# Trump now wants to use military force to take the Panama Canal and Greenland **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [January 7, 2025, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691 "2025-01-07T20:27:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2025, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/221 "2025-01-16T12:13:20Z")
> [@penultima\_thule](#): > > To make a silk purse out of this particular pigs ear, when next the Lone Star state runs off with the argument that Texas can and/or should secede from the Union the argument should be cited from this ne’er-do-well representative as incontrovertible refutation; that through the expedience of proximity alone, it is an honor for Texas to be part of the American fold Couldn’t they just argue that, for the United States, the honor is that Texas is with us? That, if some other entity were to become part of the United States in general, the big draw would be Texas in particular shedding its grace on thee and me? That, should Texas ever secede, (a) Texas, hallowed be thy name, would of course be just fine; and (b) the rest of us would be left with little more than Texas-forsaken cries of anguish? ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2025, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/222 "2025-01-16T16:08:42Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > es. I doubt he can name many of them, but, then, I cannot name more than a couple states of Mexico. Doesn’t make me an idiot. Neither you nor I is POTUS. National politicians in the USA damn well ought to be able to name all the states of our next-door neighbors, our major allies, and any nation they’re making loud noises about in public. I can’t name all the bones in my body or all the nervous connections. I expect my doctors to be able to do that, though. I don’t expect them to know how to grow eggplant in the NE USA. Different people need to know different things. Trump does not know and is not interested in learning things that are basic to the job he sought out and succeeded in getting. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2025, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/223 "2025-01-16T17:26:37Z")
Is there such thing as a free lunch after all? > **[‘Homeless people given free lunch’ to attend Donald Trump Jr event in Greenland](https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jan/16/homeless-people-given-free-lunch-to-attend-donald-trump-jr-event-in-greenland)** > > People in Maga hats at lunch with Trump Jr last week did not know him and were invited in off the street, hotel boss says For homeless people, MAGA has a heart of gold. For people who ask questions, not so much: > In response to the Guardian’s request for comment about Trump Jr’s lunch guests, Arthur Schwartz, a political operative and friend of the president-elect’s son, said: “Do you think Donald Trump Jr was wandering around Greenland inviting homeless people… to lunch, or do you realise that the suggestion sounds so beyond the pale ridiculous that you should feel stupid even asking the question?” ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2025, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/224 "2025-01-16T17:38:18Z")
I’ve been reading up on the protocol for territorial acquisitions. After trump invades Greenland, he burns the cities and loots the treasury for the gold to pay the troops. Then he returns to Washington where he has [a big parade, and rides through town on a gold chariot with his face painted red.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_triumph) ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2025, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/225 "2025-01-16T18:12:47Z")
I think you loot first, burn after. More loot that way. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2025, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/226 "2025-01-16T18:18:51Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Sounds unbiased and rigorously accurate to me. /s Patriot polling [methodology](https://youtu.be/s-TNpI0Lrjc?t=200): (yes, I know that Penguins are antarctic. Pretend they’re puffins) ---
**Author:** ![Horatius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horatius/32/3572_2.png) [@Horatius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatius)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2025, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/227 "2025-01-16T18:21:18Z")
> [@Zakalwe](#): > > I think you loot first, burn after. More loot that way But you know they’ll screw it up. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2025, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/228 "2025-01-16T19:07:31Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > National politicians in the USA damn well ought to be able to name all the states of our next-door neighbors, our major allies, and any nation they’re making loud noises about in public. Not so easy to do if you haven’t grown up learning the names. Several years ago, I tried to memorize the names of the Mexican states. After a certain amount of studying, I got so I could write an alphabetic list of virtually all of them from memory. Didn’t stick though. Today I might be able to name maybe a third of them. It’s probably because I did this exercise when I was in my 50s or 60s (I forget exactly when I did this). However, I could easily do the same for the US states without any studying at all. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2025, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/229 "2025-01-16T19:12:30Z")
