As you know, President-elect Donald J Trump has not “ruled out” invading Greenland (2400 miles from NYC, closer than Los Angeles) to gain control of this strategic island as an enhancement to American national security.
As we speak, the Joint Chiefs are finalizing their plans that will begin with an airborne attack by the Tip of the Spear, the 82nd Airborne Division.
“Death from the skies!” mass tactical drop 82nd Abn Div. AIRBORNE!
The United States has been known to invade a country when it displeases the President. Remember Panama under Manuel Noriega?
Operation Just Cause the 1990 American invasion of Panama to overthrow Manuel Noriega.
Wait, WTF, Big Red Car, an invasion of Greenland?
Of course I am, dear reader, pulling your leg just a bit. Haven’t you figured out that this Donald Trump character always says outlandish things and then backs them down to get what he really wanted in the first place?
Calm down, Donald Trump isn’t going to attack Greenland though some form of association would be welcome given the realities of the situation. In fact, I predict that there will be some form of official association between Greenland and the United States by the end of 2026.
The idea of attacking Greenland raises a particularly odd problem as both Greenland and Denmark are NATO members as is obviously the United States. An attack on one is an attack on all, eh? That Article V thing.
Greenland, what is that?
Greenland — population less than 60,000 almost all Inuit Indians biggest industry fishing — is an island, a huge island, the biggest island in the world. [There are those who will quickly point out that Australia is 4X larger than Greenland, but amongst those purists who deal with such geographical things, they will retort that Australia is a “continent” and not an island. So there.]
It is gigantic.
Greenland is the island directly above Canada and to the right. You can see why it is important.
The merits of pulling Greenland into the American fold are:
1. The US has a big military installation in Greenland, Thule Air Base (renamed Pituffik Space Base). It is a strategic location from which to control the North Atlantic, the Artic, and to go over the globe to Russia and China.
This base is a critical part of the US and Nato ballistic missile early warning system. Doesn’t get more bloody strategic than that, eh?
2. Greenland is strategically positioned to economically exploit the Artic to the north, an area of Russian and Chinese interest.
3. Greenland is blessed with huge mineral, oil, gas, and rare earth deposits. Greenland banned energy exploration in 2021 saying the impact on the country and the environment was too high.
4. The biggest reason: the Chinese have begun to wiggle into Greenland with the same interests articulated above. China controls 70% of world rare earth extraction and 90% of rare earth production. They want Greenland for those reasons, but also because of its proximity to the United States for nefarious reasons.
Bit of history, Big Red Car?
Ahhh, yes, during World War II, the US used Greenland to station troops and to safeguard convoys crossing the North Atlantic. It was on the flight route to England.
US Consulate in Greenland. Isn’t that cute?
The US had a secret nuclear missile installation in Greenland — read up on Camp Century and Operation Iceberg. Greenland is only 3,000 miles from Moscow.
A B-52 loaded with 4 nukes crashed in Greenland and one of the nukes was never recovered. They couldn’t find it.
Harry Truman tried to buy Iceland from Denmark in the post-World War II era. In fact, the US has attempted to purchase Greenland on five different occasions and had serious discussions with the Danish during the Trump 1.0 presidency.
The United States was built, in part, by skillful acquisitions
You will recall that the US famously purchased the following:
1. Louisiana from France for $15MM in 1803
2. Florida from Spain for $5MM in 1819
3. California, Utah, Northern Nevada, Arizona from Mexico for $18.25MM in 1848
4. Southern Arizona and New Mexico from Mexico for $10MM in 1853
5. Alaska from Russia for $7.5MM in 1867
6. The Phillipines from Spain for $20MM in 1898 as part of the Paris Treaty ending the Spanish American War
7. Danish West Indies from Denmark for $25MM in 1916
Bottom line it, Big Red Car, we’re headed to a Texas v Ohio State pregame party with an open bar
OK, here it is, dear reader.
1. The Chinese have begun to muck around in Greenland under the guise of mineral exploration initially focused on rare earth elements.
2. Greenland is strategically important to the United States.
3. The United States has history with Denmark and purchased the Danish West Indies from them in 1916 at which time the US also tried to buy Greenland.
4. Trump is a real estate guy and knows “everything is for sale at the right price.”
The United States may not be able to buy Greenland, but they will enter into some sort of enhanced relationship by the end of 2026 to preclude further Chinese involvement.
But, hey, what the Hell do I really know anyway? I’m just a Big Red Car. Ohio State makes easy work of the Longhorns. Bet the over. JK – do not bet on sports. Give you money in church.