Facts about Greenland

Scuttlebutt
21

Well, since people in big wealthy governments can make up the minds for the people in small places, why not have California pay everyone in Idaho a mil to move to West Virginia? That would cost about 2 trillion. Cal could pay that off easily in 20-40 years. Then they can move all the dross from California to Idaho. Or would Idahoans object to that?

Then you must love my idea:

Leagues of states can withdraw from those services (and proportional taxation) now under the departments of Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, as well as the Social Security Administration.

Washington, California, New York, New Jersey , and several other states, would form the Blue League within the Union, providing the same services as the canceled federal departments. Those states pay more in federal tax dollars than they receive in services. In my state for every federal tax dollar we pay we only get 83 cents back. Whereas with WV for every federal tax dollar they pay they get $2.5 back. That inequity would be stopped.

Also, any indigents from non-Blue League states would be returned to those states.

Each league-citizen’s federal tax burden would be reduced. And the red states you mentioned will be happy to look out after their own.

A win-win for everyone.

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22

The first bit is not very relevant to today’s world. Even less to Greenland and the people that have lived there in splendid isolation since Shakespeare’s time.

Don’t put American way of thinking about the mighty $$ as the world happiness standard. Not EVERYBODY thinks that $$$ buys happiness, nor is it the main ingrediency in a good and well balanced lifestyle for EVERYBODY.

The Greenlanders want INDEPENDENCE, not dependence on Denmark, or USA.
The riches in the ground and in the sea (no not Oil & Gas only) is now becoming more accessible due to warming climate.
They want to control those riches themselves, not let ANYBODY else just come and take what they want and leave pittance behind.

They have had enough experience of Danish colonialism, they don’t want to be a US territory (“colony”) for 50 years.
They see what that has brought Puerto Rico, Guam and Western Samoa.
When will they become US States??

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23

And don’t be pretending or implying the 'ole USA invented greed or the concept of paying people off to buy allegiances. That kind of stuff along with totalitarianism has been going on long before 1776 when we got rid of our monarchy. Glad to hear your opinion about the citizens of Greenland btw. A society without greed. Amazing.

24

No, just “perfected” it.
The world is not as simple as “Good guy/ Bad guy” and everything is not just “Black or White”.
But then, with you command of world history, you knew that, right?

25

If CJ is thinking of invading Greenland then it must be valuable.

If it’s valuable why would Greenlanders sell it for chump change? In Seattle or LA $500k wouldn’t buy a house lot, let alone a house.

Any good realtor would advise them to ask for no less than $10 billion each and a cut of any mineral wealth.

26

Good point. But if I was in charge of such a hypothetical offer the Greenlanders would still own their lands just like the folks in Puerto Rico own their land & U.S Virgin Islanders own their land. But instead of the Kingdom of Denmark being the head of state it would be Uncle Sam. And concerning mineral rights, a few states had trusts set up for mineral rights on public lands. Greenland do the same I guess. I would also put it in the contract that a vote for statehood, remain territory or independence had to happen in 50 years. $500k a person would be where I started, the people of Greenland would have to be nuts to not submit a counter offer, maybe a million. And I know @ombugge , you would want China & Russia making bids against us because nobody is less greedy or has more freedoms than the governments of China & Russia.

27

Considering the opposition in Congress against 124-year old territory Puerto Rico ever becoming a state, and given the history of every treaty the US government made with native Americans being broken, I would say the Greenlanders just raised their demands to $20 billion each (in gold), and 50% of all mineral wealth. :slightly_smiling_face:

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28

Which part of; “Greenland is not for sale” is so difficult to understand?

Until further notice Greenland is a self-governing part of the Kingdom of Denmark, with the King of Denmark as their Head of State.

It is for the people of Greenland to determine if they want to continue as is, or to become an independent country.

If they go for independence, whether that will be a Republic, or they will choose to keep the King of Denmark as Head of State is also up to them.

PS> That they will put their country up for open bidding is highly unlikely.

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29

The US cannot support the territories they have now, everyone always complains about the ‘deficit’ and they are talking about taking on Greenland which another country claims. Delusional. If anyone besides Trump suggested such a thing they would be considered insane or senile but…maybe that explains it? :wink:

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30

What puzzles me is why some see capturing Greenland as a prerequisite for controlling the Northwest Passage.

The narrowest part of the Baffin Bay is 175 nautical miles wide. That’s almost four times as much as the Bering Strait excluding the Diomede Islands.

…and if you want to avoid that “choke point”, you could always take the southern route through Hudson Strait and Foxe Basin.

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31

More facts about Greenland:

PS> Erik the Red looks a lot like a Roman warrior in the video.
Here he looks like a Viking:

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Or take a tour of Nuuk and more:

And learn about what people in Nuuk think about becoming American:

32

Well ombugge, perhaps you could apply for Greenlandic citizenship or Visa or perhaps they would consider the ravages inflicted upon the hapless and always peaceful indigenous peoples at the hands of the Norsemen Vikings who grazed their sheep in southern Greenland and probably contaminated the sacred ice sheet with oil based pitch they used to seal their longboats with and are obviously responsible for the global warming we are now all suffering through. You should make amends, it would be the right thing to do, and the collectivist socialist non ownership system would be a delight.

