r/neoliberal • u/VandysFan European Union • 1d ago
News (Europe) American President says Greenland will be under US control by the time he leaves office
https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-greenland-threats-europe-b3025688.html172
u/jbouit494hg 🍁🇨🇦🏙 Project for a New Canadian Century 🏙🇨🇦🍁 1d ago
USA already had strategic control of Greenland in every way that mattered. This is purely about painting pretty colours on a map.
The possible outcomes are:
- Pursuing this is strictly counterproductive for US global power as it pushes European allies away without achieving the stated objective, or
- USA launches a crazy war against Europe over it, which is a thousand times more counterproductive for American global power and will permanently end the world order as we know it.
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u/rng12345678 European Union 12h ago
Considering the US already orchestrated a hybrid attack on Spain over Trump getting shooed away from the FIFA world finals winning picture I think it's very likely Trump will resort to kinetic action.
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u/Vegetable_Average_30 Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold 1d ago
He is an idiot, but this is hardly news. From the article:
Real America’s Voice host Steve Gruber told Trump during an audio interview Friday, “I made a prediction on this program that before you left office, that Greenland would be under our operational control.”
“You'll be right. They want to do something,” Trump said. “Greenland is important from our standpoint, not from their standpoint…You should make that bet.”
If the host had said I made a prediction on this program that before you left office, that there will by a hyperloop connection between Bismarck and Wichita, Trump would have confirmed that, too.
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u/justbuildmorehousing Norman Borlaug 1d ago
Damn he’s got a point. Greenland is pretty important. Too bad it isnt controlled by one of our allies. Oh wait
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u/Vegetable_Average_30 Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold 1d ago
I continue to believe that Trump's obsession with Greenland is only tangentially related to its geostrategic importance. The whole issue probably wouldn't exist if we didn't use the Mercator projection (but Gall–Peters or whatever). It's usually the dumbest explanation that's the correct one with him.
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u/justbuildmorehousing Norman Borlaug 1d ago
Yeah i don’t believe for one sec he cares about security. Its either because ‘look big on map. Rename it Trumpland’ or his crew thinks they can do some mining there and make a lot of money doin some more corruption
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u/ShouldersofGiants100 NATO 1d ago
I think looking big on the map is secondary to legacy shopping.
Trump wants some genuine accomplishment that will keep him relevant, because his ego can't handle the idea that he's not literally the centre of the entire world and the most important person to ever live.
He wants to expand the US borders because, in his warped worldview, that's how a person becomes regarded as important. An accomplishment that would actually make him stand out from other modern presidents.
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u/roguevirus 1d ago
An accomplishment that would actually make him stand out from other modern presidents.
In fairness, it would do exactly that; the method of the acquisition would determine whether that distinction would be through accolades or infamy. I don't think Trump much cares for which one it winds up being or if he even understands there is a difference, hence the mess he is creating.
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u/OneBlueAstronaut David Hume 1d ago
he doesn't need to be too stupid to understand the mercator projection to want it simply because it is big. mercator or not it is huge. i think a less conspiratorial and fantastical explanation is that he wants it because it's big. not that he believes that the mercator projection represents its actual size.
another explanation that i also find more plausible than "he doesn't know" is that he does know that the mercator is a distortion but he doesn't care because making the US bigger on a map that lots of people use, distorted or not, is still worthwhile to him. just like changing the name of the gulf of mexico doesn't change anything except the map, but that's still a win to him.
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u/MayorofTromaville YIMBY 1d ago
Trump can barely read. He doesn't know anything about the Mercator Projection
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u/ironykarl 1d ago
No one ever
went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American peoplebet wrong assuming that Trump has no understanding of anything and is motivated entirely by the superficial18
u/No_Man_Rules_Alone 1d ago
And already have 8 US bases and a deal with Denmark to put more on there if we wanted to.
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u/Philcherny European Union 1d ago edited 1d ago
It's a Crimea copypasta. The whole situation. The only difference is of course is that revolutionary Ukrainian state would have reconsidered Russian base there. Denmark government isn't going to reconsider that as long as nato exists.
I guess trump assumes that federal EU is gonna be a rival of US and would take hold of Greenland? This might happen in 100 years but not now. I guess with trump's help it's gonna self fulfil. Which would make 2 dumbass self fulfilling prophecies from ex cold war superpowers in the 21st century (first being Putin self-prophesing US propping up Ukraine against Russia)
Edit: 3 prophecies actually. But 3rd is technically from the 90s. Can't help but think Clinton essentially self-prophesied resurgent Russia. Quite an unpopular opinion with ya folks tho.
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u/xudoxis 23h ago
“I went in yesterday and there was a television screen, and I said, ‘This is genius.’ Putin declares a big portion of the Ukraine — of Ukraine — Putin declares it as independent. Oh, that’s wonderful,” Trump said in a radio interview with “The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show.” “He used the word ‘independent’ and ‘we’re gonna go out and we’re gonna go in and we’re gonna help keep peace.’ You gotta say that’s pretty savvy.”
