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The U.S. Should Claim Territory in Antarctica
American Thinker ^ | 01/21/2025 | Zachary Leshin

Posted on 01/21/2025 9:26:49 AM PST by SeekAndFind

Recently, the incoming Trump administration has expressed a desire to expand the territory of the United States.

One option for achieving this is the annexation of Marie Byrd Land, a region of Antarctica that is currently unclaimed by any nation and whose exploration was pioneered by the U.S.

Annexing this land can be done in a realistically achievable manner and would deliver practical gains.

Marie Byrd Land is a region in West Antarctica that currently comprises the largest unclaimed piece of land on the surface of Earth. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) describes it as stretching east of the Ross Ice Shelf and the Ross Sea and south of the Pacific Ocean, extending eastward approximately to a line between the head of the Ross Ice Shelf and Eights Coast.

It has an area of about 620,000 square miles. It was named in 1929 by Richard E. Byrd in honor of his wife Marie. Richard E. Byrd was an American who led several exploration missions to Antarctica, with his first expedition in 1928 and his last expedition in 1956.

On Dec. 1, 1959, the Antarctic Treaty was signed and in 1961 went into effect and set the basic criteria for how Antarctica has been governed since. Under Article IV of the treaty, most of the territorial claims at the time were frozen as it states, “No new claim, or enlargement of an existing claim, to territorial sovereignty in Antarctica shall be asserted while the present Treaty is in force.”

However, this does not apply to the United States because the U.S. reserved the right to claim territory in Antarctica.

(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 1929; 1956; 1959; 1961; antarctic; antarctica; antarctictreaty; mariebyrdland; mterebus; richardbyrd; richardebyrd; rossiceshelf; territory; volcano; westantarctica

1 posted on 01/21/2025 9:26:49 AM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

This could be more realistic than Greenland.

The April 7, 1959 National Security Council Report NSC 5905/1 “Statement of U.S. Policy On Antarctica,” declares that “the United States on numerous occasions in diplomatic notes and publicly has expressed its policy of reserving all its rights in the area” and that “one possible course of action for the United States to pursue in protecting its rights and interests in Antarctica would be to assert specific territorial claims of sovereignty in Antarctica.”

In the policy guidance section of the NSC report, it explicitly states “if required at any time for the protection of U.S. interests, claim the unclaimed area of Antarctica and reserve U.S. rights in the areas claimed by other powers or make claims in such areas as deemed appropriate.”


2 posted on 01/21/2025 9:27:26 AM PST by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

As I recall...Admiral Byrd had some 2nd thoughts on taking on Antarctica.


3 posted on 01/21/2025 9:46:48 AM PST by pepsionice
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To: SeekAndFind

We could send the illegals down there to shovel snow and clean up the penguin crap.


4 posted on 01/21/2025 9:49:57 AM PST by FlingWingFlyer (The Dark Days are over. We don't want your criminals. Stop sending your scum to America!)
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To: FlingWingFlyer

Doing jobs Americans just won’t do.


5 posted on 01/21/2025 10:01:46 AM PST by Tell It Right (1 Thessalonians 5:21 -- Put everything to the test, hold fast to that which is true.)
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To: SeekAndFind

International Treaties be damned?

We don’t need Antarctica. This is not a good idea. The upside is minimal. The downside—looking like Russia, just grabbing whatever you want—is not worth the effort.


6 posted on 01/21/2025 10:25:24 AM PST by Vermont Lt
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To: SeekAndFind

Well, we could claim the moon too....


7 posted on 01/21/2025 10:26:07 AM PST by Magnum44 (...against all enemies, foreign and domestic... )
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To: FlingWingFlyer

Send the excess IRS agents and other Federal emloyees down there too.


8 posted on 01/21/2025 10:29:50 AM PST by oldasrocks
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To: oldasrocks

Better Idea. Reclaim America first


9 posted on 01/21/2025 10:31:03 AM PST by oldasrocks
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To: SeekAndFind

Claiming that chunk of land/ice would just about mean permanent dwellings as well as the infrastructure to maintain them. And who would want to settle there? What type of a income could a settler get from that place? It would largely have to be inhabited by a military installation or two.

