# How valuable would Greenland be to the United States? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [August 16, 2019, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-valuable-would-greenland-be-to-the-united-states/838752 "2019-08-16T16:26:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![rat\_avatar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rat_avatar/32/255_2.png) [@rat\_avatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rat_avatar)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2019, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-valuable-would-greenland-be-to-the-united-states/838752/81 "2019-08-20T19:30:31Z")
I think an interest in controlling both sides of the [Northwest Passage](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northwest_Passage) which is just starting to open up may have been a justification. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2019, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-valuable-would-greenland-be-to-the-united-states/838752/82 "2019-08-20T23:30:19Z")
Well Greenland is one third of the GIUK sonar belt anchors… But the thing is, the sonar buoys are, well, buoys. The buoys are back in _sea_, driving all the Russians crazy ! (I will NOT apologize) That being said, y’all Californians oughta hurriedly send an ambassador to Denmark for a deal. Guarantee they don’t _really_ give a shit about Greenland, and if you guys can score a land exchange… ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2019, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-valuable-would-greenland-be-to-the-united-states/838752/83 "2019-08-20T23:54:00Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > Well Greenland is one third of the GIUK sonar belt anchors… But the thing is, the sonar buoys are, well, buoys. The buoys are back in _sea_, driving all the Russians crazy ! > (I will NOT apologize) > > That being said, y’all Californians oughta hurriedly send an ambassador to Denmark for a deal. Guarantee they don’t _really_ give a shit about Greenland, and if you guys can score a land exchange… Exchange? Can we give them Texas? _Please_ let us give them Texas. The effect on our schoolbooks alone would be wildly beneficial. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2019, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-valuable-would-greenland-be-to-the-united-states/838752/84 "2019-08-21T01:39:42Z")
[Trump postpones Denmark trip after prime minister refuses to sell Greenland](https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/20/politics/trump-cancels-copenhagen/index.html) I literally had to double check to see if I had accidentally switched to the Borowitz Report or _The Onion_, but no, this is not parody, this is real. This is the total insanity that this presidency has brought us to. ---
**Author:** ![MarvinKitFox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ba0ec/32.png) [@MarvinKitFox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MarvinKitFox)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2019, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-valuable-would-greenland-be-to-the-united-states/838752/85 "2019-08-21T07:05:19Z")
Denmark should put in a counter-offer. New york for $2500 (after all, it is 1/50000th the size of greenland, and quite severely secondhand. Dirty, too) ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2019, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-valuable-would-greenland-be-to-the-united-states/838752/86 "2019-08-21T07:51:04Z")
Looking top-down…Greenland is a good deal closer to Moscow than anything we have right now land-based. No I’m not making a Trump-Putin joke. I’m talking NEWCLEARALL MISS ILLES! ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2019, 11:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-valuable-would-greenland-be-to-the-united-states/838752/87 "2019-08-21T11:25:06Z")
Why not buy Greenland? We can get Mexico to pay for it! ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2019, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-valuable-would-greenland-be-to-the-united-states/838752/88 "2019-08-21T12:43:07Z")
And we wouldn’t even have to pay all at once, if we choose the Danegeld installment plan. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2019, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-valuable-would-greenland-be-to-the-united-states/838752/89 "2019-08-21T13:55:27Z")
Since no one else will step up and do it (damn PC snowflakes!) the hither unknown to me Danish PM is a hottie. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2019, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-valuable-would-greenland-be-to-the-united-states/838752/90 "2019-08-21T14:29:55Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > [Trump postpones Denmark trip after prime minister refuses to sell Greenland](https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/20/politics/trump-cancels-copenhagen/index.html) > > I literally had to double check to see if I had accidentally switched to the Borowitz Report or _The Onion_, but no, this is not parody, this is real. This is the total insanity that this presidency has brought us to. From your link: > [@](#): > > Danish politicians reacted with incredulity to Trump’s decision to postpone his visit to Copenhagen. > “For no reason Trump assumes that (an autonomous) part of our country is for sale. Then insultingly cancels visit that everybody was preparing for,” the Conservative People’s Party spokesman for Greenland, Rasmus Jarlov, said on Twitter. “ **Are parts of the US for sale? Alaska?** Please show more respect.” (bolding mine) Hope to hell none of the staffers reads this to him-it might give him ideas. ---
