From: user7160@newsgrouper.org.invalid   
      
   On 2/13/26 12:02 PM, Noah Sombrero wrote:   
   > On Fri, 13 Feb 2026 11:48:59 -0800, dart200   
   >  wrote:   
   >   
   >> On 2/13/26 8:13 AM, Noah Sombrero wrote:   
   >>> On Fri, 13 Feb 2026 07:46:32 -0800, dart200   
   >>>  wrote:   
   >>>   
   >>>> On 2/13/26 6:14 AM, Noah Sombrero wrote:   
   >>>>> On Thu, 12 Feb 2026 21:50:15 -0800, dart200   
   >>>>>  wrote:   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>>> On 2/12/26 9:05 AM, Noah Sombrero wrote:   
   >>>>>>> On Thu, 12 Feb 2026 08:31:09 -0800, dart200   
   >>>>>>>  wrote:   
   >>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>> On 2/10/26 7:49 PM, Tara wrote:   
   >>>>>>>>> Tara  wrote:   
   >>>>>>>>>> dart200  wrote:   
   >>>>>>>>>>> On 2/10/26 6:27 PM, Tara wrote:   
   >>>>>>>>>>>> dart200  wrote:   
   >>>>>>>>>>>>> On 2/10/26 11:40 AM, Tara wrote:   
   >>>>>>>>>>>>>> “I’m not discouraged at all. I think we’re living a very   
   important time in the   
   >>>>>>>>>>>>>> world. It’s a big shift. It is probably what I would call the   
   beginning of the   
   >>>>>>>>>>>>>> end of the American empire. And it has to come, all the empires   
   change, so   
   >>>>>>>>>>>>>> now, you know, it’s accelerated, but we are in a very good   
   position, because   
   >>>>>>>>>>>>>> we have land, we have the best educated people in the world,   
   you know that,   
   >>>>>>>>>>>>>> and we have the tolerance that is a great value, we have the   
   sharing that does   
   >>>>>>>>>>>>>> not exist in many other countries, we have less very, very rich   
   people per   
   >>>>>>>>>>>>>> capita, but less very, very poor people too in Canada, and we   
   have the unity,   
   >>>>>>>>>>>>>> that we have to fight all the time about that...”   
   >>>>>>>>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>>>>>>>> Jean Chretien   
   >>>>>>>>>>>>>> Feb 2, 2026   
   >>>>>>>>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>>>>>>>> Former and most loved Prime Minister of Canada   
   >>>>>>>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>>>>>>> ok boomer as if canadians don't depend on us for defense   
   >>>>>>>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>>>>>>> they just don't pay taxes into that defense   
   >>>>>>>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>>>>>> Hey little millenial twitt. Ever heard of NATO. We fought  with   
   you in   
   >>>>>>>>>>>> Afghanistan and Korea because we are part of NATO yeah. And what   
   it stood   
   >>>>>>>>>>>> for.   
   >>>>>>>>>>>> As for not paying our share to NATO, as well as other countries,   
   we know   
   >>>>>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>>>>> ya'll spend under the 2% NATO target lol   
   >>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>> us spends 3.5%, and 35% of the global defense spending. ur welcome ?   
   >>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>> isreal ... spends 8.8%, highest of any country besides ukraine, (and   
   30%   
   >>>>>>>> of which comes from the us) lol   
   >>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>> honestly i could forgive them for 911. but probably only if they'd   
   >>>>>>>> accept us statehood. 51st state. i'm not sure if this would actually   
   >>>>>>>> increase their influence over us politics over what they have already,   
   >>>>>>>> but at least it would make it a bit more transparent.   
   >>>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>>> or rather ... first instead i think it's high time to give puerto rico   
   >>>>>>>> statehood to demonstrate that we're honest about adding more blood   
   into   
   >>>>>>>> congress and the government tbh. joos can be 52nd ehhh???   
   >>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>> It is up to them.  Repeatedly over the years, there have been   
   >>>>>>> initiatives in pr to become a state.  They have been turned down every   
   >>>>>>> time.   
   >>>>>>>   
   >>>>>>> Exactly like greenlanders, puerto ricans get to decide.   
   >>>>>>   
   >>>>>> actually congress gets to decide in regards to puerto rico   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>> If they ask, congress can accept.  As it is, you are right, statehood   
   >>>>> for pr is a mess.  The most recent referendum did not have an option   
   >>>>> to remain a territory.  The options were statehood, or independence or   
   >>>>> a mix  sorta.  Of those three, you might expect statehood would win.   
   >>>>> But the referendums are not binding.  The govt of pr is not required   
   >>>>> to seek statehood based on them.  Congress lately has not been able to   
   >>>>> decide what it wants to do.  Bills have been introduced to make pr a   
   >>>>> state, but go nowhere.   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>> Himbo has said he would not approve pr statehood because the mayor of   
   >>>>> San Juan was not nice to him.  Others too probably.  You know what,   
   >>>>> pr, why would you want to join this sinking ship anyway?   
   >>>>   
   >>>> clearly nothing that even hints at shaking up the status quo for the   
   >>>> better is going to happen while boomers are still in power eh???   
   >>>>   
   >>>> fuck boomers dude, idk what else to tell ya   
   >>>   
   >>> Like women who think the world would be peaceful if only women could   
   >>> be in power.  They have had a few chances.  No peace yet.   
   >>   
   >> idk ... maybe if we replaced literally *every* leader with a woman it   
   >> might be more peaceful. there would likely be other problems, that might   
   >> lead to unsustainability, but it wouldn't be war i don't think   
   >>   
   >> iroquois had an interesting system where chiefs were were all men, and   
   >> the did all the conflict, negotiation, and diplomacy between tribes. but   
   >> they also had councils of elder women who could replace and select new   
   >> chiefs basically on demand as well as managed the tribes   
   >> resources/property distribution   
   >   
   > Yes, great system.  It would work well while chiefs and elder women   
   > had the well being of the tribes at heart, rather than personal   
   > ambitions.  Given that kind of leadership, any system can work well.   
   > It seems that when societies become many millions of members, it   
   > becomes much harder to find people like that.   
   >   
   >>>   
   >>> Spooners would do better?  My hunch is that over the ages humans   
   >>> mostly remain humans.   
   >>   
   >> yeah that's why the world still runs off slavery eh???   
   >>   
   >> oh wait ...   
   >   
   > Wage slavery.   
      
   admittedly better and less brutal than actual slavery 🤷   
      
   for now at least   
      
   >   
   >>>   
   >>>>>   
   >>>>>>   
   >>>>>> anyways:   
   >>>>>>   
   >>>>>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_Rico_statehood_movement   
   >>>>>>   
   >>>>>> /Puerto Rico has held seven referendums on the political status of the   
   >>>>>> island: 1967 and 1993, which resulted in a Commonwealth victory, 1998,   
   >>>>>> where "None of the above" was the winner, 2012, 2017, 2020 and 2024, the   
   >>>>>> latter four resulted in a statehood win. Opponents of statehood disputed   
   >>>>>> the legitimacy of those latter referendums./   
   >>>>>>   
   >>>>>> prolly cause younger generations realize there's no benefit to being an   
   >>>>>> independent nation and quite a load of extra cons, vs a state of us, for   
   >>>>>> the average person   
   >>>>>>   
   >>>>>> we need some new blood in congress, and puerto ricans will do.   
   >>>>>>   
   >>>>>> joos would do too,   
   >>>>>>   
   >>>>>> heck we could grant palestine statehood as well. heck we can give   
      
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