# Why not make Cuba our 51st state? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [July 11, 2026, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-make-cuba-our-51st-state/1031600 "2026-07-11T18:49:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2026, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-make-cuba-our-51st-state/1031600/21 "2026-07-12T04:58:01Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > “an populated” should “a populated" should **BE** > [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > “in the states”. in the **S** tates. > [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > Can’t I ever avoid typos? Apparently not. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2026, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-make-cuba-our-51st-state/1031600/22 "2026-07-12T11:02:15Z")
> [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > in the **S** tates. No, I think it should be uncapitalized. If you say that something is true here in the States, you presumably mean that it’s true in the U.S., so it’s capitalized. If you say that there are 50 states in the U.S., you are just counting the number of states. That’s what I was doing. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2026, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-make-cuba-our-51st-state/1031600/23 "2026-07-12T17:36:59Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > You’re making a joke, but the reality is that Cuba is destitute and the people are living in grinding poverty. That means the US would be taking on tremendous debt in order to rebuild infrastructure and to raise the standard of living. And a good % of the population hates the USA due to somewhat good reasons and unending propaganda. > [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > If a person in the the states or D.C. moves permanently to Puerto Rico, they can vote in some local elections but not for any federal elections. Except Presidential Primaries. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2026, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-make-cuba-our-51st-state/1031600/24 "2026-07-12T17:59:36Z")
In Trump’s eyes Cuba is filled with brown-skinned commie poors. And Mario Rubio, who he’s beginning to hate because he doesn’t sufficiently asskiss, is Cuban. I don’t know which one repels him more. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2026, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-make-cuba-our-51st-state/1031600/25 "2026-07-12T18:03:45Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Except Presidential Primaries. All presidential primaries are state-level elections, not federal. All five U.S. territories do have them, though. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2026, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-make-cuba-our-51st-state/1031600/26 "2026-07-12T18:34:26Z")
Cubans are already hostile to the United States based on history and ideological differences. If the United States invaded Cuba and took it over by military force, it’s safe to assume this would increase that hostility. Then we’d have to decide what to do with Cuba. Admit is as a state would give it power in national politics. Treating it as a possession, like Puerto Rico, would reduce that but would still leave it possible for Cubans to move to the mainland United States. I don’t see Trump or other Republicans favoring a policy that would promote large numbers of Cubans moving in to the mainland, especially when they’re hostile to the American government. Another possibility would be to treat Cuba as an occupied territory like we did with Afghanistan from 2001 to 2021 or Iraq from 2003 to 2011. I don’t think many people regard those occupations as a good idea in retrospect. There’s also the diplomatic consequences of the United States attacking and occupying a sovereign neighboring country without any legitimate cause. We’re seeing how the world reacted when Russia attacked Ukraine. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2026, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-make-cuba-our-51st-state/1031600/27 "2026-07-12T18:37:09Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Then we’d have to decide what to do with Cuba. I’m pretty sure that Trump and his rich buddies would turn it into a gambling mecca like the old days, building giant hotels and casinos on the waterfronts and taking the income elsewhere. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2026, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-make-cuba-our-51st-state/1031600/28 "2026-07-12T18:42:15Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > I’m pretty sure that Trump and his rich buddies would turn it into a gambling mecca like the old days, building giant hotels and casinos on the waterfronts and taking the income elsewhere. Cuba was an independent country then (as it is now) which meant we didn’t need a policy on how the United States would govern it. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2026, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-make-cuba-our-51st-state/1031600/29 "2026-07-12T19:09:22Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Cuba was an independent country then (as it is now) which meant we didn’t need a policy on how the United States would govern it. It [was](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuba#Batista_regime) an economic vassal (not the Castro managed to change that; just changed patrons) and not meaningfully independent. > Before the revolution, U.S. and other foreign investors dominated the Cuban economy, controlling 75% of arable land, 90% of essential services, and 40% of sugar production.[[56]](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuba#cite_note-Britannica-61) One of the goals of Castro’s revolution was to achieve economic independence, but Cuba instead became heavily dependent on Soviet subsidies, with additional economic aid provided by Eastern European countries through [COMECON](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COMECON "COMECON"). ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2026, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-make-cuba-our-51st-state/1031600/30 "2026-07-12T20:26:32Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > It [was](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuba#Batista_regime) an economic vassal (not the Castro managed to change that; just changed patrons) and not meaningfully independent. True, but the fact that it was legally an independent country rather that an American territory meant that we could ignore any problems that were happening there and disclaim responsibility. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2026, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-make-cuba-our-51st-state/1031600/31 "2026-07-12T22:47:02Z")
What would Cuba bring to the US? They don’t have much in the way of natural resources, and they’re far enough south that climate change is going to hit them hard. At least Canada or Greenland bring abundant resources to the table, and an environment that might not be an utter disaster in 20 years. The Cuban economy is in shambles, while Canada is already highly intertwined with the US economy. Plus we have dibs on being the 51st state! You guys have been trying to get us since at least 1812! Bloody upstart Cubans, thinking they should be invaded first! The nerve of it! ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2026, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-make-cuba-our-51st-state/1031600/32 "2026-07-12T22:53:38Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > They don’t have much in the way of natural resources, Lots of Nickel and Cobalt. Oddly most of the land is agricultural, but Cuba has to import food. ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2026, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-make-cuba-our-51st-state/1031600/33 "2026-07-12T23:16:23Z")
You want nickel? Canada’s got your nickel right here! Big Nickel - Wikipedia [Big Nickel - Wikipedia](https://share.google/0bfwbiauXqvMU70D2) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2026, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-make-cuba-our-51st-state/1031600/34 "2026-07-13T21:34:26Z")
> [@Horatius](#): > > What would Cuba bring to the US? Cool cars. > **[Cars in Cuba: a Fleet Frozen in Time](https://www.garage-italia.com/en/hub/articles/cars-in-cuba-a-fleet-frozen-in-time?srsltid=AfmBOorLb9xvQJaNbQUYpqAmfKowkerNY8Oah08j8aNerrVDld_zlu4_)** > > Explore Cars in Cuba: a Fleet Frozen in Time on the Garage Italia official blog. > [@Horatius](#): > > Plus we have dibs on being the 51st state! But you guys would want to be ten states. Where would we fit in all those stars? ---
**Author:** ![R.P.McMurphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@R.P.McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R.P.McMurphy)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2026, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-make-cuba-our-51st-state/1031600/35 "2026-07-14T14:25:21Z")
Cuba is a mess. I won’t get into all the particulars but it’s not a headache to take on lightly. Our Cuba policy has been stupid and misguided for over sixty years. This has resulted in a situation where China is busy turning Cuba into its own province. So far they are not getting much of a ROI. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-not-make-cuba-our-51st-state/1031600.md?page=1)