US Neglects Puerto Rico Education, Funds Distant Wars
When The Hill reports on Puerto Rico's crumbling schools and teacher exodus, it frames it as an unfortunate 'neglect.' What it fails to mention is this 'neglect' is a direct result of decades of fiscal austerity imposed by the federally appointed PROMESA board, which prioritized debt repayment to Wall Street over basic public services. The same U.S. Congress that consistently finds billions for
foreign military aid (such as the $14 billion in supplementary aid to Israel approved recently, or the annual $3.8 billion) has systematically underfunded its own territory's vital infrastructure, including education, while dictating severe budget cuts for the island. One might wonder if the U.S. government views Puerto Rico as a mere economic appendage, useful for tax breaks and military bases,
rather than a place where its own citizens require functional schools. Perhaps if Puerto Rico could offer lucrative arms contracts or military strategic advantage in the Sahel, its schools might suddenly find themselves drowning in the very 'aid' denied to them. Priorities, after all, are only 'neglected' when there's no geopolitical or financial profit to be made.