Donald says it is an "absolute necessity" the US purchases Greenland

X ^ | Dec 22 | The Spectator Index

[RandFan]

@spectatorindex

BREAKING: Trump says that the US feels 'that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity'

Trump:

“For purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the World, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity.”

[mad_as_he$$]

12.

[BroJoeK]

"Greenland’s area should be computed only on the ice free areas."

Greenland glaciers:

I think definitions of "habitable" can be a little loose -- consider that Alaska is said to be only 20% habitable.
But the other 80% is not covered with glaciers, it's just too wild and rugged for human comfort.

So, Greenland at 836,000 square miles is about 25% bigger than Alaska, though Greenland's habitable area, as best I can tell, is only about 5% the total -- roughly the size of Pennsylvania.
Another 121,000 square miles -- the size of New Mexico -- is not covered in glaciers but is also not inhabited.
Some of this area may well contain extractable natural resources.

So, possibly 167,000 square miles of Greenland not covered by glaciers is worth how much?
Well, in the region of Alaska's North Coast, some land can be purchased privately, for prices that amount to roughly $120,000 per square mile (~$200/acre).
Apply that same price to Greenland's equivalent 167,000 square miles gives circa $20 billion -- if my decimal points are in the right places!
Extending the same pricing to all 836,000 square miles would make the total circa $100 billion, again, if I got my decimal points right.

Alaska and Greenland combined are roughly 1/3 the size of Siberia.
Alaska, Greenland and Canada combined are roughly the size of Siberia.

What is the value of Greenland's natural resources?
No way to tell, but the Alaska's North Slope has oil & gas of at least $1 trillion's worth.
So, it could be anything.

Greenland in the summer:

[gundog]

Manifest Destiny 2.0. I’m lookin’ at you, Canada....

[gundog]

Could be he just trolling Putin, too. Pooty made comments about getting Alaska back, a while ago. Between the war in Ukraine, and recent events in Syria and Iran, he’s having a hell of a week. DJT putting a 🍒 on top.

[Justa]

I still think one Marine BCT with naval support could take it within 3 days

[dodger]

We may be miscommunicating. I am saying it would not cost the US trillions to obtain and maintain Greenland whereas it does cost Denmark far more - proportionately. If, as you say, it is as a fixed sum 10% of their military budget it would be a vastly lesser proportion of ours. So too annual carrying costs. Huge strategic upside at marginal cost.

[Miami Rebel]

Canadian GDP is $53k per capita. US GDP is $41k per capita.

Why do we want to absorb CANADA???

[CodeToad]

US military is probably 20% of their 60,000 person population.

[CodeToad]

Greenland is also self-ruled.

[StAnDeliver]

• Countering enemy state claims on the Arctic.
• Countering those same enemy's subs.
• Shortening land-based ICBM/hyper-sonic times.
• Aqua-farming.
• Tourism.
• For the hell of it.

[Rockingham]

Denmark’s geographic position is highly consequential. With NATO backing, Denmark has the ability to surveille and control Russian access to the Atlantic from the Baltic. That severely limits Russian naval operations. In addition, Denmark has a record of being helpful in diplomatic and intelligence matters.

[CatHerd]

I’m not a prude and almost never complain and even have a laugh at some jokes that are certainly not G rated.

The post in question was just gross. Slimy icky gross. Stuff you wouldn’t say in front of your wife, let alone your daughter or mother.

The owner of this site has stated many times this is a family friendly Christian site and asked us to refrain from profanity and foul language.

We slip up at times and we get a little salty at times, and hey, we’re all human. But that post was just disgusting.

[BobL]

As long as we agree that large countries have the right to tear up existing borders, as in Kosovo, then I’m good.

Thanks much!

[TigersEye]

Pres. Trump might want to send Michael Gross up there first to check things out.
Just in case ...

[BroJoeK]

Thule Airforce Base (Pituffik Space Base):

Justa: "I still think one Marine BCT with naval support could take it within 3 days"

The US Airforce has maintained Thule Air Base (now renamed Pituffik Space Base) in northwest Greenland since 1943.
The US Sondrestrom Air Base in west-central Greenland was operational from 1941 to 1992.

Any invasion force would have to fight off the Danish navy -- about 74 vessels of all sizes and types, the largest of which are 9 relatively modern frigates.
They all have the advantage of being designed for arctic conditions.

Danish navy frigate & landing craft:

There are no other military forces in Greenland, so yes, your child's elementary school class could land on Greenland and take it over, provided they are prepared to deal with some 50,000 Inuits:

[BroJoeK]

dodger: "I am saying it would not cost the US trillions to obtain and maintain Greenland"

To my knowledge, Denmark has never even hinted that Greenland is for sale, or, if it were for sale, how much they would want for it -- $billions? $trillions? Anyone's guess.

dodger: "...whereas it does cost Denmark far more - proportionately.
If, as you say, it is as a fixed sum 10% of their military budget it would be a vastly lesser proportion of ours"

Right, the cost of Denmark subsidies to Greenland is circa 10% of their defense budget, which for the US is nearly $100 billion per year, proportionately, a considerable sum.
So, perhaps the Danes would be happy to shed those costs, who knows?

dodger: "Huge strategic upside at marginal cost."

I'd agree with the upside potential, perhaps not so much with your "marginal cost".

[BroJoeK]

"US military is probably 20% of their 60,000 person population."

Not even close -- Thule Air Force Base in northwest Greenland has a total of circa 600 people, of whom around 150 are US military personnel.
The rest are Danes and civilians.

Greenland's population is around 90% Inuit.

[BroJoeK]

BobL: "As long as we agree that large countries have the right to tear up existing borders, as in Kosovo, then I’m good.
Thanks much!"

Of course you are, just like any other pro-Russian propagandist, you think Russia has every right to reestablish the Old Tsarist & Soviet Empire -- making Russia a prison of nations who never wanted to be locked in.

But in Kosovo, no country "tore up" anything.
NATO protected non-Serbian Kosovars against genocidal Serbs.
Kosovo is nearly 90% Muslim Albanians.
When Kosovars declared their independence in 2007, most NATO countries recognized Kosovo.

Nothing remotely similar happened in Transnistria, South Ossetia, Abkhazia, Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhya or Kherson.

[BobL]

“But in Kosovo, no country “tore up” anything.”

Tell that to SERBIA. But we’re cool, you already support the concept. Have a nice day.

[dodger]

Greenlanders rather than Danes may be the deciding party.

The Danish annual support is a fixed amount. This amount may be10% of what they spend on defense / aid, but a far smaller percent of the US budget (i.e., we would spend nowhere close to 10% of OUR budget).

A bargain if we can …