> [@Zakalwe](#): > > I think you loot first, burn after. More loot that way. _Amateurs kill, burn, rape and pillage. Professionals do the same but in reverse order_ — **Paul Balor** , “Manual of Mercenary Soldier” ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2025, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/230 "2025-01-16T19:19:22Z")
> [@Zakalwe](#): > > I think you loot first, burn after. More loot that way. [Schlock Mercenary](https://www.schlockmercenary.com/2002-02-07): “Remember the first [Maxim](https://schlockmercenary.fandom.com/wiki/The_Seventy_Maxims_of_Maximally_Effective_Mercenaries): 'Pillage, _then_ burn.” ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2025, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/231 "2025-01-16T19:35:02Z")
> [@Zakalwe](#): > > I think you loot first, burn after. More loot that way. ‘Vikings! We’re going to kill the men, rape the women, and pillage the village! And for Odin’s sake, _get it right this time!_’ ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2025, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/232 "2025-01-16T20:44:20Z")
I always thought that “rape” by vikings was seizure of property, rather that sexual assault. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2025, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/233 "2025-01-16T20:47:16Z")
It was probably both. ---
**Author:** ![Aspenglow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspenglow/32/76_2.png) [@Aspenglow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspenglow)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2025, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/234 "2025-01-16T20:53:32Z")
Moderating: > [@Zakalwe](#): > > I think you loot first, burn after. More loot that way. > [@Horatius](#): > > But you know they’ll screw it up. > [@dtilque](#): > > _Amateurs kill, burn, rape and pillage. Professionals do the same but in reverse order_ > > — **Paul Balor** , “Manual of Mercenary Soldier” > [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > [Schlock Mercenary](https://www.schlockmercenary.com/2002-02-07): > > “Remember the first [Maxim](https://schlockmercenary.fandom.com/wiki/The_Seventy_Maxims_of_Maximally_Effective_Mercenaries): 'Pillage, _then_ burn.” > [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > ‘Vikings! We’re going to kill the men, rape the women, and pillage the village! And for Odin’s sake, _get it right this time!_’ > [@Peter\_Morris](#): > > I always thought that “rape” by vikings was seizure of property, rather that sexual assault. > [@Smapti](#): > > It was probably both. Let’s move back to the topic of this thread, please. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2025, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/235 "2025-01-16T20:54:33Z")
Deleted as offtopic per mod comment ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2025, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/236 "2025-01-17T00:58:34Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > But what are they going to do if you don’t ask and just proceed anyway? In a sane world, Congress would impeach him and then boot him from office. In this world? Praise him for bold initiative in the face of dire threat. > [@RickJay](#): > > Aren’t you embarrassed by this? How can you not be? If the leader of my country suggested we might invade an allied country, I’d be the first person marching on Parliament Hill screaming for his arrest and imprisonment. My elected representatives are Brandon Gill and Ted Cruz. Oh, and John Cornyn. I’m already embarrassed. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2025, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/237 "2025-01-17T12:41:59Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > “Do you think Donald Trump Jr was wandering around Greenland inviting homeless people… to lunch, or do you realise that the suggestion sounds so beyond the pale ridiculous that you should feel stupid even asking the question?” Given _\< gestures at all things Trump \>_, there is no level of ridiculousness that is beyond the pale. ---
**Author:** ![abcdefghij](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/43a26b/32.png) [@abcdefghij](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/abcdefghij)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2025, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/238 "2025-01-17T12:53:44Z")
> [@Gyrate](#): > > Given _\< gestures at all things Trump \>_, there is no level of ridiculousness that is beyond the pale. Until Mr. Schwartz said that, I assumed that some flunky was doing the wandering and inviting, but now, yes, yes I do think that it was Donald Trump, Jr. Thanks for confirming, sir! ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2025, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/239 "2025-01-17T16:02:47Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > > [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > > > But what are they going to do if you don’t ask and just proceed anyway? > > In a sane world, Congress would impeach him and then boot him from office. In this world? Praise him for bold initiative in the face of dire threat. > > > [@RickJay](#): > > > > Aren’t you embarrassed by this? How can you not be? If the leader of my country suggested we might invade an allied country, I’d be the first person marching on Parliament Hill screaming for his arrest and imprisonment. > > My elected representatives are Brandon Gill and Ted Cruz. Oh, and John Cornyn. I’m already embarrassed. Mine are Rand Paul and James Comer. I also already have an abundance of embarrassment. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2025, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/240 "2025-01-17T16:09:47Z")
Deleted…just saw mod note. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691.md?page=11) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691.md?page=13)