51st State in the 1990s

Cook

Banned
Condescending? That was supposed to be a general compliment. I know very few Americans even that realize those kind of problems.

It’s often harder to see your own problems. If you want to get biblical there’s the one about a mote in your brother’s eye and a beam in your own. Or words to that effect.

I’ve made the observation before that you should change government about every ten years. Go much over ten years and people begin to think they can hide too much dirt under the rug.
 
How about Crete? Superb strategic position , Suda bay is an excellent natural harbor and the average income per capita by far exceeds the greek average (plus miles upon miles of sunny meditteranean beaches). The idea circulates as an joke of course , but there are some cretans I know who wouldn't mind having yankee passports (though some others would dig out their grandfathers lee-enfields and bren and head for the mountains...)
 
Oh, because I've done some research on it, I'll state the two unnoticed possibilities:

Albania.

That's right; that small Muslim country in the Adriatic. Back in the early '90's, they really, really loved the United States. Had the United States been receptive to the incipient annexation movements back then, it is quite possible that Albania could be the 51st state. That, of course, requires several major POD's to get America receptive to such a possibility, but it is not utterly inconceivable.

The other one:

Taiwan

Assume the Third Taiwan Straits Crisis goes badly and the United States and China duke it out (a distinct possibility; cf. Taiwan Relations Act and Formosa Resolution). Assuming the war would stay non-nuclear (another likelihood), then post bellum, Taiwan will need to solidify its position across the straits. Hence, annexation is proposed (assuming the Taiwanese realize that the United States may not always want to defend the island) and, assuming US anger at China is sufficient, we agree to annex the island (in fact, there may exist some legal justification for doing this right now under the Treaty of San Francisco). Statehood roles around sometime in the early to mid 2000's; a little past the time frame specified, but whatever.

Both of these are long odds, but again, not entirely inconceivable; after all, the Taiwanese economy is fairly large for its population.

And now for shameless self-promotion: If you want to see Puerto Rico, Taiwan, and Albania as US states check out my sig.
 
Our new flag, as of 1994 in this world:

800px-US_51_Star_possible_Flag.svg.png
 
PR statehood, not this again. Well its a possibility, but from a Puerto Rican, here's some thing I wrote before...

"Over half the population does not want it to be a state, including large amounts of Puerto Ricans on the mainland; and even though those who openly call for independence is small, it's well known amongst Puerto Ricans that many who voted in the referendums for keeping the status quo, were actually independence supporters, fearing the pro-statehooders would win if they voted their convictions. Adding to this, there is an armed group of guerrillas; they haven't done much since the 80s, and there leader was killed a few years ago, but they still exist, which says something about the islands politics as well. Puerto Rican statehood is highly unlikely without severe political changes of the islands climate"

I read something years ago about an idea called "Radical Statehood" for Puerto Rico, that might unite most of the islands factions for such an endeavor; just google it, that's how I found it.
 
PR statehood, not this again. Well its a possibility, but from a Puerto Rican, here's some thing I wrote before...

"Over half the population does not want it to be a state, including large amounts of Puerto Ricans on the mainland; and even though those who openly call for independence is small, it's well known amongst Puerto Ricans that many who voted in the referendums for keeping the status quo, were actually independence supporters, fearing the pro-statehooders would win if they voted their convictions. Adding to this, there is an armed group of guerrillas; they haven't done much since the 80s, and there leader was killed a few years ago, but they still exist, which says something about the islands politics as well. Puerto Rican statehood is highly unlikely without severe political changes of the islands climate"

I read something years ago about an idea called "Radical Statehood" for Puerto Rico, that might unite most of the islands factions for such an endeavor; just google it, that's how I found it.

Well, yes, it isn't likely for Puerto Rico to become a state, even in the early 1990's. Still, the OP wanted to discuss the effects of a State of Puerto Rico on the rest of the world.
 
Well, yes, it isn't likely for Puerto Rico to become a state, even in the early 1990's. Still, the OP wanted to discuss the effects of a State of Puerto Rico on the rest of the world.

I just point these things out, because it pops up a lot, especially in FH. I have yet to see anyone really take into account the islands politics when they do this; its as if PR becoming the 51st state is inevitable, and all Puerto Ricans happily await this.
 
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