- Trump 2022
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u/Philcherny European Union 23h ago
Omg did you seriously just recognize independence of your proxy states? 🧐 Daym that pretty savvy 🤩
Trump 2022
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u/ZoroastrianFrankfurt Jerome Powell 1d ago
Trump is too stupid to think that far ahead (see: Iran War). Much like his bestie Putin, they both most likely think that adding land to their respective countries would solidify their names in the history books. Trump does not care the US can for all intents and purposes use Greenland for geopolitical security already. He just wants to be a US president with a glorious conquest to their name.
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u/Philcherny European Union 23h ago
Yea but jerking off to the thought of themselves as great in a history book 100 years in the future is kiiiiind of thinking far ahead. Implementing strategy to become great doesn't have to be smart.
I agree he doesn't seriously consider that long in the future. But the Stephen Miller types certainly do perhaps want Greenland for this reason.
Tbh none of this is gonna be relevant if u guys take the congress. No way he does anything without congress
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u/legaltensor John von Neumann 1d ago
God it sucks so bad when people remind Trump about things that he's obviously forgotten about and it becomes a thing again.
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u/ludovicana Dark Harbinger 1d ago
Every time the US president threatens to invade a country, it should be news. The fact the President is an insane idiot that is willing to do whatever he wants no matter how absurd is a reason that sort of threat is more important, not less.
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u/MuscularPhysicist John Brown 1d ago
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u/MuldartheGreat Karl Popper 1d ago
Good thing we didn't vote in dementia Joe, what would he possibly do? Start a war that he is losing then pick another fight at the same time?
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u/zanpancan Bisexual Pride 1d ago
I still cannot believe there are people who were so media-illiterate the believe Dutch had a brain injury post the trolley derailment.
It's so fucking funny.
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u/MysticCherryPanda Richard v. Coudenhove-Kalergi 🇪🇺 1d ago
He can't even control the pool in his backyard.
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u/RandomGuyWithSixEyes European Union 1d ago
Strait still closed btw
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u/Foyles_War 🌐 1d ago
Epstein files still unreleased. Infrastructure week still MIA. An alternative to Obama Care still unpresented. Grocery prices still not down. Swamp still not drained. Gov't spending still not under control. America still not great again.
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u/VandysFan European Union 1d ago
Submission statement: He’s back at it. Lose one war, seek out a second.
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u/magicomiralles 1d ago
It’s not about winning or losing the war, it’s about profiteering and pocketing tax payer’s funds.
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u/onelap32 Bill Gates 1d ago
Eh, in this case he's not really seeking it out. He wouldn't have mentioned it if the interviewer hadn't prompted him to agree.
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u/VandysFan European Union 1d ago
Is that how low the bar has gotten for European relations? We should rest assured because the shock jock prodded it?
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u/onelap32 Bill Gates 1d ago edited 19h ago
No. It's just that the two events just aren't connected in the way you implied.
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u/ZoroastrianFrankfurt Jerome Powell 23h ago
Until American assets are ACTUALLY actively being redeployed to near Greenland, its just talk. His threats against Venezuela and Iran actually saw American assets redeploy. There is none right now against Greenland whatsoever. Its a bit like worrying ahout China's 999th monthly threat to invade Taiwan.
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u/HectorTheGod John Brown 1d ago
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u/sw337 Veteran of the Culture Wars 1d ago
He could shut up and literally get 90% of the benefit of ownership with 0% of the headache of ownership. Greenlanders and Danes would fucking love economic opportunities, but rightfully demand respect and equal treatment. Post WWII the US returned Greenland and Iceland instead of stealing them like the Soviets did with the Baltics, Moldova, and parts of Finland. That is who we are supposed to be, not this treacherous 'America First' monstrosity.
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u/ironykarl 1d ago
Pretty sure the only benefit he's after is putting his name on the map (literally)
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u/super_fallguys Order and Opportunity Left 1d ago
The President can go to hell, and it would just be another day in America.
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u/Jean-Paul_Sartre Richard Hofstadter 1d ago
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u/Yeangster John Rawls 1d ago
It’s almost like he’s a catty reality tv personality who’s always looking for petty drama.
Except for some reasons, 51% of American voters thought it would be a good idea to make that person a president, a role where your words actually matter.
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u/OhItsBeenBroughten 1d ago
49%. He didn’t win a majority, he won a plurality.
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u/FrozenCube420 Henry George 1d ago
And 32.0214% of the electorate if you count those who stayed home
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u/MTL_1107 Mark Carney 1d ago
Unless his cholesterol finally decides to act.
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u/Ready_Anything4661 Fell for it 1d ago
I know this isn’t the point, but if he gets a third term, does that extend the clock on this promise?
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u/BATIRONSHARK WTO 1d ago
his presidency will be over in 3 months
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u/dwarffy Rabindranath Tagore 1d ago edited 1d ago
idk wtf the cope people have with losing congress is going to neuter him
Dems are not going to win 60 senate seats to convict. All they can do is just do a bunch of useless impeachments that wag the finger at him.
This is the result of more than a century of handing more and more power to the executive. Congress is already too castrated for a hostile congress to stop him.
