LOS ANGELES (OC).–Demark and Greenland rejected Trump’s bid to takeover the world’s largest arctic island with a population of 57,000, largely Inuits, native peoples that inhabit remote parts of the Island. President Donald Trump has been asking Demark and Greenland to cut a deal, something potentially worth some $50 billion for the strategic arctic island currently without a military, vulnerable to any takeover by Russia or China. Russia and China have a vested interest in the Arctice zone largely because to the rare earch minerals but, more importantly, control over the entire region. “We don’t want to be Americans, we don’t want to be Danes, we want to Greenlanders,” said Greenland Prime Minister Jens Friedrik Nielsen and four party leaders in a joint statement Friday. What kind of naivety exists in Greenland when Trump doesn’t want to encroach on Greenland culture?
If Greenland were taken over by the U.S., Trump would not want to change the indigenous culture, much the same way the U.S. bought Alaska from Russia March 30. 1867. While there are 741,000 U.S. citizens in Alaska, only 16,000 remain Alaskan natives or Inuits, something the U.S. respects and leaves alone in their communities. But regardless of whether they hold on to their native traditions, the U.S. still provides benefits in terms of Social Security, Medicare and other social welfare programs. If Greenlanders want to preserve their own identity the arrangement could be a protectorate, like Puerto Rico or Guam, not an official state. Trump sees clearly Greenland on thin ice when you consider they have no military to defend against a potential Russian aor Chinese invasion. So when it comes to NATO, Greenland is considered part of NATO because of Denmark.
Trump said there’s an “easy” way to resolve the Greenland controversy or a “hard way,” that involves moving troops in the arctic territory. NATO allies don’t see Russia or China as an imminent threat to Greenland, even though the EU takes the position that Russia threatens European territory. “If we don’t do it the easy way, we’re going to do it the hard way,” Trump said without explaining the details.”The White House stated that it is considering a range of options, including the use of military force, to acquite the island. Sen Rand Paul (R-Ky.) said “he would do everything in his power to stop any kind of military takeover of Greenland,” Greenland’s party leaders said that “Greenland’s future must be decided by the Greenland people,:” knowing they’re vulnerable to a takeover by Russia or China. Trump doesn’t want Russia and China anywhere near the U.S. or Canada.
Danish Prime Minister Metter Frederiksen warned that any American takeover of Greenland would mark the end of NATO, overstating the obvious that Article 5 would require all NATO countries to come to Greenland’s defense. But for all practical purposes NATO would not pit the Western Alliance against the United States, knowing that the U.S. pays 16% of NATO 32-member budget. “As Greenland party leaders we would like to emphasize once again our wih that the United States’ contempt for our country ends,” said an official Greenland statement. Trump understands that Greenlander’s value their native identity and don’t want to be Americans, much like natives in Alaskan preserve their own culture. No country is more sensitive to cross-cultural issues than the United States. Greenlanders don’t need to fear a loss of Identity or culture.
Recent polls show that 85% of native Greenlanders want no part of the Danish culture any more than they want to be Americans. Taking over Greenland would be no loss to Denmark since they currently spend so little on Greenland’s infrastructure or development. Under U.S. leadership, Greenland would have the best of both worlds, maintaining its native culture at the same time developing Greenland’s economy to increase its standard-of-living. Former Danish Amb. to NATO Michael Zilmer-Johns called Trump’s ambitions “an effront to any ally that has stop up with the U.S. in Afghanistan, in Iraq and all over the world,” exaggerating the extent of opposition in the native population. U.S. officials would work with Greenlanders to preserve their culture and, at the same time, work toward economic development that would benefit all Greenland citizens.
If Trump decided to move the U.S. military into Greenland, there’s little practically NATO could do, other than Denmark negotiating a reasonable purchase agreement. Trump feels strongly that acquiring Greenland is in the national security interest of the United States. If Russia or China were to move first, Greenland would be lost for the foreseeable future. So, with Trump’s reasoning, why not preempt future problems knowing the importance of the Arctic region for U.S. national security? Aside from historic sovereignty, there’s nothing Denmark plans to do to invest in Greenland in the foreseeable future. Trump has vast plans for the U.S. military and to improve the standard-of-living for all of Greenland’s 57,000 inhabitants, mostly native Inuits. Pollsters don’t ask the right questions when asked if the U.S. could improve Greenland’s economy and standard-of-living.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
