P
resident Donald Trump's fascination with Greenland is not just a quirk, but a reflection of his real estate background and desire to own property. As he often does when discussing foreign countries, Trump references the properties he owns there, such as a golf course in Scotland or a hotel in Dubai. This is more than just boasting; it shows that he has skin in the game and understands the country.
Trump wants to buy Greenland, not lease it through a complicated agreement with Denmark. He's not interested in intangible multilateral defense agreements that allow the US to pay for protection. Instead, he wants physical control of the land.
It's not an entirely crazy idea. The US has a history of expanding its territory, from pushing Lewis and Clark across the Rockies to acquiring Alaska and Hawaii. Prior to 1947, America's appetite for land was insatiable. So why not Greenland?
The only reason Greenland is Danish is that some Vikings stumbled upon it 1,000 years ago. Since then, it's been too cold for anyone else to bother with it. While the Greenlandic people should ultimately decide their sovereignty, control of the Arctic could mean control of the globe.
Trump's interests align with America's interests in possessing a strategic nation like Greenland. A video appears to show a Greenlander asking Trump to buy his country, and some Danes have launched a petition calling for the purchase of California in response.
What's standing in the way is the post-Cold War order, which views borders as sacrosanct and fixed. This runs counter to human history, including America's. Trump thinks that if countries like Russia are expanding, we can't sit on the sidelines, especially when defense is conducted on our dime.
In geopolitics, there are no firm rules like in chess. Trump prefers physically holding space rather than relying on vague Western interests. He sees borders as "artificial lines" that can be negotiated and even thought of as a real estate deal.
Nobody wants to go to war over Greenland, but pitching this deal to the 57,000 people who live there might not be a bad idea. America has a lot to offer, and maybe Trump can make them an offer too good to refuse. As Americans, we shouldn't be shocked by or shy about expanding our territory – it's in our DNA.
