Also, the invasion plans for Manitoba are almost ready for implementation.
Maybe we could trade Greenland for something of equal value, say, West Virginia? Ice for coal?
Or maybe the Danes could take South Dakota off our hands? Who needs it?
Speaking as a UK Doper, I think we’d be willing to take offers.
Thats not too far off, it would give the US two points of control for this side of the arctic ocean, plus a BMD location that does not depend on a flakey Canadian government and is able to project over western Europe.
Why BUY it? Why not just take it? How many divisions does the King of Denmark have?
He was probably looking at a Mercator projection, and impressed by the island’s size. It’s bigger than Africa. Grab that sucker before she melts!
Sounds good to me, so long as we promptly follow up by ceding all executive control to said King.
I’m not sure we should even give him any choice in the matter. “No takebacks!”
Given that the king died in 1972, probably not many.
Queen Margrethe II’s Royal Danish Army is pretty small (12,500 active troops, plus 63,000 reservists), but they are a NATO member. Invoking Article 5 against the US would be, um, interesting.
Maybe Iceland should try to sell him Vinland.
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.
Greenland is like Minnesota. It is populated by people who traveled incredible distances and suffered incredible hardships, never discouraged, never resting, until they found the only place on earth that was just as fucking miserable as the place they left.
(Stolen from some comedienne I can’t remember).
Regards,
Shodan
I’d be in favor of acquiring it, but only if it’s the Mercator Projection version of Greenland.
It’s bigger’n Africa! Damn!
never mind - joke already made.
Thanks, finally some serious responses. IF the price can be right - a very low price, in relation to the natural resources and geographic territory it provides - I don’t see how much of the arguments against buying Greenland are any different than the ridicule of Alaska as “Seward’s Folly” or “Seward’s Icebox” back in the day; Alaska being a piece of land that has paid for its purchase price many times over.
Oh, it’s extremely white, but only for another century or so.
It’s usually shown as white on maps, which is probably good enough for him.
The REAL appeal, I think, is mostly because the US has only lost territory in the past few decades (specifically the Philippines). Trump likely adores the idea of being the first president to expand US borders in… a very long time. He’d have no interest in making them a state, and would shunt them to the side of American politics just like Puerto Rico or our other territories, but expanding territory? That’s got some appeal.
However…
This is what makes this practical.
You might notice where a lot of those points are. And China is going to royally screw the USA in terms of rare earths if this trade war gets as protracted as it looks like it’s going to.
I suspect he’s excited about it for the first reason, but actually trial ballooning the idea because of the second. Not that I wouldn’t believe it was a random reason alone… Who knows with that clown?
To be clear, I don’t think Greenland will pay for its purchase many times over, or that there is any urgently compelling reason for the US to buy it. It is a not-terrible idea, and only that.
No it wouldn’t. Canada has no such relationship with the UK, we just have the same Queen.
But the Queen could sell you to us, right? 
Which is why it is such a perfect scam, like a much bigger Brooklyn Bridge. Sell the Queen’s sovereign rights for $1 trillion and when United States comes crying to the UK that the Canadians refuse to recognize the authority of the President and demand its money back, Parliament can just shrug and say “yeah, they never listed to us either and no refunds.” Giant win.
Not the U.S. would ever try and absorb Canada anyway. Even if you assume only the 10 full provinces got state recognition, you’d still be adding 20 Democratic senators and lord knows how many Democratic congressman. You’d reduce the Republicans to permanent minority status in the Senate for certain ;).