# 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:** 20
**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:** [March 30, 2025, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/381 "2025-03-30T01:17:18Z")
“I’ve been given a mandate” ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2025, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/382 "2025-03-30T03:19:20Z")
> [@rippingtons\_fan](#): > > What pretext might Trump (may he be forever cursed) use to “justify” a military invasion? For Greenland or the Canal Zone, it doesn’t have to be much. The murder of a U.S. service member would more than do. Accidental damage to a canal lock, from a Chinese ship, would be perfect. Here’s one where no one had to die: [Mukden Incident](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mukden_incident) > [@](#): > > On September 18, 1931, Lieutenant Suemori Kawamoto of the [Independent Garrison Unit](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Independent_Garrison_Unit&action=edit&redlink=1) [[ja](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%8B%AC%E7%AB%8B%E5%AE%88%E5%82%99%E9%9A%8A)] of the [29th Japanese Infantry Regiment](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=29th_Japanese_Infantry_Regiment&action=edit&redlink=1) [[ja](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%AD%A9%E5%85%B5%E7%AC%AC29%E9%80%A3%E9%9A%8A)] detonated a small quantity of dynamite[[6]](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mukden_incident#cite_note-auto-6) close to a railway line owned by [Japan](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empire_of_Japan)’s [South Manchuria Railway](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Manchuria_Railway) near Mukden (now [Shenyang](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shenyang)).[[7]](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mukden_incident#cite_note-7) The explosion was so weak that it failed to destroy the track, and a train passed over it minutes later. Trump would need something bigger for Canada, but that’s a different thread. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2025, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/383 "2025-03-30T03:30:36Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > New poll says 70% of Americans oppose annexing Greenland. How in the hell is it as close as 70-26? ---
**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:** [March 30, 2025, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/384 "2025-03-30T03:38:45Z")
Because you can generally get about 25-27% of the population to agree to anything a pollster asks them. > **[The 27% Crazification Factor](https://freethoughtblogs.com/singham/2011/04/22/the-27-crazification-factor/)** > > The number of contenders courting publicity by publicly flirting with the idea of running for the Republican party’s nomination for president seems to be growing exponentially, ranging from t… ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2025, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/385 "2025-03-30T04:04:15Z")
You can’t get 27% of Greenlanders to agree to be part of the USA. ---
**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:** [March 30, 2025, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/386 "2025-03-30T07:04:25Z")
> [@rippingtons\_fan](#): > > What pretext might Trump (may he be forever cursed) use to “justify” a military invasion? “We want it, so it’s ours.” ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2025, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/387 "2025-03-30T09:01:30Z")
My dear old mother used to say “I want doesn’t get”. But I suppose that cuts no ice with the carrot-coloured Caligula. ---
**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:** [March 30, 2025, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/388 "2025-03-30T10:09:16Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > “We want it, so it’s ours.” **[It worked in Hawaii](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overthrow_of_the_Hawaiian_Kingdom)**, a peaceful island nation that happened to be beautiful and also a convenient location for a south Pacific Navy base. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2025, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/389 "2025-03-30T14:44:36Z")
Trump and Vance have made it clear they intend to take Greenland by force. This is step one. I thought it was gonna be Panama, but it’s Greenland. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2025, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/390 "2025-03-30T14:55:36Z")
Am I the only one that think that primary impetus for Trump’s obsession with acquiring Greenland and Canada is that Putin has been razzing him about how HIS country is BIGGER? Of course, Putin has his own truly evil reasons for wanting Trump to make this push, and he knows how to play Trump, but I think all Trump really understands is he wants his to be BIGGER than Putin’s……and he has an administration dedicated to reverse engineering his whims and trying to find policy based justifications for them. ---
**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:** [March 30, 2025, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/391 "2025-03-30T15:21:52Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > Why in the HELL that is a statement concerning Greenland coming out of anyone’s mouth is pure insanity. The unspoken part is being placed in the minds of U.S. citizens “…but if it does become necessary, we will do it”. ---
**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:** [March 30, 2025, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/392 "2025-03-30T15:31:31Z")
Trump says the possibility of the U.S. taking Greenland is 100% and that, while he would like it to happen peacefully, taking it by force won’t be taken off the table. [Trump says US will ‘100%’ annex Greenland](https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/trump-says-us-will-100-annex-greenland/ar-AA1BVZJG?ocid=msedgntp&pc=NMTS&cvid=723ffb255515495a955d13e62c5dc0a7&ei=13) ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2025, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/393 "2025-03-30T17:51:28Z")
So, by force. “Don’t worry, Trump won’t really invade an ally!” is looking more ostrich-head-in-the-sand by the minute. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2025, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/394 "2025-03-30T17:54:58Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > “Don’t worry, Trump won’t really invade an ally!” is looking more ostrich-head-in-the-sand by the minute. And once we’ve invaded Greenland, these same ostriches will be saying Canada needn’t worry and we’re being hysterical. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2025, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/395 "2025-03-30T17:57:12Z")
