As far as state # 51 goes, there are two possibilities...

1. Puerto Rico. A US Territory keeps considering the question of whether to petition for statehood, go their own way, or keep the status quo. The way things look to be going, they might petition for statehood one of these days... or not.

2. Part of a western state, iirc Colorado, is considering succession from the rest of its state and petitioning for statehood. It was all over the news about a year ago... haven't heard squat about it since.

These are two possibilities, there are a few others, but these are, in my opinion, the most likely (though still not in the 'very likely' category).

I can understand people getting mixed up , i think American Samoa call them self's the 51st state to ... I have herd of somewhere calling them self's that .

However i didn't know D.C wasn't a state but a territory

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I can understand people getting mixed up , i think American Samoa call them self's the 51st state to ... I have herd of somewhere calling them self's that .

However i didn't know D.C wasn't a state but a territory

Glenn...

No. It is not a territory.

Thought you were smarter than that.

-20 I.Q.

:-) ;-) ;-)

ah the 1st Federal Police state then if not a Territory ..:)

+20 I.Q ponts ? maybe

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OK. 50 States plus DC is 51 something.
Sounds almost like our EU:)

Yep. Of course, when I point out the similarities in structure between the EU (likely soon to be the USE due to financial difficulties involving your sort-of common currency -- the Euro) and the USA, it tends to irritate many around here.

The structure of the EU is unknown to almost everyone.
For instance the EU have 4 presidents.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_the_European_Union
Who voted for them? Not us commoners. It's the EU parlaiment that do it for us.

That Europe will become USE will never happen in my lifetime.
The last year events here make that impossible.

That Europe will become USE will never happen in my lifetime.
The last year events here make that impossible.

never say never Jan

You never know the way there going the us mite be in the E.U so it'll be the E.U.A just a state not the other way around U.S.E . Your richer than the Americans at the moment . Maybe you can lend them some more cash and then do to them what's happen'd in Greece and then force them to sign up to the E.U.a

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ah ok ta Chris

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That Europe will become USE will never happen in my lifetime.
The last year events here make that impossible.

never say never Jan

You never know the way there going the us mite be in the E.U so it'll be the E.U.A just a state not the other way around U.S.E . Your richer than the Americans at the moment . Maybe you can lend them some more cash and then do to them what's happen'd in Greece and then force them to sign up to the E.U.a

I said in my lifetime:)
But the idea to lend US money seems to be a great idea.
Let's start with Detroit and Chicago just to warm up.

Both of those are bottomless money Pits and not worth investing in. Once a place goes beyond the point of no return, smart people walk away. They can't even run 50 states properly, let alone 51, and you want towns as well?

When a country give loans to another country it's not about investing in economical terms.
But it gives you a upper hand in negotiations.

Now a thought experiment about US cities.
Let's say Putin are willing to give a loan to the mayors of Chicago and Detroit.
Will they accept the offer or not?

Both of those are bottomless money Pits and not worth investing in. Once a place goes beyond the point of no return, smart people walk away. They can't even run 50 states properly, let alone 51, and you want towns as well?

When a country give loans to another country it's not about investing in economical terms.
But it gives you a upper hand in negotiations.

Now a thought experiment about US cities.
Let's say Putin are willing to give a loan to the mayors of Chicago and Detroit.
Will they accept the offer or not?

I suspect that Putin is on some list of powers that citizens and others are forbidden to do business with. However China is not.

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Now a thought experiment about US cities.
Let's say Putin are willing to give a loan to the mayors of Chicago and Detroit.
Will they accept the offer or not?

I suspect that Putin is on some list of powers that citizens and others are forbidden to do business with. However China is not.

China. Thats even better.
They giving loans to poor American cities, or perhaps even poor states.
After all it's a free market and a global economy.

opening up the borders to those pesky Canadians

Like we can't get in any time we want now?