**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, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-valuable-would-greenland-be-to-the-united-states/838752/91 "2019-08-21T16:26:12Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > Since no one else will step up and do it (damn PC snowflakes!) the hither unknown to me Danish PM is a hottie. Knock it off and keep it in your pants. [/moderating] ---
**Author:** ![puddleglum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puddleglum/32/137_2.png) [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2019, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-valuable-would-greenland-be-to-the-united-states/838752/92 "2019-08-21T16:49:27Z")
> [@HMS\_Irruncible](#): > > With respect to US interests, buying Greenland is not the dumbest idea in the world. It has lots of natural resources and strategic importance to the US. Additionally, although Greenland says they can’t be bought, currently they get a $500 million annual subsidy from Denmark. The US could easily make a sweeter deal. > > The issue is (a) why this? why now? and (b) does Trump realize that Greenland is not a white country, but rather full of indigenous people who have a bunch of lefty political views? > > I wouldn’t mind if the US acquired Greenland but I would care if it came at the expense of virtually anything else. As far as the natural resources go Coase theorem says that it does not matter who is running Greenland, if the US can use those resources it will. It only makes sense if the US has some way of exploiting the resources unavailable to the Greenlanders, or if the US has a better idea of the resource’s worth than the Greenlanders. I would think neither is likely to be true, and the only strategic reason would be to better press Greenland’s claim to Arctic reasons against the Chinese and Russians because the US would have a better negotiating position than Denmark or Greenland. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2019, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-valuable-would-greenland-be-to-the-united-states/838752/93 "2019-08-21T20:04:49Z")
I do like the fact that the Danish PM called the idea “absurd”. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2019, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-valuable-would-greenland-be-to-the-united-states/838752/94 "2019-08-21T20:58:27Z")
> [@puddleglum](#): > > As far as the natural resources go Coase theorem says that it does not matter who is running Greenland, if the US can use those resources it will. > It only makes sense if the US has some way of exploiting the resources unavailable to the Greenlanders, or if the US has a better idea of the resource’s worth than the Greenlanders. > I would think neither is likely to be true, and the only strategic reason would be to better press Greenland’s claim to Arctic reasons against the Chinese and Russians because the US would have a better negotiating position than Denmark or Greenland. Yeah, but regardless of results that could make sense, the whole effort from Trump here looks like if the Underpants Gnomes are now advisors to the president. Step 1: [del]Steal[/del] Go make an offer for Greenland to the Dutch Step 2: ??? Step 3: PROFIT! ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2019, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-valuable-would-greenland-be-to-the-united-states/838752/95 "2019-08-21T21:53:15Z")
I see that the PM of Denmark has now joined [the distinguished legion of women whom Trump has called “nasty”](https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/21/politics/trump-nasty-woman-denmark-mette-frederiksen/index.html), in this case for refusing to sell him Greenland. Which leads me to wonder if there’s any country left in the world that Trump has had dealings with whose leader he hasn’t insulted. Actually, I believe there are two countries and their leaders that Trump holds in the highest regard – Vladimir Putin of Russia and Kim Jong-Un of North Korea – America’s new allies and models for Making America Great Again™. ---
