Said Greenland’s Prime Minister Múte Egede, quoted in "Greenland’s leader wants independence from Denmark as Trump hovers over Arctic island/'It is now time to take the next step for our country,' Greenlandic Prime Minister Múte Egede says in hinting at 2025 referendum" (Politico).
Under a 2009 agreement with Denmark, Greenland can declare independence only after a successful referendum — which Egede appeared to hint at holding in tandem with the island’s upcoming parliamentary election in April.... Trump’s imperialist musings attracted a sharp rebuke from Egede, who declared that Greenland is “not for sale.”...
To say Greenland is "not for sale" is to say the U.S. can't buy Greenland from Denmark. But Greenland can free itself from Denmark and make its own deal with the United States.
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better to make deal with independent nation than NATO member vassal!
How are they going to defend themselves?
They could remove the obstacles or they could kick out the jams. It's good either way.
Seems to me, under Denmark they have all of NATO to defend them.
They get a subsidy from Denmark, but they get more from the U.S. If they vote for independence from Denmark, they'll lose the Denmark subsidy (I presume) and they will be free to make the best deal, which will presumably come from the U.S.
So in the end, the idea of buying Greenland from Denmark was ridiculous, because Denmark will lose Greenland, and the proceeds of the deal with Greenland will go to Greenland.
Everybody wins.
Only 56,000 people in all of Greenland. Nebraska’s Memorial stadium seats 80k.
Trump’s imperialist musings attracted a sharp rebuke from Egede...
Rather ironic coming from a Viking descendants?
...who declared that Greenland is “not for sale.”
Isn't that what you say before you sell?
"They get a subsidy from Denmark, but they get more from the U.S. "
Why should we subsidize them if they're independent? Aren't we tired of that?
(I'm being spam filtered so I hope this goes through. Interestingly, the phrase "I'm being" was auto-completed by "spam filtered" just now!)
Althouse said...
So in the end, the idea of buying Greenland from Denmark was ridiculous, because Denmark will lose Greenland, and the proceeds of the deal with Greenland will go to Greenland.
Well, maybe "sell" for face-saving money, but certainly not for top dollar...
He's right, I had to sell...
Yes- for the people in Greenland the best possible financial deal is to vote for independence and then sell the territory to the U.S. If the U.S. buys it from Denmark, the people living in Greenland will get very little of that money.
We shall not rest, nay shall we not dither, until Thule airbase has a Trump hotel where you can play with polar bears.
US absorbing Greenland would be like getting another Puerto Rico. But bigger. And colder.
Currently Greenland's residents get maybe 25% of their personal income from Denmark as essentially welfare. Moreover, since the bulk of the better paying jobs are in government, there is another large money transfer to the island as governmental support. The residents, at least those not presently or contemplatingly committing suicide, would probably be better off financially with the present arrangement.
Well, if a 'sale' is off the table, then, one Viking raider to another, Greenland is..... perhaps inadequately defended.
I bet that's a better deal (for Denmark) than our tax dollars presently get from the Washington DC municipality and base. Say.... that gives me an idea. Buy Greenland and move the bureaucracy of our nation's capital there.
"Buy Greenland and move the bureaucracy of our nation's capital there."
Capitol (sic) idea!
If we got Greenland, it would join Alaska in becoming our raised ears, like Mickey Mouse. So Canada could be our crown if it joins
Greenland would be a good place for those deportees that Venezuela won't take back.
89.51% of the people of Greenland are Greenlandic Inuit.
Only 7.5% are Danish.
Greenland is an island on the North American tectonic plate.
The Norse settlements in Greenland disappeared in the 15th century. Apparently they got too cold, cold and hungry. "[T]he Icelandic Book of Settlements records famines during the winters, in which 'the old and helpless were killed and thrown over cliffs.'" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenland
It's a century too late. Denmark sold us its half of the Virgin Islands in 1917 and if we upped the price maybe we could have gotten Greenland too. Truman could have gotten us Labrador and Newfoundland if he hadn't been concerned about angering Britain and Canada, and I'm wondering why FDR didn't write down Britain's debts in exchange for getting Bermuda or the Bahamas or the other half of the Virgin Islands.
