A Modest Proposal on Greenland
President Donald Trump has made no secret of wanting to "acquire" Greenland. He says the country is vital to US national security and economic interests.
But how do you accomplish these goals without firing a shot? First let get some details out of the way:
Greenland has been controlled by Denmark for over 800 years now and they have increased military spending by $2 billion since Trump's comments. This increase in spending includes 3 new artic vessels and 2 additional long range drones and increased satellite capacity. All good news as far as America is concerned.
Meanwhile Greenlanders, according to a recent poll, opposes becoming part of the US. It wasn't a great big sample size as the country only has a population of 57,000 to begin with. I've long pointed out that it's twice as hard to be voted Mayor of Worcester, MA than to be voted Prime Minister of Greenland. I'd be remiss in not pointing out that Greenlanders also retain the right to become a sovereign nation but opt to remain under Denmark's umbrella.
The US already has a permanent presence at the Pituffick Space Base in northwest Greenland - a strategic location to monitor possible incoming ballistic missiles. Could Trump be angling for a bigger presence? Also keep in mind that the country is rich in natural resources including many rare earth metals. The big drawback is said to be the cost to mine these resources. Would that still be true of a person like Elon Musk who owns the Boring Company and manufacturers robots? As an aside - what better way to stress test robots for the harsh environments of Mars than testing them in the harsh environments of Greenland?
Think it's also telling that Denmark and Greenland approached Secretary of State Marco Rubio about improving Artic security only to be told "at a later date." The Secretary knows the President hasn't made his deal pitch yet and is not about to jump the gun.
What might Trump's deal pitch be? Well that's where my Modest Proposal comes in.
President Trump has not ruled out taking Greenland by force and everyone is aware there's nothing Denmark or Greenland could do to stop it. This scenario has already played out in the minds of so many in Europe. Greenlanders seemingly don't want to be part of the US either. So how does Trump peacefully accomplish his goals?
He could propose a new deal with Greenland that would include Greenland remaining independent but increasing US military (and spending) there . That includes a new permanent Naval base in the southern part of the country that would also most benefit residents (just imagine all the increased bar and tourism spending). The deal would include some concessions that both the US and Denmark would have first rights to any natural resources or to source them directly. The cherry on top would be a promise of a free trade agreement for an independent Greenland or for Denmark if they leave the EU or can have an opt-out to accept such a free trade agreement with the US. I'm not saying that this last thing is everything everybody necessarily wants but it would drum up enough discussion that the other parts of the deal could be quickly accomplished to avoid the threat of forced takeover.
Who says no?
Good piece about Greenland. I think Trump wants a more robust US presence there so start off by saying we want to take it over. Trump knows that if he gets anything even remotely close (increased military presence, mineral rights, etc.) it's a win. Another paragraph in the history books under Trump's name. Also, it's a signal to the rest of the world. Act right or Trump will focus like a laser on you and the outcome won't be pretty. Another take could be something Obama referred to as "stray voltage". The president purposefully overstates his case knowing that it will create controversy. Controversy sparks attention, attention provokes conversation, and conversation embeds previously unknown or marginalized ideas in the public consciousness. I think it's an "all of the above" idea myself.