That is the title of my 2008 applied game theory paper in which I model the impasse over Puerto Rico’s political status as a three-person duel (or “truel”) and the question I fed into ChatGPT last night. Below the fold is the chat bot’s one-paragraph reply:

It is possible for Puerto Rico to move beyond its history as a colony, but it would likely require significant political, economic, and social changes. The island has been a colony of Spain and the United States, and has struggled with issues such as poverty, inequality, and political corruption. In order for Puerto Rico to become a post-colonial society, there would need to be a shift towards greater autonomy and self-determination for the island, as well as efforts to address the underlying social and economic issues that have been exacerbated by its colonial history. This is a complex and ongoing process that would require the participation and support of the Puerto Rican people, as well as international community.

So I then asked the $64 question: “How can Puerto Rico achieve greater autonomy and self-determination?” In reply, ChatGPT outlined five possible routes towards decolonization:

There are several ways in which Puerto Rico could potentially achieve greater autonomy and self-determination. Some of these include:

1. Status change: Puerto Rico is currently a U.S. territory, and one way to achieve greater autonomy would be to change its political status to that of a state or independent nation.
2. Negotiating with the U.S. government: Puerto Rico could negotiate with the U.S. government to secure greater autonomy and self-government, such as through a compact of free association or a commonwealth status with more power.
3. United Nations decolonization: Puerto Rico could seek assistance from the United Nations in the decolonization process, which would require the U.S. government to take steps to respect the self-determination of the Puerto Rican people.
4. Constitutional reform: Puerto Rico could reform its own constitution to grant greater autonomy and self-government to the island.
5. Economic development: Puerto Rico could focus on economic development and diversification in order to reduce its dependence on the United States and become more self-sufficient.

It’s important to keep in mind that any of these routes to achieve greater autonomy would require the support of the U.S. government, and the willingness of the Puerto Rican government and population to engage in the process.

Not bad, for a bot!

P.S.: I would only add that, if Puerto Rico became the 51st State, the Island would be able to send two Senators and several more Representatives to Congress and would be on an equal footing with her sister States.

P.P.S.: In my next post, I will ask ChatGPT whether the Prisoner’s Dilemma refutes the Coase Theorem, the subject of my 2014 paper with Orlando I. Martinez-Garcia.