans on and off the island. The differing reactions to his representation of Puerto Rico stem from a divide between Puerto Ricans who live on the island and those on the mainland of the United States. 

The Great Migration

In the 1950s and 60s, a massive influx of Puerto Ricans left the island to travel to the United States, known as the Great Migration. The controversial Jones-Shafroth Act, also known as the Jones Act, established in 1917, granted U.S. citizenship to the people of Puerto Rico, thus allowing travel to the United States without a passport. Most of those who migrated to the United States established communities in cities like Philadelphia, Chicago, and, most prominently, New York. Another exodus from the island has taken place since the year 2000, with steadily increasing rates of Puerto Ricans leaving the island for job and family-related reasons. 

There are more Puerto Ricans in the mainland United States than on the island, with over 5.9 million. Florida and New York have the largest concentrations of Puerto Ricans. The island has over two million fewer people, at 3.2 million. 

Hailing from Brooklyn, New York, Berlanga is primarily recognized as being Nuyorican- a term to describe Puerto Ricans living in New York with their own culture and community. For many, Berlanga's New York background disqualifies him from being labeled an authentic Puerto Rican. Ironically, one of Berlanga's most well-known detractors is Oscar De La Hoya, who faced similar criticism in the 1990s from fans in Mexico. It could be a generational divide between the two; however, the six-division champion turned promoter has been critical of Berlanga's claim as a true Puerto Rican. 

"Edgar Berlanga, who is fighting Canelo on September 14, now he claims he has a whole country behind him," De La Hoya stated on his social media. "Edgar, bro, you're from Brooklyn. I think I'm more Puerto Rican than you are. And I only lived there for six years. Puerto Rico doesn't claim you, bro."

ENTITLEMENT OR EMBRACEMENT? 

A large percentage of Puerto Ricans on the island are Spanish-speaking only, and more are bilingual. Yet, the ability to speak Spanish has always endeared to fans on the island. Perhaps the island's most beloved star, Felix Trinidad, took pride in speaking little English, maintaining a sense of solidarity with those on the island. The language barrier could be part of why fighters like Danny Garcia weren't fully embraced when he fought Mauricio Herrera in 2014 in Puerto Rico. Garcia is based out of Philadelphia and speaks little to no Spanish. He has only fought on the island once.

It could also be that fans on the island can tell the difference between a promoter pushing an agenda to gain fans and a fighter who puts in a genuine effort to achieve a connection with a fanbase. One showing up waving a flag and a winning record isn't enough. 

One of the island's three current world champions, Jonathan "Bomba" Gonzalez, the holder of the WBO championship at junior flyweight, will challenge for the WBO flyweight title in October in Japan. Gonzalez was born in the Bronx, resides and trains in Puerto Rico, and speaks both English and Spanish. Gonzalez has been and is fully supportive of Berlanga but does highlight the difference between those who live on the island and those who don't. 

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"To be Puerto Rican, you have to live here," Gonzalez said in an interview with Frontproof Media. "But I can say he's (Berlanga) Puerto Rican. His parents are Puerto Rican. But, to be a Puerto Rican, you have to live here. You have to know what's happening on the island. How is it? What's happening? Who's your Governor? Who's your Mayor?

"He (Berlanga) could represent Puerto Rico. But say, 'Yo, I don't live in Puerto Rico, but I feel for it.' That's great. That's super beautiful. But I support Berlanga. Doesn't matter where he lives."

ISSUES OF LIVING ON THE ISLAND

Puerto Rico has been part of the United States as a colony, commonwealth, or territory since it won control from Spain in 1898. However, when Hurricane Maria ravaged the island in September 2017, it brought to light how little the island's status and trial and tribulations are to those in the United States. Even Puerto Ricans living in the United States might be unaware of the plethora of problems citizens on the island face every day. 

Electrical and water outages are common on the island. The two companies in charge of the island's power, Luma Energy and Gerena PR, have constantly had issues maintaining consistent electricity and water for citizens, leading to outages becoming a regular occurrence. Recently, Tropical Storm Ernesto left more than 700,000 people without power. 