It would be a good place to send our military’s trannies and other perverted misfits. Like being our Siberia.


10 posted on 01/21/2025 10:32:10 AM PST by redfreedom (May God save us from what the Democrats do in the name of good.)
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To: SeekAndFind
"However, this [treaty] does not apply to the United States because the U.S. reserved the right to claim territory in Antarctica."
Which quite correctly feeds into the stereotype of the Ugly American.
11 posted on 01/21/2025 11:28:02 AM PST by citizen (Political incrementalism is like compound interest for liberals - every little bit adds up.)
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To: redfreedom

Numerous countries already have manned and unmanned scientific research and weather stations.

Life at these stations is brutal and rather precarious, as the extreme cold never ends, even in the “summer” there and all supplies must be constantly restocked.

Not to mention the risk of more “Things” running around down there :)


12 posted on 01/21/2025 11:34:43 AM PST by citizen (Political incrementalism is like compound interest for liberals - every little bit adds up.)
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To: SeekAndFind

No, we shouldn’t annex land in Antartica. Not until Trump builds up the military Air Force and Space Force. The alien bases there might not like our presence. For now, concentrate on our immediate borders on the mainland.


13 posted on 01/21/2025 11:50:09 AM PST by roadcat ( )
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To: SeekAndFind

Most of our territory in Antarctica is actually an ice sheet that will be under water if the ice cap melts. But I saw recently that more than half of Antarctica is just water but for the ice.


14 posted on 01/21/2025 12:21:59 PM PST by Brilliant
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To: SeekAndFind

...Researchers at NASA have discovered a huge upwelling of hot rock under Marie Byrd Land, which lies between the Ross Ice Shelf and the Ross Sea, is creating vast lakes and rivers under the ice sheet. The presence of a huge mantle plume could explain why the region is so unstable today, and why it collapsed so quickly at the end of the last Ice Age, 11,000 years ago....


15 posted on 03/17/2025 11:46:43 AM PDT by piasa (Attitude adjustmilents offered here free of charge)
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To: SeekAndFind

Lots of geothermal energy under there.


16 posted on 03/17/2025 11:47:55 AM PDT by piasa (Attitude adjustmilents offered here free of charge)
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To: SeekAndFind

Active volcano in Antarctica spews tiny crystals of gold worth $6,000 a day
UPI ^ | APRIL 25, 2024 / 9:53 AM | Monica Danielle, Accuweather.com
Posted on 4/30/2024, 2:52:19 PM by Red Badger

It sounds like a dream, but it’s true in Antarctica, gold rains from the sky. Tucked in among the glaciers, fiery Mount Erebus is the southernmost active volcano on Earth, providing a bit of heat amid the frozen landscape....

Of course...it would cost much more to gather the particles up...


17 posted on 03/17/2025 11:53:21 AM PDT by piasa (Attitude adjustmilents offered here free of charge)
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To: SeekAndFind

China’s New Antarctic Research Station Renews Concerns About Potential Security Threats
VOA News ^ | 2.16.2024 | William Yang
Posted on 2/17/2024, 3:56:08 PM by libh8er

China’s inauguration of a new scientific research station in Antarctica last week has renewed debate about the purpose and impact of the rapid expansion of Chinese presence on the continent.

Situated on Inexpressible Island near the Ross Sea, Qinling Station is China’s fifth scientific outpost and third research station on the continent that can operate year around. The station covers 5,244 square meters (6,272 square yards) and can house up to 80 people during summer months, according to Chinese state broadcaster CGTN.

Qinling Station is near the U.S. McMurdo Station and just south of Australia. A Center for Strategic and International Studies report published last April said its position could allow China to “collect signals intelligence from U.S.-allied Australia and New Zealand” as well as gather “telemetry data on rockets launching from newly established space facilities in both countries.”...


18 posted on 03/17/2025 11:56:08 AM PDT by piasa (Attitude adjustmilents offered here free of charge)
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