Why the Lights Are Still Off in Puerto Rico

[@TarmacSkin]

Left the island 8 years ago. I make double the salary of my sister back home and she has a PhD. Im never going back. The local government is absolutely corrupt.

[@genoblast5543]

I'm from Puerto Rico. We had a libertarian-like candidate in 2017. Among over 2 million voters, he only got around 90,000 votes. There's no hope for this country. It is fucked.

[@Inaf1987]

Trinidad and Tobago does have better quality of life than many countries in Eastern Europe.

[@Inaf1987]

Deplorable_Brian Why not go though their numbers for GDP per capita??

[@Inaf1987]

Deplorable_Brian But they can still manage a better income per capita than Poland and Russia.

[@Inaf1987]

Deplorable_Brian It's one of the more reliable indicators, certainly better than life expectancy and years of schooling as per the HDI scale.

[@daveb7190]

UltramanNoa Puerto Ricos problems can't be fixed by a libertarian candidate if the systemic issues aren't fixed. The biggest issues Puerto Rico faces are laws preventing imports from any country other than the US, and US imposition of laws over the islands people without giving representation. Puerto Rico won't improve until it either becomes a state or becomes an independent nation (allied with the US of course)

[@charleshodgdon6168]

I'm surprised that when you mentioned clean water, you didn't mention all the water that the Puerto Rican bureaucrats kept in the unloading area for days, maybe weeks.

[@justifiably_stupid4998]

You could have talked about "state capitalism" and why having a majority of employment in the public sector ruins economies.

[@bigfish92672]

What's the link to YOUR video?

[@ok4412]

@@bigfish92672 Dumb comment

[@stevendorsey4850]

@bigfish92672 No, no, I think he's on to something here. I want to see him upload a video on this subject so I can watch it. :3 Edited -- Pointed @ at the intended individual

[@ok4412]

@@stevendorsey4850 Yea I just don't like the "you're not allowed to make suggestions unless you can do it better yourself" attitude from bigfish. Coaches would literally not exist if that was the case. So many other examples too.

[@austinthesan-antonian3932]

@@bigfish92672 Who the fuck says that Shit, on the Internet? Who’s said that, since the Mid 200s, and unironically? Who are you, my Friend? Just who the flying fuck are you?

[@parkerzimmerman6405]

Was that Ben Shapiro playing that violin in the background?😂

[@parkerzimmerman6405]

xxyyzz Look up Ben Shapiro playing Schindler’s list theme....

[@andrewfridmanpiano]

xxyyzz bro... he’s wondering if it’s Ben Shapiro playing Schindlers list

[@Highspeedoffset1]

So basically PR is incapable of dealing with it's own problems. Kind of like a giant island Chicago.

[@swanchyboy]

with all the crime death as well

[@davidweikle9921]

At least they can't blame neighboring states for all of their "gun violence," and the lack of gun control in those neighboring states.

[@angrydragonslayer]

@james c In the ancient past, when the classical liberals were known as just liberals. Nowadays? no

[@angrydragonslayer]

@james c you never have to say that, just look at hitler.

[@angrydragonslayer]

@HettGutt i am sorry, i just had to do this your mom begets your dad

[@Thurgor_Supreme]

Why the fuck haven't we passed legislation to get rid of government bonds? A taxing authority taking out a loan is insane. Spend what you have and that's it! Build a surplus for the rocky years.

[@avowliberty2250]

Steve Sherman You give ponzi schemes a bad name when you compare them to the Federal Reserve lol. At least with them you're not forced at gunpoint to buy into the bullshit.

[@bigfish92672]

ummm...because Americans have not limited government power in 240 years?

[@jackburton6239]

Thurgor Supreme Because buying votes with your spending powers is expensive. It must be hidden in complicated fiduciary tools that even eonomics professors tout as "responsible". One day the piper will come.

[@bergonius]

You could say that Puerto Rico is mostly BLACK MARKET now.

[@bergonius]

Hopefully this accident will poor light at the source of their problems.

[@bergonius]

I'm not very bright, yes.