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OK. 50 States plus DC is 51 something.
Sounds almost like our EU:)

Yep. Of course, when I point out the similarities in structure between the EU (likely soon to be the USE due to financial difficulties involving your sort-of common currency -- the Euro) and the USA, it tends to irritate many around here.

The structure of the EU is unknown to almost everyone.
For instance the EU have 4 presidents.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President_of_the_European_Union
Who voted for them? Not us commoners. It's the EU parlaiment that do it for us.

This is more properly the subject of another thread. But...

The USA has 2 Presidents in our Federal Government. The President of the United States (most often referred to as the President -- the head of the Executive Branch) and the 'President of the Senate' -- a largely ceremonial position as presiding officer of the US Senate constitutionally held by the 'Vice President of the United States' to give them something to do as they wait around for the President to... croak. The President of the Senate ONLY gets a vote in the Senate in case of a tie vote, effectively ruling out them voting on any matter of importance (which ALWAYS requires a super-majority vote).

Who votes for the President of the United States (and also the Vice President)? NOT the People... directly.

The President (and Vice-President) under the US Constitution are elected by the State Legislatures. By Custom, each State holds an election within its borders to determine how the Legislature of that State will vote, but this is not a Constitutional requirement. The votes of the several State Legislatures are counted in the 'Electoral College'. If no single set of Candidates receives a majority of the Votes, the Election goes to the US House of Representatives for a final decision. The People do not directly elect the President (and Vice President), but their Elected Representatives DO.

That Europe will become USE will never happen in my lifetime.
The last year events here make that impossible.

If, by 'last year events' you refer to the Greece crisis, I beg to differ.

Essentially, there are a few forms of 'government' to consider to answer this.

First, though not really a 'government', there is the 'International Association'. A notable 'International Association' would be the U.N. General Assembly, though the U.N. Security Council could, with at least some level of justification, be termed a 'Confederation'.

Then there is a 'Confederation'. Power is retained by the member states, and the 'national' government is very weak.

Then there is a 'Federation'. Power is shared at some or another level between the member states and the 'national' government. In other words a Federation is somewhere between a Confederation and a Unitary Government.

Lastly, there is a Unitary Government. All power is possessed by a central, National Government.

The newly independent 13 former British colonies in North America first organized as a Confederation. This was a failure. A few years later, upon adoption of the Constitution in 1788, they became a Federation as the United States of America. As time has passed since 1788, the USA has slowly slid from a Federation somewhat close to the Confederation end of things further and further towards the Unitary end of things. In other words, the National Government has benefited from power creep.

Although the EU seemingly prides itself on calling itself an 'International Association', de facto it is at the very least a Confederation. More properly it has taken its first few steps into Federation status.

My use (and likely others' use) of the term 'USE' (United States of Europe) is an attempt to show that Europe now is traveling the same road as the USA once did and will likely suffer the same fate if it lasts much longer at all.

The Greece crisis has highlighted the need for the EU/EZ nations to cede more sovereignty to the EU Federal Government as it relates to the common currency, the Euro, and to spending levels in the various member states. Failure to do so will likely result in either backing off of the common currency (the Euro), or possibly the failure of the EU as a whole.

You want to talk more on this? Start another thread. I would have no objections for these posts to be moved there. It is rather off topic in this one.

That Europe will become USE will never happen in my lifetime.
The last year events here make that impossible.

If, by 'last year events' you refer to the Greece crisis, I beg to differ.
You want to talk more on this? Start another thread. I would have no objections for these posts to be moved there. It is rather off topic in this one.

Starting a thread and discuss about the political systems in the US and in the EU seems to me a mission impossible. Especially EU's system:)
There is also already a thread about the Greece crisis.

Whats common now is the migration problems in the US and EU.
In EU that is biggest challenge ever how to tackle that.
The US also have that problem but not in such degree that we are facing now.

But back to topic. U.S. Presidential issues.

But it has to be said that in the UK, our Elected Representatives make our laws, unless there is a public referendum.

Referendums is what has destroyed California. Don't allow them! You have been warned.

