You’re right on all counts. And yes it was by design, but not done with malicious intent. I don’t want to hijack the thread or go off on a rant but shit, here goes:
Most of the problems that plague PR can be found in the Rust belt and Appalachia. Same symptoms, same root causes.
Basically a people who’re inherently self sustaining “salt of the earth” types (fishing, hunting, farming, livestock) have their land bought out from underneath them and then industrialized. Turning them from independent to dependent. And the manufacturing work on the island never made up for what was lost. Which is why even today the biggest employer in PR, just like in places like West Virginia, is the Military and the Gov. Historically there's been very little in the way of investment in the people and opportunity for them.
Same thing for the PR expats in America. Brought here en masse with the promise of good union jobs in manufacturing, accrual of wealth, home ownership etc. “The American dream.”
And then come the 70s manufacturing work on the east coast was mostly shipped out. By the 80s labor unions were busted amd started drying up. And the tax base in big cities like New York shrank because of white flight and what not. So when the jobs left the resources weren’t there to help PRs, much less other poor people. Which bred more dependency (welfare/food stamps etc).
And so yeah — when things get bad and people are disillusioned and depressed — be it on the island, New York, West Virginia, Ohio, many will turn to crime and drugs. Sadly.
