Taiwan

[Symmetry]

Perhaps the people who live there can decide? I think I might have mentioned that idea before.

[BigBallinStalin]

No, dude. Puerto Rico is controlled by the US. You'd want them to be independent. I'm just saying, their level of 'independence'/occupation is better.

RE: the second paragraph, I think it's more than local governance v. foreign governance. There's plenty of crummy states with independence.

You are surprisngly thick, don't you see the irony in praising the decent rule of a foreign occupier in a country that was desimated by previous foreign occupiers? It should be clear to anyone that foreign rulers have not been kind to the inhabitants of Puerto Rico. So unkind as it happens that less than 1% of the population is of native american ancestry. Almost all the inhabitans are foreign invaders, it turned out good for the invaders just like in many other places but the foreign rulers have been really bad for the people that used to live there. So when you are praising foreigners ability to rule the country, you must be ignoring their inability to properly rule over the real indigenous population, and instead refer to how they treat other invaders who happen to have set their foot on the land a short period of time before them. There should be no doubt in any sane human beings mind that in the long run it's better for people to be ruled by their own people than by foreigners.

You're quick to jump to conclusions about me. I'd suggest rereading what I've been saying.

Well I have, maybe that's the problem.

Then please quote me where I "praising the decent rule of a foreign occupier in a country that was desimated by previous foreign occupiers" or when I was " praising foreigners ability to rule the country."

RE: underlined, all else being equal, sure, but development is not all about self-determination. Besides, even the policies of 'independent' countries are strongly influenced by the IMF, World Bank, and donors of 'the West'. One could say that allowing country X greater independence has led to country X's government to willingly accept a lesser degree of independence.