[@moparty4409]

@@bergonius i fucking love you for these jokes

[@supergamergrill7734]

Booo! Get off the stage

[@chronosxun]

At this point Trump could cure cancer and the mainstream media would still say, "Why didn't he do that sooner?

[@USA_UNITED1776]

if you're trying to compare it to the criticism here of only suspending the jones act after 6 days it would be like curing the cancer of a girl right before she was about to die and then giving it back after.

[@sawhite27]

Worth repeating - "You managed to dump on Trump more than once, but not one word about the crooked Mayor and the Teamsters who refused to deliver aid."

[@rrf899]

He's worried about entertainment, not fair, just like most mainstream media

[@billamo8763]

Sad

[@BoJangles42]

Cry more

[@stevemasterson7776]

I'm a telecom worker and small business owner. PR has already electrocuted 5 telecom guys I've heard of personally. The grid had been stolen from for so long that working anywhere near it is incredibly unsafe. Now we hear that the state owned company was hording supplies and keeping them from the contractors there. Then they didn't pay one of the largest contractors there forcing them to leave. It's an unbelievable mess of corruption and nepotism.

[@Deontjie]

Compare to the thievery, idiocy and corruption at the South African power utility.

[@ohevshalomel]

1:05 Puerto Rico isn't a country. It's a territory of another country. Just needed to flex my pedantry muscle, that's all. Feelin' pumped. Thank you.

[@AntisepticHandwash]

LMAO At first I was bummed this wasn't John Stossel, but this guy is funny as 😂 Great video!

[@MrMr-hc4ut]

I was in the same place

[@Aaron.Reichert]

I get it you're contractually obligated to go after Trump but it seems like this problem had little to do with him and is because things that happened well before he took office.

[@fakecubed]

All things considered, he did a very good job. It's not his fault one of the worst hurricanes ever smashed into an island with very poor infrastructure to begin with and a corrupt government. The Jones Act thing is completely misleading as it was waived as soon as it was requested to be waived by the Puerto Rican government, and there was no shortage of ships anyway so it made no difference whether the Jones Act was waived or not. It was the unions and a lack of infrastructure that held up the response effort. Only so many ships can dock when almost all of the island's ports have been destroyed by a hurricane. The airports were similarly destroyed. The roads were a mess, so even if the unions weren't trying to extort money by going on strike they wouldn't really have been able to move supplies inland regardless. The real question is why did Puerto Rico not have emergency supplies already strategically located throughout the island prior to the hurricane, considering their location, but we'll chalk that up to the usual government incompetence.

[@shallfrisch1]

It is clear Trump absolutely could have done better. While his actions were alright the fact that he gets caught up in the throws of the culture war more than actually issues is worthy of commentary imo even if only as comedic relief. But I'm a left libertarian and may view things differently than others her on reason TV.

[@infolord79]

@@shallfrisch1 "A left libertarian" That makes zero sense. Liberty and leftist ideology are polar opposites. Left means you want the government to have all the power, libertarian means you want to shrink government power.

[@shallfrisch1]

@@infolord79 That is not the definition that nearly everyone uses. If you us it that way than fine. I am a libertarian who understands that there is a justified reason for the state that it has a moderate but restrained role. It makes "zero sense" too you because you are narrow minded and do not understand what people mean when they talk political terms.

[@idiocracy10]

@@shallfrisch1 your opinion would be worth listening to if you knew the difference between throws and throes, as it stands, you are a moron and should reconsider your opinion, as it was spouted by a moron.

[@deoxal7947]

Britain: You can only use our ships to transport goods. American Colonies: How about no US today: You can only use our ships to transport goods.

[@marcofujimori5662]

it's insanity when Puerto Rico imports 84% of its food, just insane, great video

[@PrairieStubbleJumper]

"so what happens when you have to import expensive oil and handle it with a work force that has decreased by a third over the past five years? ... This ..." Answer: "Cause Donald Trump or sumpthin'. Bush!

[@RandDickson]

It’s always a good day when KZbin suggests Mostly Weekly.