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Both of those are bottomless money Pits and not worth investing in. Once a place goes beyond the point of no return, smart people walk away. They can't even run 50 states properly, let alone 51, and you want towns as well?

Before anyone jumps in, America is a lovely country with lovely people. They just deserve better than the crap political system that they have got. I was going to suggest that they all stand up, band together, defy their rulers and run the place in their own way, but I seem to recall that the last time that happened it didn't do so well.

Ok so how about chucking the Presidency out and having a Republic instead? Ah, the USA is supposed to be a Federal Republic isn't it? But everybody hates the Feds! Back to Square 1.

Hey I know!, lets go back 300 years, swear allegiance to HM, and become a constitutional Monarchy instead. No more Obama, and no more Electoral College.

Umm ooops wouldn't that mean opening up the borders to those pesky Canadians?

Back to Square 1 :-)

Dumb and Dumber

It's why i am against the Republican model of government . Them bloody Frog's and there Napoleonic Wars and revolution , they have a lot to answer for siding with the Yanks all them years ago .....

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Now a thought experiment about US cities.
Let's say Putin are willing to give a loan to the mayors of Chicago and Detroit.
Will they accept the offer or not?

I suspect that Putin is on some list of powers that citizens and others are forbidden to do business with. However China is not.

China. Thats even better.
They giving loans to poor American cities, or perhaps even poor states.
After all it's a free market and a global economy.

From China? Not bad.

Detroit has already declared bankruptcy. Take Billions from China. Then go bankrupt again.

Not a bad 'Business Model', regarding a Country with no Foundation of Law.

clyde you may find the Chinese mite still be weary of leading you guys money after the Asian Financial Crash

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Now a thought experiment about US cities.
Let's say Putin are willing to give a loan to the mayors of Chicago and Detroit.
Will they accept the offer or not?

I suspect that Putin is on some list of powers that citizens and others are forbidden to do business with. However China is not.

China. Thats even better.
They giving loans to poor American cities, or perhaps even poor states.
After all it's a free market and a global economy.

From China? Not bad.

Detroit has already declared bankruptcy. Take Billions from China. Then go bankrupt again.

Not a bad 'Business Model', regarding a Country with no Foundation of Law.


clyde you may find the Chinese mite still be weary of leading you guys money after the Asian Financial Crash

As I have been saying for a long time.

China, Historically and Culturally, is a Boom/Bust Economy.

Since Cultures never really change...

Anyway. Will be interesting regarding the next Chinese 'Peasant Revolt'.

We mite be waiting some time for that , the weapons are far to powerful for civil wars like the old days

Boom yes , bust not so if they have to much control.

Aka devaluing there currency 3 freaking times putting hold's on sale contracts if you own more than 5% of a company and other stuff

We don't have those controls on our Economy , it goes against our core beliefs

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Thanks for posting that link Gordon, surprise, surprise, I'm rated as a 'Right Wing Libertarian' with 93% agreement with Marco Rubio. I really thought I'd come out more in Ben Carson's camp(79%).

Very enlightening.

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"Sour Grapes make a bitter Whine." <(0)>

We mite be waiting some time for that , the weapons are far to powerful for civil wars like the old days

Boom yes , bust not so if they have to much control.

Aka devaluing there currency 3 freaking times putting hold's on sale contracts if you own more than 5% of a company and other stuff

We don't have those controls on our Economy , it goes against our core beliefs

Never had a Peasant Uprising with Gun Powder involved. Until Gun Powder was invented.

Nuclear weapons will stop any attempt at a Civil War/Peasant Uprising?

Wonder what that will look like, when (not if) it happens.

Perhaps Time Lord can take you into the future and drop you off so you can experience it with your own senses?

Detroit has already declared bankruptcy.

Yes it has. I never ever thought I would see the day that cities declared bankruptcy. Companies do it all the time, but whole cities? That is what comes of letting Mayors run them instead of elected Councils with Councillors.

So much misinformation. So little time. So much hardening of the brain arteries. Not worth the effort.