I’d say I was amazed, but I knew normalcy bias is very powerful. The USA isn’t really a functioning democracy anymore. It’s sputtering along a little, but it’s now more a fascist state than anything else, and powerful fascist states love to invade neighbors. On top of that, we all know Putin is influencing all this, and this is to his advantage. Trump ALWAYS does what benefits Russia. Always. ---
**Author:** ![rippingtons\_fan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rippingtons_fan/32/11767_2.png) [@rippingtons\_fan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rippingtons_fan)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2025, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/396 "2025-03-30T18:18:32Z")
Perhaps it’s a matter of terminology. Canada, Greenland and Panama won’t be invaded. Rather, they’ll be “absorbed” or “incorporated” into Trump’s fascist, imperialist empire. Didn’t Trump once refer to the United States as the “Reich”? Damn, I hate Trump! ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2025, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/397 "2025-03-30T18:34:18Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > The USA isn’t really a functioning democracy anymore. It’s sputtering along a little, but it’s now more a fascist state than anything else, and powerful fascist states love to invade neighbors. On top of that, we all know Putin is influencing all this, and this is to his advantage. There is no outrage that Trump and his base won’t commit. I think this paragraph from a Salon article sums up where we are perfectly: The full list of outrages is too long to list here, and I assume that most informed readers know about most of them. But the general outline includes such abominations as [masked government thugs abducting people](https://www.salon.com/2025/03/26/dhs-detains-grad-student-advocated-for-palestine-and-the-humanity-of-all-people/) off the street and disappearing them into a secret detention system, people being deported [to a foreign gulag with no due process](https://www.salon.com/2025/03/25/you-could-throw-me-on-the-plane-claiming-the-right-to-deport-literally-anyone-says/), c[urtailing cancer and Alzheimer’s research for no reason](https://www.statnews.com/2025/03/24/trump-cancer-research-funding-cuts-patients-researchers-worried/), shutting down dozens of [vital government services,](https://apnews.com/article/weather-forecasts-worsen-doge-trump-cuts-tornado-da573a044916c06cebcdb92b1f1452e6)[threatening social security](https://www.wral.com/story/fact-check-elon-musk-calls-social-security-a-ponzi-scheme/21926444/) and [health care](https://kffhealthnews.org/news/article/house-republican-budget-cuts-medicaid-billions/) for millions of vulnerable citizens, [targeting veteran](https://apnews.com/article/veterans-affairs-cuts-doge-musk-trump-f587a6bc3db6a460e9c357592e165712)s, destroying foreign aid in ways that will literally result in [the deaths of millions of people](https://healthpolicy-watch.news/pepfar-reauthorisation-expires-with-no-clear-path-for-renewed-aid/), using the Department of Justice to w[reak revenge on the president’s enemies](https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-suspends-security-clearances-law-firm-wilmerhale-employees-2025-03-27/) and much, much more. It is overwhelming, which is exactly how they planned it in Project 2025. The reality is much worse than the abstract planning document foretold. > **[Our system has completely broken down — yet Americans carry on](https://www.salon.com/2025/03/28/america-has-hit-the-maga-tipping-point/)** > > America has hit the MAGA tipping point ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2025, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/398 "2025-03-30T19:07:41Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > So, by force. > > “Don’t worry, Trump won’t really invade an ally!” is looking more ostrich-head-in-the-sand by the minute. Pfft, what’s Greenland ever done for us? ---
**Author:** ![DWMarch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dwmarch/32/1010_2.png) [@DWMarch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DWMarch)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2025, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/399 "2025-03-30T19:54:35Z")
> [@Ann\_Hedonia](#): > > Am I the only one that think that primary impetus for Trump’s obsession with acquiring Greenland and Canada is that Putin has been razzing him about how HIS country is BIGGER? That’s my take on it. ChatGPT tells me Canada, the US and Greenland together would be the biggest country in the world, much larger than Russia. And in Trump’s child brain, that’s enough of a reason to erase those lines on the map. He must have the biggest, best everything even if he has to burn down the whole world to get it. > [@RickJay](#): > > “Don’t worry, Trump won’t really invade an ally!” is looking more ostrich-head-in-the-sand by the minute. Agreed. Trump doesn’t have allies, doesn’t understand the concept and wouldn’t want them if he did. Lackeys, bootlickers, sycophants, minions, flunkies, et cetera but never allies. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2025, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691/400 "2025-03-30T20:49:11Z")
> [@DWMarch](#): > > ChatGPT tells me Canada, the US and Greenland together would be the biggest country in the world, much larger than Russia. Greenland would not be necessary to achieve that. The USA and Canada are a larger area than Russia, by a margin wider than Greenland, actually. The USA is targeting Greenland first because it looks like an easier target. The long term implications - the complete cutoff from Europe this would cause - are hard for Trump to comprehend, and the Project 2025 fascists are fine with that because they don’t care about the impact the catastrophic depression will have on people. It’ll make the country easier to control and turn into a dictatorship. Putin, of course, supports all this, and is doubtless paying people and manipulating people towards this end. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691.md?page=19) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-now-wants-to-use-military-force-to-take-the-panama-canal-and-greenland/1012691.md?page=21)