Greenland

[Allen]

Placed here under gun talk since I don't consider this politics as much so as national security.

This news today--subject to change a bunch of times.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...Greenland.html

While I can see the need for a base at or near Greenland and the need in the rare earth minerals that Greenland possesses I wish some other arrangement could have been made such as a 99 year lease or a partial purchase, shared mineral mining, etc where Denmark/Greenland could have kept their land. This would have been a lease only for the area of the base, not the whole country. Perhaps before it's over something similar WILL take place. Anyway, there may be way more here than meets the eye.

Bottom line is Greenland is way away from major military strength countries. If the U.S. had not acted China or Russia perhaps would have.

I personally feel it is sad that a strong arm take-over was implied but still, with the aggression of other countries it's better in our hands than others and Denmark is not strong enough militarily to defend it especially from Denmark.

Now, if only Trump can find a way to get rid of PR.

[5thDragoons]

I think this is planning a chess game 5 or more moves ahead. Like if Putin started putting a missile base in Greenland, Denmark couldn't do much about it. Which at the moment is a bit far-fetched - even Armenia is thumbing its nose at Russia. More likely it's a viable way to keep China from making a natural resources grab in Greenland, and there's apparently a lot to grab.

China has done that many times before. One small example is their assimilating cobalt deposits in the Congo. Before, locals could mine their own property and sell cobalt at spot market prices. No more. China passed money under the table to those in charge and now owns rights to all cobalt there. The way I get it, people can still mine the stuff but can only sell to Chinese firms who only pay a fraction of spot market.

Long story short, any natural recourses deals will involve the USA.

Overall, I think was a good move, but Trump has a way of putting a knot in people's dental floss over such matters.

Attached is an excerpt from a discussion on another site. SW

Screenshot (8529).png

[Allen]

Rare earth minerals. We have them here but not as much as we need so we have to buy from China and other places. Apparently the bulk of it comes from China. Greenland has an abundance of it. If the U.S. can get it we can become more independent from China, something Trump wants badly.

Then, there is the subject of the location of a U.S. military base.

The last I read the U.S. is offering $1M ea to residents to vote "yes" for U.S. ownership (57,000 total residents, no info on # of voters). Many there already want this. I think if I lived there and was opposed to the idea I would still vote "yes", collect my $1M, sell my home, take my $ plus the $1M and move somewhere else.

[lyman]

read this

https://www.coffeeandcovid.com/p/media-malpractice-thursday-january

[5thDragoons]

Newsome getting owned at Davos was beyond funny! He's the Dem top runner??? After that debacle, he might even be behind AOC now! SW

[Mark in Ottawa]

Let me throw out a different take on this issue (but note that I am Canadian). There is really no issue with security of Greenland. Denmark is part of NATO and the US has had the treaty right to put military bases there for decades. Neither Russia nor China are going to try to take over Greenland. To the extent that there are critical minerals there, I would be very surprised if there were not friendly ways to get access to them. Joint mining arrangements with host governments are very common all around the world and I would suspect that both Denmark and Greenland would welcoms such agreements. The big problem however is that they will be very expensive to mine. So, given that, what is Trump's objective? I put it to you that what Trump really wants is to make the size of the USA larger than that of Russia so that he can brag that the USA is the biggest country in the world. Similar to his very offensive comments about making Canada the 51st state. He really is just a braggart and an imperialist; nothing else

[S.A. Boggs]

If memory serves me right, in western Canada there is a movement to place on their ballot a measure to leave Canada. Am I in error? Point #2, President Trump has done great economic damage to Canada and thus I can understand Canadian displeasure. Point #3, as an American I want business to locate to my nation regardless of where the business comes from. The business of America is business!
Sam

[Former Cav]

Trumps talk about "taking Greenland" was his opening negotiation (bluff). So when his offer comes in, they will go, "great we dodged the bullet and we made money"
the reason TRUMP BRAGS about what he has done is because the TDS and the "media" will NEVER tell of the GREAT things he has done. He has to "blow his own horn" because most of the dummies (liberals) are too busy watching cnn and abc and wondering what they have between their legs!!

[lyman]

Trumps talk about "taking Greenland" was his opening negotiation (bluff). So when his offer comes in, they will go, "great we dodged the bullet and we made money"
the reason TRUMP BRAGS about what he has done is because the TDS and the "media" will NEVER tell of the GREAT things he has done. He has to "blow his own horn" because most of the dummies (liberals) are too busy watching cnn and abc and wondering what they have between their legs!!

people forget that he is not truly a politician,
he is a businessman, and has been successful,

he treats the other countries like competition in business, and has learned from his first term, how to troll the media

[Doc Sharptail]

If memory serves me right, in western Canada there is a movement to place on their ballot a measure to leave Canada. Am I in error? Point #2, President Trump has done great economic damage to Canada and thus I can understand Canadian displeasure. Point #3, as an American I want business to locate to my nation regardless of where the business comes from. The business of America is business!
Sam

As long as there are "entitled" Liberals running the country, we will be running up against this. The people of Alberta certainly did not vote those liberals into power.
In real terms, the possibility of such a thing occurring is incredibly low. One of the barriers is the financial cost~ neither Quebec, or Alberta are financially endowed enough to pay such a bill. IIRC, for Quebec back in the early 90's, the cost was estimated to be some 600 trillion- money that the provinces certainly don't have.

Trump has a very low understanding of economics. His business practices weren't so hot either with his hotels filing for bankruptcy.
He is right about China though- they have set out to dominate through economic (not military) might, and may actually pull it off.

Further economic reality: is made in the U.S. going to be any more affordable now than it was in the late 90's? Some pretty deep thinking is required here, and neither Trump, nor his advisers have considered this in realistic terms.

He is also right about illegal migrants, and the financial cost to tax payers.

Personally, I dislike Trump. The egoist bombast certainly is dated these days, and impresses no one.
He didn't get the Nobel prize simply because that sucker has to be earned- which he hasn't done.

-D.S.

[lyman]

disagree on the comments about the Nobel prize,,

Obama got one that was not earned at all,

likely others as well


that entire group has become a bit off

[Allen]

Yep. After "that" getting a Nobel prize is practically an insult.

[S.A. Boggs]

For the well-heeled, bankruptcy can be an economic tool.
Sam