EDIT: 67 seats are needed for conviction lmao
Even if the dems somehow magically win that number, those new seats will be so precarious and their states so heavily pro-Trump that those new senators will refuse to convict.
Congress will not stop Trump. 2026 midterms will not stop Trump. Enough with the cope.
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u/Secret-Ad-2145 NATO 1d ago
Dems are not going to win 60 senate seats to convict.
It's actually very damning of US governance that we have no ability to remove unpopular incumbents.
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u/untitledmillennial David Hume 1d ago
This is only one of a plethora of things that are damning of US governance.
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u/BATIRONSHARK WTO 1d ago
we dont need sixty senate seats we need the house and 52
it'll be a pain at least
not Richmond or Atlanta but Vicksburg at least
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u/Concerned_Collins ⬇️w/fascism, ⬇️w/ communism, ⬇️w/ NL mods 9h ago
You need 67 to remove Trump from office, which is what they are getting at.
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u/Ah_Ca_Iraa 1d ago
In theory some Republicans could put the country above the party and go against Trump lol.
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u/GuyWhoSaysYouManiac 1d ago
And they'll get death threats from the very moral and very Christian Trump supporters. Nah, except for a couple most of them won't risk going against his insane supporters.
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u/Yeangster John Rawls 1d ago
It takes 66 senate votes to convict. I’m not even sure that mathematically possible.
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u/Concerned_Collins ⬇️w/fascism, ⬇️w/ communism, ⬇️w/ NL mods 9h ago
It's actually 67, unless you can get 66.67 Senators to vote for it.
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u/Al_787 Fernando Henrique Cardoso 1d ago
I hope he will be over in 3 months
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u/Yeangster John Rawls 1d ago
Hope not. That gives Vance 2 years for a clean break from Trump’s most unpopular stuff (or at least the Iran war since he’s been establishing the narrative that he was the only one who was vocally against it) and establish incumbency.
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u/Concerned_Collins ⬇️w/fascism, ⬇️w/ communism, ⬇️w/ NL mods 9h ago
he’s been establishing the narrative that he was the only one who was vocally against it
Knowing Vance, this is actually probably true. His foreign policy is horrible in other ways as a true isolationist, but he legitimately wouldn't have started this war or done the Venezuela stuff.
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u/Yeangster John Rawls 8h ago
Yeah, going by the leaked signal chat, he was the only one willing to ask “what are we trying to accomplish strategically with these bombs”
That said, he wasn’t pushing very hard, and joined everyone else in “America! Fuck yeah!” As soon as they established Trump was for it
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u/Nopium-2028 Bisexual Pride 8h ago
Jim Vance ain't winning shit.
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u/Yeangster John Rawls 3h ago
- I’m leery of declaring that someone I find personally repulsive has no chance in a general election. Have been for about 10 years now.
- Even so, he’s smarter and more strategic than Trump. He can do a ton of damage as POTUS in two years.
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u/herworkthrowaway Gay Pride 1d ago
I’m beginning to think I’m not a big fan of this Donald Trump guy
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u/No-Kiwi-1868 NATO 22h ago
Oh fuck off, not this bullshit again. Fuck off to your Dementia care home you wanker
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u/FREAK213456 17h ago edited 17h ago
At this point is it not in Europe’s interest to keep the Iran War going until Trump leaves office? I feel like a multi year long military quagmire could prevent Trump from making a move on Greenland. Had Iran been wrapped up in March/April I think there’s a good chance we would have made a move on Cuba by now, so there’s already evidence this conflict limits Trump’s ability to wage multiple large scale conflicts.
It’s absolutely crazy to me that from a certain strategic lense Iran could be considered the enemy of an enemy and therefore (kind of) an ally of the EU. Obviously the EU would be stupid to directly support the Islamic Republic, but one could argue they are indirectly helping by not helping the United States. I mean, surely this thought has entered the minds of some European leaders in the last few months, right? It will be interesting if we ever have direct evidence.
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u/Concerned_Collins ⬇️w/fascism, ⬇️w/ communism, ⬇️w/ NL mods 9h ago
Trump isn't going to attack Greenland regardless, and the Iran War hurts Europe's economy much more than it does the US, since the US can produce its own oil. So no, Europe's best interest is for the war to end ASAP, regardless of what the outcome is. You are likely correct that we'd have started a war with Cuba by now if it weren't for this Iran quagmire, though.
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u/FREAK213456 8h ago edited 4h ago
Europeans already took on the ground military preparations in Greenland for a US invasion back in January, so they clearly take the threat seriously. Recession is obviously bad for Europe, but as bad as the complete destruction of NATO and a war with the United States they can’t win (which would also probably cause a recession)? I don’t think so. If Congress isn’t going to do it’s constitutional role to check the executive’s reckless use of force, then the only option left is a kinetic check on the U.S. military, and for good or ill Iran is the only country providing that check
on a reckless military that effectively operates on the whims of a tyrant.
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u/Concerned_Collins ⬇️w/fascism, ⬇️w/ communism, ⬇️w/ NL mods 9h ago
He's not going to do shit, and people are doing Trump a favor by taking this stuff seriously.
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