**Author:** ![Steken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Steken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steken)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2019, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-valuable-would-greenland-be-to-the-united-states/838752/96 "2019-08-21T22:03:44Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > Step 1: [del]Steal[/del] Go make an offer for Greenland to the Dutch The Danes. Not the Dutch. The Danes. ---
**Author:** ![Corry\_El](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecae2f/32.png) [@Corry\_El](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corry_El)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2019, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-valuable-would-greenland-be-to-the-united-states/838752/97 "2019-08-21T22:10:47Z")
> [@puddleglum](#): > > As far as the natural resources go Coase theorem says that it does not matter who is running Greenland, if the US can use those resources it will. > It only makes sense if the US has some way of exploiting the resources unavailable to the Greenlanders, or if the US has a better idea of the resource’s worth than the Greenlanders. > I would think neither is likely to be true, and the only strategic reason would be to better press Greenland’s claim to Arctic reasons against the Chinese and Russians because the US would have a better negotiating position than Denmark or Greenland. I basically agree with that but would just further comment on the condition under which it would apply. Right now as the Danish PM said (supporting with my earlier post before she commented publicly, thanks! 🙂 ) Danish politics of recent decades presumes Greenland ‘belongs’ to Greenlanders certainly as far as internal Greenland issues. So under the current arrangement, or Greenland independence which is also actively discussed, Greenlanders basically set the conditions of resource development as to things like leases to explore, severance taxes for resources extracted, local hiring requirements, etc. If Greenland as a US territory had the same autonomy the result would be the same. If instead Greenland was more centrally controlled under the US and the US federal govt set lower severance taxes, looser local hiring requirements etc then resource company shareholders and/or resource consumers might get a better deal and Greenlanders a worse deal. But why would Greenlanders want to do that, assuming the terms they set autonomously are attractive enough for the companies to come and develop? Also though, as ‘insulting’ as Trump’s reference to Denmark ‘losing money’ in ‘carrying’ Greenland might be, it’s true (order of $10k per capita per year\*). That’s a factor in the real existing two option choice (continue as is, or Greenland independence) and would be if a US offer were taken seriously: how long/much could the US be expected to subsidize Greenland v how much/long Denmark will continue to? Then the US is a bigger protector in ‘big power arctic rivalry’ but Denmark is a member of NATO, and it’s a matter of opinion how much protecting Greenland needs. So hardly an obviously compelling idea, Greenland as US possession. But, calling it absurd is in IMO emotional more than rational. Again the US did take over Denmark’s role in Greenland during WWII when Denmark lost out in ‘great power rivalry’ albeit to a much more extreme degree than anything likely in the foreseeable future, being occupied itself by Nazi Germany. But Denmark sold the then-Danish Virgin Islands to the US in 1917, basically because it was an economic drag on Denmark, in the absence of any real crisis. But if the average person in Greenland (it doesn’t matter as much what metropolitan Danes think) thinks it’s stupid, insulting or a joke, which seems the pretty uniform person-in-the-street response per US media articles, then it is. Brexit isn’t necessarily a good idea either, but it won the vote. \*tallies of net subsidies to US states/territories are controversial, because potentially politicized and numbers vary widely but number for Puerto Rico per person is generally around a couple $1k per year per person, less than some states. Although Greenland has ~50k people not 3 mil+ plus like Puerto Rico, even Denmark is 100 times more populous than Greenland. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2019, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-valuable-would-greenland-be-to-the-united-states/838752/98 "2019-08-21T22:11:00Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > Since no one else will step up and do it (damn PC snowflakes!) the hither unknown to me Danish PM is a hottie. So you’re saying Danishes look like snacks ? ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2019, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-valuable-would-greenland-be-to-the-united-states/838752/99 "2019-08-21T23:23:31Z")
> [@Steken](#): > > The Danes. Not the Dutch. The Danes. No wonder his pitch failed! 😛 IOW, yeah, I had a brain fart there. ---
**Author:** ![Karen\_Lingel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karen_lingel/32/18649_2.png) [@Karen\_Lingel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Karen_Lingel)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2019, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-valuable-would-greenland-be-to-the-united-states/838752/100 "2019-08-22T01:52:03Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Why not buy Greenland? > > We can get Mexico to pay for it! 😃 I’m stealing this. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-valuable-would-greenland-be-to-the-united-states/838752.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-valuable-would-greenland-be-to-the-united-states/838752.md?page=6)