Setting aside the actual results of Puerto Rico's referendum, which was to join the union…

The other colonialist powers in the Caribbean (France, the Netherlands) don't seem to have any problem providing hurricane relief to their Caribbean departments and territories. Only we, the wealthiest country on the planet, can't help our own citizens, a hair over a thousand miles from our shores. American exceptionalism!

PR voted for statehood. Congress ignored the result of the vote.

This was a referendum number what five? After four times its citizens voted for "Eff you, we like it this way?" All the way until it went bankrupt?

totally off-topic question, not about blaming puerto rico for anything in particular

how does claiming victimhood eliminate all responsibility for choices that contributed to a situation? i understand the emotional argument here but it’s not terribly convincing, and the rational argument seems non-existent, or at least insanely difficult to locate. is there one?

I don’t think there is anything wrong with analyzing the victim’s contribution to the situation, per se. But in reality it is almost always used to diminish the role of the perpetrator, and that is wrong (both morally and rationally).

The comment I replied to is a perfect example. It’s not a rational analysis of PR’s responsibility here, it’s a knee-jerk non sequitur deflecting blame from the US federal government.