[@chrisgabele75]

Why do governments think they need to make high taxes, does anybody notice that leads to bad then good

[@FixedFace]

he is right about islands lying. i live in the united kingdom, which actually is a caIiphate

[@Cr8zycakes]

How about instead of laying all this at the throne of Donald trump we hold Puerto Rico’s own government responsible? It kills me how absolutely everything is his fault! Not to mention 2 of the things you bring up; taxation and regulation are issue Trump is dealing with right now and maybe you should be supporting him instead of making sarcastic videos about how everything is his fault. SMH

[@nephetula]

Yeah, gets old, doesn't it? What they're not telling you is how much of Puerto Rico had no electricity or running water BEFORE the hurricane.

[@TedSchoenling]

how about watching the entire video where he lays out many points that had nothing to do with the orange oompa loompa. It is just easy to pick on that nit-wit after his twitter whine sessions.

[@chantellegiardina5098]

Come on, didn’t anyone in Puerto Rico play Sim City?

[@honprelude]

Mostly Weekly is both informative and humorous. I wasn't aware of the full PR history and this was mighty helpful.

[@georgecataloni4720]

Are people really gonna die of heat stroke in October? I didn't have AC all summer, I think Puerto Rico will be ok in October.

[@SaysEveryone]

People survived there for hundreds of years without AC.

[@Langley-Outdoors]

SaysEveryone how did the caveman live without ac?

[@egondro9157]

So George did you go all summer without a refrigerator or any electricity. The whole “AC” comment seems irrelevant. Image businesses without power. I always like shopping at stores by candle light. Just brilliant aren’t you?

[@ayandas874]

I don't know. How do you preserve every form of food without it rotting? How do you run a modern banking system without electricity? All modern innovation has increased our lifespans and our ability to sustain ourselves on scarce resources while increasing population. Hospitals without electricity in the tropics? Uncooled medicines and vaccines?

[@ilusha88]

Great stuff. Great moves. Keep it up.

[@dcypherd]

At 1:06, the video states that PR is a country. As a reminder PR isn't a country. It is in a country. Your country.

[@wrongway1100]

You know Puerto Rico could have tried for statehood in 96, like the US government and people suggested. But they refused then. Now that they are $70 billion in debt they want to be state and receive government funding. He is right about regulation and taxation. It tends to not help much and does lead to staggering debt. The problem is government in general, but necessarily Donald Trump.

[@markyuto6820]

Here we go again.

[@AtlasReburdened]

Gross negligence over decades highlighted by a proverbial perfect storm, trumps fault... because fuck causality right?

[@stevepowsinger733]

This video is eleven months old and they still have major rebuilding problems! Just remember history: we took the island in the Spanish-American War. It seemed like a good idea at the time. It has always been a thorny problem.

[@JoeCiliberto]

To reiterate the plan - the Government provides emergency, military facility essential services. The Government provides the funds. Private enterprise does the planning, financial management, and work (cleanup, rebuilding, modernization, operation).

[@myperspective5091]

So, what you're saying is that the people of Puerto Rico, mostly the government did not invest in their future by trying to strive for self-sustainability, especially in the areas of transporting their goods to and from the United States and in their infrastructure with regards to their electric power supply, mean that they didn't build any backup power stations.

[@bongoxv27]

As a Puertorican I can say that this is true.

[@peolesdru]

I don't think the powers that be want us to find out what happens when the government is diminished (or removed). Hint: it rhymes with "bontaneous schmorder".

[@magnus4g63]

peolesdru *the powers that should not be

[@jacksonbernard4519]

Actually it’s beacase there wasn’t enough government intervention, if they had nationalized some key industry’s and restricted the free market some more they could have fixed it before it started!

[@Derek.Mitchell]

Damn it I miss this series.

[@dcypherd]

BTW the fuel sign at 3:06, Is not from PR. Like the rest of the modern world they are on the metric system. So the outrageous cost of fuel is displayed in $0.XX/Litre rather than $/gallons.

[@joevining2603]

A lot of good that's doing them

[@jgallantyt]

This is my favorite bit on KZbin now. Please keep them coming.

[@eliafriat9121]

The violin sounds almost exactly like the intro to Mama Rochel. The only difference is the last note is a c not a d

[@ninthcrusader2355]

It's from Schindler's List

[@malcolmt7883]

Problem 1: too many people. Over a 1000 per square mile on an island that doesn't have enough fresh water or farm land. Problem 2: big damn hurricane destroyed everything.

