GREENLAND, THE 51ST STATE?

Acquiring Greenland seems to be a natural expansion for our great country

“There are not the right ships sailing around Greenland” said new President Donald Trump when asked about Greenland becoming a new US Territory. “It’s strategically located.”

Russia and China have been contemplating occupying Greenland for years due to its strategic location to the Artic and large supply of minerals, but it’s Trump that has taken the initiative to begin aggressively pursuing the island. He just sent his son, Don Jr. there, although details on that trip are sparse. Greenland is important due to its location straddling the Arctic circle between the US, Russia, and Europe. It’s become more valuable as Arctic waters are opening up for shipping and trade.

Greenland, the largest island in the world, is an independent part of the Kingdom of Denmark, and has been for more than 300 years. It should be noted the prime ministers of both Greenland and Denmark state emphatically Denmark is not for sale, but it sounds more like posturing. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen hedged her statement by saying the US should fulfill “a large role in that region and not, for example, Russia.” Perhaps both PM’s need to reconsider their stance as America would purchase it, whereas Russia and China would more than likely just glob on to it.

The US has not pursued any territories since Woodrow Wilson bought the US Virgin Islands from Denmark in 1917. Purchasing Greenland would be the largest land buy in our history, surpassing the Louisiana Purchase by President Jefferson in 1803, the annexation of the Republic of Texas by President Polk in 1845, and President A. Johnson’s purchase of parts of Alaska in 1867.  

Oddly, Greenland is considered part of North America but is closely associated with Europe due to Denmark’s support. The enormous island was settled and named, facetiously, by Viking Eric the Red, due to all the ice. He and his father, Norvald, who had been exiled from Norway for murder, settled there. Eric was the father of Leif, who would be the first European to reach North America.

There are 56,583 people, predominately Lutheran Intuits, living there. 19,000 people live around the capital, Nanuk. The cost of living is expensive, particularly alcohol, as everything has to be shipped in. Peculiarly, they have the highest rate of suicides in the world and a high rate of alcoholism.

Tourism is a major source of income also, as before COVID, they were hosting 105,000 visitors annually – nearly double the population.  Greenlanders receive nearly a half billion dollar grant yearly from Denmark. I would imagine if we offered them a billion dollars annually they would be holding immediate referendums about splitting from Denmark.

Eighty-percent of Greenland is covered in ice and there is no system of roads connecting the cities. Boats and dog sleds are their main way of traveling. Flying there can only be done by going through Denmark or Iceland.

Minerals also make Greenland of great interest to the US. They are sitting on a rubies, oil, uranium, aluminum, nickel, platinum, tungsten, titanium, natural gas and copper – although most of it is hard to get at due to the ice. We currently obtain most of those minerals from China.

When Denmark fell to Nazi Germany in 1940, it’s connection to Greenland was temporarily detached. The United States occupied Greenland to defend it against Germany in 1941, continuing until WW II was over. The US offered to buy the island in 1946 for a hundred million dollars, which was rejected by the ungrateful Danes. There is a US military base there, established as Thule Air force Base and later changed to Pituffik Space Base.

Historians and archeologists believe the first humans arrived in Greenland around 2500 BC. That race died out and were succeeded by other groups who migrated from North America. Norsemen from Iceland settled there at the beginning of the 10th century but had vanished by the 15th century. The Intuits migrated there from Asia in the 13th century, a bloodline that has survived to this day.

Acquiring Greenland seems to be a natural expansion for our great country and whether it happens or not, it seems a great idea.

Note to Panama – our canal is next on the list to take back.

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