It occurred to me, watching and reading the coverage of the situation in Haiti, and this new suit out of Puerto Rico, that the Caribbean nation and our protectorate are converging on a populist course that could lead to requests of admission to the union. Understandably desperate people in Haiti are asking that the U.S. ‘take over’ the island nation; a valid response to a power vacuum. In Puerto Rico, assertion of mass tort claims regarding Vieques could be used to leverage support in Congress for statehood. In fact, some people may interpret Wyclef’s 5-2 handprint as call for Haitian statehood, with Puerto Rico representing number 51.
The U.S. has already granted essential asylum to Haitians ’stuck’ here on the day of the quake (18 month temporary visas), and a Financial Times op-ed suggests that the U.S. should go in on an international effort to actually take in residents of Port Au Prince while it is reconstructed. At the same time, Caribbean islands and U.S. states alike are reportedly bracing for waves of asylum seekers; and, amidst the muddle, some probably well-intentioned missionaries may have engaged in child-trafficking.
Perhaps those who might want to see additional stars on the flag also see opportunity amidst catastrophe and the attention that comes along with it.
Beyond the problems of the quake and poverty, Haiti has a peculiar institution called ‘Restavek’ that seems anathema. http://www.newsweek.com/id/232865