[@cathaloriordan271]

I'm glad some pages are still focusing on economically libertarian issues. I like a good "SJW gets rekt" video as much as the next guy but t gets a bit tiring after a while. Good to see someone advocating free markets for a change.

[@NeSeeger]

Even if all these problem weren't there the island was virtually destroyed If money wasnt a factor the island could probly have been completely rebuilt in 6-18 months, but there is no amount of prep that can be kept on hand for a rebuild job this grand.

[@douglasthompson9070]

So if they vote to become a state and Congress votes them in, does that mean that their debt gets dissolved?

[@kenburns4547]

Why doesn't Puerto Rico just open the whole place up to resort companies like hotels, cruise-lines, boat-rentals, tours, vacation-travel planners and Disneyland tax-free, and let the tourists flood the economy with a non-foreign island-resort option year round? Oh I'm sorry, I didn't mean to state the obvious.

[@captainl-ron4068]

The wider solution for PR is a simple one. Washington instructs them to hold a referendum on either full statehood or full independence. No more limbo, no more halfway house, no more open sore inviting corruption.

[@willsaleem7317]

Thats already happened like 3 times dude

[@IHaveWaffles]

Lois Lane is Superman

[@ryandoherty4291]

(We don’t know comics)

[@raytimpson3361]

Does Heaton only own one suit?

[@techguy651]

If there was ever a place that would benefit from a decentralized, solar fueled, “smart grid”, it’s Puerto Rico (or any of the Caribbean islands). There’s even technology in the works to allow for real time, blockchain backed, billing for supply and usage.

[@pepepineda95]

I love this channel

[@labellesworkshop]

The Joan’s act seems very similar to the Navigation acts implemented by parliament before our revolution

[@independentwisdom3707]

Island always got problem. Never touch that island. Its a hell hole that you never escape.

[@Nikua13]

FL and TX taken care of first. That is where the voters are. I am not saying that Puerto Rico doesn't need assistance, but it can't vote. They got a bum deal by eatung bad debit swaps. Their government picked that line action. They are a great people, but they will need to establish a government that works for the many and not the few. I pray for them and assistance is coming via charity, not government tax dollars. You can help by donating to organizations via charity

[@peolesdru]

Can't like it twice, so here is your second like.

[@nintendo9231889]

The great thing for businesses men is that there are no Federal income taxes on Puerto Rico, as Peter Schiller says.

[@terri4340]

You're hysterical!!! Love the video..

[@genericdeveloper3966]

It is like the daily show if they understood economics

[@HirokiThePKK]

So their power finally back on 6 month in future

[@juliesteimle3867]

Man, you need to watch Westside Story and watch that song/dance number "America"... again if you have seen it already. The beginning song answers your question. "Puerto Rico, my heart's devotion, let it sink back in the ocean. Always the hurricanes blowing. Always the population growing. And the money owing, and the native steaming..." and then they sing about why they want to be in America, specifically Manhattan Island.

[@dand33911]

There is a town in my state with a higher population of Puerto Ricans per square mile than there are in Puerto Rico. I wrote a paper about in high school.

[@mosesmarlboro5401]

This channel is a fucking godsend

[@ssn0651]

Ummm, it's an island , like Hawaii , where everything is also more expensive because it has to be brought in by boat . The difference is local government corruption in P.R. .

[@merpius]

Why in the hell is sugar expensive in Puerto Rico? It is one of the few places in the US where sugar can be grown... it should be a net exporter of sugar (and rum, of course).. Ugh

[@orppranator5230]

Using a monsters resurrected theme song for the ancient fish migrating as sad music. Love it.

[@ReeseL4D]

I support lower taxes, but your debt chart appears to be out-of-sync with pointing a finger at 1996. Clearly, there are other factors affecting debt/GDP ratio.

[@burkean]

Three digs against Trump who took 6 days to implement the policy you wanted. No digs at any other politician, including the ones who implemented the policies you don't like.

[@superfisto]

Nice jacket. Off topic: Are you wearing pants?