33

You have been had. If you haven’t figured out by now, some of DJTs statements are designed to puzzle, disrupt and keep the actual architects of deceit, sedition, and mendacious plots in a confused and flustered state of outrage.

34

PR, for just one example could not survive as an indepnedent nation alone and most of their population understands that. I am wondering why the nitwits in Denmark went out of their way giving wholesale autonomy to Greenland when they could have allowed self rule but brought in Danes in small numbers to retain their claim stemming from the Viking settlements however small and temporary in the first place. European self hate is the reason. Having been on a ship to Thule I remember that Denmark at that time ~2002 could only have 10K Danes through a lottery system on Greenland and only for 1-2yr periods of time. If Denmark is so nonchalant and repulsed by any claims to Greenland, why do they not simply cut them completely loose politically, militarily, no NATO bases, and most importantly, financially… Gee I think I know why. Perhaps their names are Putin and Xi.

35

Just last week, in response to DJT’s conjuring of better defense for Greenland I suspect, Denmark announced they were investing 2 Billion dollars for the defense of Greenland. Good job DJT & Denmark for getting that done because Russia (& it’s allies NK & China) aren’t playing around & our last POTUS escalated by authorizing US missiles, US guidance systems & US satellites to be used to kill Russians in the Russian motherland. If anyone cares to do the math, 2 Billion in defense spending divided by 57k, the population of Greenland, thats $35,000 per person for just for 1 national spending bill. With the worlds grossly exploding population there’s no way in heck a measly 57,000 aging population can keep hold of all the resources of Greenland without Denmark, the US or another larger population to subsidized it imo.

36

So, let me try to follow the military logic here:

Right now the USA is supporting Ukraine in a war against Russia, and Ukraine is bleeding Russia dry because of it, while the USA is profiting in billions in gas sales to Europe.

But we should stop all that and invest in buying Greenland because Greenland is the key to defeating Russia because ???

If you think Russia is an existential foe to the USA it would be simpler and cheaper to re-double the war against Russia now, when they’ve been blooded by years of war and the Ukrainians are doing the fighting. If you actually think Russia is a dire threat to the USA then crush it now, because it will never be weaker, while we are making bank on gas sales, and we haven’t lost a man.

If you’re going to strangle a snake you don’t let up the pressure till the rattling stops. But that’s exactly what you armchair generals want to do. Instead of strangling Putin now, cutting off his head and burying it a hole before he bites you.

You guys want to stop the Ukraine war and let Russia regroup just so we can fight it later—with our own troops—when it regains strength. And from where? Turn Greenland into Fortress Nowhere? When was the last time any war was fought from Greenland? We have Alaska—that’s our Greenland. It’s closer to Russia for Christ’s sake.

You want to let Russia which is now on the ropes recover strength, threaten Europe until it buys gas from them again instead of us, while we spend billions to attack it from a place farther away than we have Alaskan bases now.

WTF?!

China? You’re going to place military bases on Greenland, with thousands of American troops conveniently as far away from China as imaginable when the shooting starts in the China Sea? Greenland, the place with horrific winters that will tie down transport planes and ships when you try to move troops and material from it elsewhere?

Do you plan to send a sternly worded note to Xi asking him not to attack us in winter because we might not be able to use our Greenland assets then?

Have either of you spent time transporting things around sea ice? Worked on ships covered in ice? Not ideal for military preparedness, I can tell you from personal experience.

Those are your military plans?

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37

I don’t think the interest in Greenland has anything to do with China or Russia but rather the deposits of Rare Earth Elements. Co-president Elon knows the billions of dollars of REE existing in Greenland which are in short supply outside China are needed for electric motors, batteries and electronics. The US can and has put military bases on Greenland. They have a Space Force Base there now and can put other bases if needed under the 1951 Greenland Defense Agreement. So there is no need to take over the place for ‘defense’ reasons. The China Russia defense argument is a red herring.

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38

Yes, but those are support bases. Nice to have but certainly not critical to support a major war against China or Russia. We had a big military base on Adak Island in a much more strategic part of the world. It was closed in 1997 because it was costing an arm and a leg to support.

To be exact, they can also be had in Canada and Australia. They’re not rare geographically. Just monetarily.

Which means the interest in Greenland comes down to just one thing: land grab. Someone else has something we want. So, we buy them off cheap. Or, we threaten to invade . Or, we invade. Let’s all be exact here. That’s what we’re talking about. Take the deal or we take you. Am I correct?

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39

History would suggest that. The US has gone to war for everything from guano [bird shit] to oil. Imagine REE as today’s guano :grimacing:

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40

Small yes, but I wouldn’t call <400 years “temporary”:

Source: Vikings in Greenland - Greenland's history of the Norse | Visit Greenland!

Now the 250-year existence of the US of A on the other hand… :us: :joy:

Beats the MAGA system of non logic, no facts and all power to the PayPal Mafia.

Are you serious, there is a design behind the madness?
Is that called Project 2025?

Yes there is that, Hail to the Chief of disruption deceit, sedition and mendacious plots to grab other people’s land and territories. “Lebensraum”!!!

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