The healthcare system on the island has been steadily declining. Citizens have had to deal with a lack of specialists and, at worst, have to wait months to gain an appointment. Over 8,600 doctors have left over the last ten years, and more are expected to leave in the future.

 Since Hurricane Maria, the island has been put up for sale. Investors of all types, including cryptocurrency traders, have flocked to the island, acquiring residency and buying massive portions of land to gain tax breaks from a law known as Act 60. Most of these properties have been turned into short-term vacation rentals, turning neighborhoods into Airbnb enclaves. These changes in property ownership have displaced many residents, as the prices of homes have gone up so high they have become unaffordable, pushing many out of their hometowns. According to the New York Times, 43 percent of Puerto Ricans live under the federal poverty level, and the three million plus that have called the island their home all their lives do not qualify for the tax breaks the new investors are benefitting from. 

PUERTO RICO'S FANBASE

The major issues on the island are not anything sports or Berlanga has control over, yet they highlight why the Brooklyn native isn't entitled to be embraced by those on the island. Berlanga is headed into a fight that isn't only a step up in competition but against boxing's biggest attraction. The Puerto Rican fanbase has always been among the most boisterous and supportive in boxing. For a niche sport like boxing, which seldom receives coverage from mainstream outlets on a consistent basis, having a built-in fanbase can be the difference in the opportunities offered to a fighter. 

"There are three top sports in Puerto Rico," Jonathan Gonzalez explained to Frontproof Media. "You can't talk about nothing more than boxing, basketball and baseball. When you talk about a fan base, there are more fans of boxing. Everyone loves Puerto Rican fans because they love their fighters. Everyone wants to be a part of it. 

"They want to be loved like Felix 'Tito' Trinidad. That's very hard. There's not going to be another Trinidad. You're not going to get another Trinidad. That will not exist in 20 to 30 years, in my opinion." 

Looking at some of the best and most recognizable fighters from Puerto Rico, many are similar to Berlanga. Fighters like Carlos Ortiz lived in New York, and Wilfred Benitez was born in the Bronx. Many will point to Miguel Cotto being born in Providence, Rhode Island, to diminish the value of being born in Puerto Rico. However, what these fighters have in common is that all of them have had fights on the island. Miguel Cotto represented Puerto Rico throughout the amateurs and in the Olympics. The four-division champions' first world title victory against Kelson Pinto in September 2004 took place in Hato Rey, Puerto Rico. Benitez became the youngest boxing champion in history when he defeated Antonio Cervantes in Puerto Rico in 1976. Two of Ortiz's most significant wins over Ismael Laguna and Sugar Ramos occurred on the island. 

While some view Berlanga's New York roots as an asterisk to his Puerto Rican heritage, others take a more straightforward approach.

"Well, nothing takes away the fact that his blood is Puerto Rican blood, said longtime veteran boxing journalist and founder of Latin Box Sports, Damon Gonzalez to Frontproof Media when asked about Berlanga. "No matter if he's born in Puerto Rico or the Bronx, New York, he is a Puerto Rican. That doesn't, regarding geography and how Puerto Rico may look at him. There are a lot of opinions in what the media and Puerto Rico say about him as an athlete and fighter.

"As a young fighter, as a Brooklyn kid, and a kid growing up in the sport of boxing, every fighter deserves the opportunity. I want to say that point blank, no matter who they are, where they come from, what their background is, race, creed, religion, whatever, no matter who it is, they deserve an opportunity at a shot."

WIN-WIN SITUATION? 

How Berlanga performs against Alvarez will be vital to his future. Nobody expects Berlanga to pull off the victory, and many view the fight as a complete mismatch. Should he be competitive against Alvarez while displaying a level of grit and heart, it may endear him to fans in Puerto Rico on and off the island. Regardless of how people feel about his personality or his background, what happens inside the squared circle will always take precedence. 