[@Vladviking]

The US itself is 20 trillion in debt and the US power grid's last ASCE rating was D+ .

[@obadiahscave]

Most of those utilities are owned by private companies..

[@paul1809we]

People don't have to pay personal income tax. And its own democratic government ran it into the ground that's why they have substandard everything

[@timothypoole5718]

Plus they kicked the Navy out in the early 2000’s which cost them a lot of good paying jobs.

[@Ghaleo69]

This video really hit the nail in the head.

[@fl3669]

2:17 how the fuck is that graph even possible?

[@DonNuBreed]

Man Baby Tweet Storm.... yes

[@69Vanillabear]

So it's safe to say living on a tiny rock with no resources surrounded by water is a bad idea.

[@dosmastrify]

10 points for calling out Trump on the stupidity

[@j22ton]

Seems to make else elimate govt regulations, give tax creditors to encourage private US investment and lower taxes.

[@millerforester3184]

I've been to PR, perhaps 8 years ago. It looked like, and was, a third world country. In comparison Guadalupe is as paradise.The problem with PR is their own government, and the people who run it. THEY spent money they didn't have, just like we are doing now. We're gonna get the same result.

[@lordhippo9527]

Wheres remy? Ill pay for the randsom please get remy back i beg of you, Ill find his capteurs, just bring him home safely

[@orppranator5230]

Lord Hippo do you...need a hashtag?

[@Trepur349]

I'm sad that you didn't mention the minimum wage

[@Plasmawarrior]

You can't go and complain about what the president did or didn't do and turn around and say it's past years of bad policies before the current president. Makes no sense.

[@ryzerred761]

DAMN GOOD CHANEL MAN!

[@NJGuy1973]

"Nobody washes a rented car and nobody treats Puerto Rico like it’s his or her own country." - Steve Sailer takimag.com/article/the_mess_before_maria_steve_sailer/#ixzz4uZ5Mf3KA

[@2Pish]

I'm a progressive/liberal and I agree with mostly everything he's saying. Even subscribed

[@luisllorens70]

Greed and laziness are why Puerto Rico is the shape it's in.

[@Joshua-hz3cl]

TBH I am glad Puerto Ricans are coming to America, their women are gorgeous.

[@devbyrd1]

Is this even MOSTLY weekly

[@ohevshalomel]

The Jones Act sounds a lot like one of the things that Mad King George did to cause America to rebel in the first place....

[@LouisEmery]

Trump was president for 4 years. The poor port's problems is more systemic, as you showed.

[@FreshPrince0fMiami]

An update on this would be nice

[@berniediapersanderslukso9204]

The problem in Puerto Rico is made worse by the island's corrupt politicians like that stupid mayor. ouch

[@combatLaCarie]

I wish that ReasonTV did not take this move to 'humour' I like the more serious presentation better. This makes it feel like that we are appealing to teenagers.

[@angelneris862]

THIS GUY IS AWESOME!!!

[@thephelddagrif2907]

Why did we get independence- taxation without representation. Doesn't it seem hypocritical that puerto rico do not get representation but are taxed

[@llewodcm20]

The Phelddagrif they asked for it

[@TheChasingK]

So basically it is all the US's fault and in no way the fault of Puerto Rico?

[@magnus4g63]

yes taxation is theft

[@williamjameshoffer4405]

Another benefit to improving life in Puerto Rico is a return migration of Puerto Ricans, something that everyone would like.

[@Matteus2109]

This sounds a lot more like Puerto Rico's problem rather than the US's. I thought you don't want government intervention, which is necessary to fix this State?

[@user295295]

The jabs at Donald Trump haven't aged that well in the age of Biden.

[@awkwardcultism]

Did you know that Orange Man is, in fact, Bad?

[@markyuto6820]

Did you know that you brain is in fact have low IQ?

[@ernestogerena7419]

Blaming Donald Trump? I am sure that will fix all the problems in Puerto Rico.

[@maarten1115]

Even back then MAGA threw a hissy fit every time someone critiqued Trump.

[@MegF142857]

But Donald Trump tells us that he gets an A+ and a top score for our response to P.R.