In any case, all that is water under the bridge and we aren't likely to be expanding anytime soon. Still, if you believe Trump is playing 4-D chess, it was a smart move to get us talking about expanding the country after a presidential election, rather than tearing it apart.
I wonder why everyone is suddenly so interested in Greenland.
Minerals, mostly. Rare earths in the frozen earth.
Money talks and B.S. walks. Let Trump make the Greenlanders an offer they can’t refuse — say, $1,000,000 each (~$60 billion) — to become the 51st state. Offer a bundle to Denmark to release its sovereignty. Then see what happens.
Fun fact of the day: The population of Greenland is about 55,000. Fewer than illegality cross our southern border on a slow day.
Greenland needs a big buddy with a big league military and enough dough to exploit their vast mineral resources. For the benefit of the Greenlanders and the aforementioned big buddy. That ain’t Denmark. And the Greenlanders sure don’t want it to be the Russians or the Chinese.
Greenland + the U.S. looks like a winner to me.
And location.
Unless China makes a better offer
But Greenland can free itself from Denmark and make its own deal with the United States.
Why the fuck would they do that, especially when their desire for independence is what is motivating them to split from Denmark?
It's the new Rome
Prof: "[T]he Icelandic Book of Settlements records famines during the winters, in which 'the old and helpless were killed and thrown over cliffs.'"
Yes, that was done by the Viking warrior Mittor Romnessen, nicknamed “Hwitbrok” (White Pants).
JSM
I doubt any Chinese offer will be permitted. The smart thing for the neos to do would be to encourage President Trump to pursue such side projects and ultimately build a more USA-controlled NATO. Of course, his EU rivals would hate that idea and are genuinely in a panic for a whole host of reasons.
I fully expect the neos to throw in with the Five Eyes types, which will inevitably drive them into irrelevance.
"especially when their desire for independence is what is motivating them to split from Denmark?"
How do you know that?
I started learning about Greenland (including a little of its language which ain't easy) about four years ago. For the last few decades Greenland has been moving toward independence from Denmark. It's not clear to me if a majority of Greenlanders want complete independence and for Greenland no longer to be an autonomous territory. What *is* clear to me however is Greenlanders are deeply concerned about preserving (1) preserving their culture and (2) their natural environment. The two concerns are intertwined.
Season four of the Danish series "Borgen" focuses on this very issue.
56k inhabitants? Give 'em a million each to buy them out - that's a rounding error in the US budget.
We still have a now-Space Force base way the hell up the western coast. Not a big one, but perhaps strategically important positioning.
Fun fact: when Ron Howard left Happy Days, they wrote Richie Cunningham out by saying he'd been drafted and sent to serve at that base in Greenland.
The Art of the Deal. When the Danes wouldn't sell Greenland to Trump in his first term, he fomented an independence movement. [Insert favorite TDS theory of How He Does It here.] Cheaper to buy 55,000 votes than pay off Denmark.
One down. Two to go.
If the people there value their culture, then don't get aligned with the US. We'd just diversify them out of existence with third world trash. Like we're doing here.
Aren't Inuit already 3rd World?
Perhaps we can bargain for 2 for 1 with Faroe Islands. More Scandanavian, to Trump's taste.
We could make all the illegal immigrants citizens
But there's a catch
You go to live in Greenland for 10 years
For those who don't know...
Iceland is green
Greenland is ice
There is no green in Greenland, except for the sky, sometimes
Illegal immigrants from Canada: No problem, eh!
Illegal immigrants from Mexico: Ay, caramba!
51 states is so lopsided.
We want a full deck!
52 or nil!
(and no jokers)
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