A win over Alvarez would be monumental and considered one of the biggest unexpected upsets in recent history. However, don't expect the government of Puerto Rico to give citizens the day off to celebrate with the Brooklyn fighter in the same manner as when Trinidad returned to the island after his fight with De La Hoya. 

There will still be those who will focus on the difference between those who live on the island and those who seemingly wave the flag for clout. Berlanga has played the role of villain throughout the promotion but is noticeably aware of the opportunity before him that can potentially transition him from a boxer to a star. 

"I'm a guy that people want to turn on the TV just to see me," Berlanga said on Prime Video's Gloves Off. "They are going to want to see Berlanga. Regardless of whatever they say. They can talk more shit. They're going to say whatever. They're going to pay to see me either win or lose. I don't care. As long as you're paying to watch me, it is what it is. I got to go out there, do my job, win in fashion, and look good. That's my main goal. I want the whole world to know who Berlanga is. 

"I want to be that megastar. I'm from New York. I'm Puerto Rican. I'm handsome, and I can fight. I got everything on. I want to become a legend in the sport." 

So, is Edgar Berlanga entitled to be embraced by Puerto Rico? The answer is no. But his New York roots shouldn't disqualify him from being given the chance to earn the love of fans from Puerto Rico. Win or lose, how he conducts himself during and after the fight will provide a glimpse into whether his love for Puerto Rico is genuine or an attempt to get fans. 

"I've been boxing for 13 years since I was seven," Berlanga stated in 2017. "I'm from Brooklyn, but my parents are from here (Puerto Rico). I feel 100 percent Puerto Rican. My family, almost all of it, lives here on the island, and I want people in Puerto Rico to know that I'm working hard to become another important figure in boxing."

Boxing, like life, is brutal. Nobody is entitled to anything except respect for stepping inside the ring. Puerto Rico and its diaspora won't be easy for Berlanga to win over. But winning tends to simplify complex situations. It can turn shades of grey into black-and-white lines.

(Featured Photo: Rich Schultz/Getty Images)

[rauthschild]

This morning the airwaves are vibrating with news of a Supreme Court Scandal and everyone is talking about U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Roberts and his membership in the Middle Innes of Court.

LMAO 😂😆😂😆

These men have been members of the Middle Innes of Court --- and required to be --- since 1789.

Part of the reason that we ever had a British Territorial Subcontractor in the first place was to run the British Courts needed to serve British Territorial Citizens operating in Maritime and Admiralty venues.

This is why the "Federal Court System" was bifurcated in the 1790s and the reason the First Judiciary Act exists.

So it should be no cause for shock to anyone that Justice Roberts and Friends are all members of the Middle Innes of Court.

The fact that it is a shock to so many people, and that includes high ranking members of the present Administration, is an indication of just how secretive the British Territorial Usurpation against their employers has been.

British Territorial effort to impersonate us and to substitute themselves for us and for our institutions has been iron-clad, and it continues today. You will note that Justice Roberts has said nothing to explain his membership in the Middle Innes of Court and that he is accepting punishment rather than "give the game away."

It would be relatively easy for this man to point out what we are pointing out to you today, but his lips remain zipped. No doubt, as an Officer in the British Title System, he has been ordered not to divulge anything about the cozy arrangement the Brits have been taking advantage of all these years.

The recent offer by King Charles III for "the US" to join the British Commonwealth is part and parcel of the deception -- the flip from Territorial to Commonwealth is simply a change from a military protectorate to a civilian status government, and in this case has more to do with Puerto Rico than anything that we all think of as "the US".

The guile, dishonesty, and malfeasance which has been the hallmark of the British Government for centuries (as Shakespeare called them, "perfidious Albion") is still on display today.

No, we do not need a British Commonwealth any more than we need a British Territorial Government in our midst.

What we need is a clean breast of it and "good faith service" from our Federal Subcontractors.

And for pity's sake, realize that Justice Roberts is required to be a member of the Middle Innes of Court.