# Greenland To Buy The US

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greenland-to-buy-the-us/839026>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [August 21, 2019, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greenland-to-buy-the-us/839026 "2019-08-21T22:36:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![GreysonCarlisle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a87d85/32.png) [@GreysonCarlisle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreysonCarlisle)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2019, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greenland-to-buy-the-us/839026/1 "2019-08-21T22:36:28Z")

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A [satire piece is spreading around social media](https://grapevine.is/news/2019/08/20/greenland-considering-buying-us-back/) with the claim that Greenland has offered to buy the US.

Assuming that any thing that is owned can be bought and sold, what would that look like? Let’s say that the sale happens, or at least begins, today. I’m really only interested in the transactional elements, not the effects of all USAians becoming proud Greenlanders.

Who owns the US? We the people, I imagine.

But how would we go about selling the country to Greenland? Constitutional amendment?

Who would get the money?

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**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2019, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greenland-to-buy-the-us/839026/2 "2019-08-21T22:41:53Z")

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We could certainly sell pieces of it. Eminent Domain the shit out of Mar-a-Lago and sell it for a dollar.

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**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2019, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greenland-to-buy-the-us/839026/3 "2019-08-21T22:43:44Z")

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A constitutional amendment would probably do it, sure. You can do anything with one of those.

Every other part of your question would be determined by the wording of the amendment.

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**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\
**Post date:** [August 21, 2019, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greenland-to-buy-the-us/839026/4 "2019-08-21T22:46:00Z")

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Moved from GD to IMHO.

[/moderating]

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**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\
**Post date:** [August 22, 2019, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greenland-to-buy-the-us/839026/5 "2019-08-22T08:43:36Z")

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Can’t we just give them all the red states (plus DC and Mar-a-Lago)?

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**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\
**Post date:** [August 22, 2019, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greenland-to-buy-the-us/839026/6 "2019-08-22T13:38:12Z")

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The first thing in my brain was that old David Frye routine with Richard Nixon announcing that the United States is having a going out of business sale. A fast Google failed me but some day I’ll find it; worth the effort.