Greenland ... Then Canada?
Where Does Trump Go From Here?
I am tired out these days. Mentally, physically and psychologically.
Last weekend Donald Trump and the US military invaded Venezuela. Now, clearly feeding on the power, he is talking about doing the same to Cuba and Iran.
And, of course, he has his Gestapo, ICE, destroying his country from the inside.
But these are not the main things that are stressing me. Yes, they are bad, but I don’t live in the US, Cuba or Iran. I’m sorry, but most of my worry lies elsewhere right now. Frankly, I don’t think I have the energy to be as upset as I should be about everything.
What is keeping me awake at night is that Trump has stated very clearly, as have JD Vance and Stephen Miller, that the US is planning to take over Greenland “if not the easy way, then the hard way”.
Now, polls have shown that 85% of Greenlanders have no interest in joining the United States, and all five political parties in the country have said that their land is not for sale. So the easy way – a purchase – appears to be off the table.
Trump states that he needs Greenland for “national defence”, to protect against Russia and China. This makes absolutely no sense, as the US already has a deal with the country that allows it to have virtually unlimited military bases there, and they have only one. Additionally, any military action against Greenland would spell the end of NATO, which is the main defence against these countries.
However, Trump has put himself into a position where he cannot explain why he really wants the island. Climate change is opening up the arctic, and freeing up what may be large mineral deposits on Greenland. He wants access to these. But Trump has said publicly many times that he does not believe in climate change, leaving him to make up excuses for being willing to go to war.
Most recent reports are saying that Trump has given orders to his Joint Special Operations Command to prepare a plan to invade Greenland (the hard way). They also say that this is facing resistance without Congressional approval, but that did not stop Trump in Venezuela, and there is a strong possibility it will not stop him here.
So, if most of Trump’s insane plans are not pushing my blood pressure past the limit, why am I losing sleep over this one? Two reasons, actually.
First, and most obviously, if the US starts a war against a NATO country, there is a good possibility we could be looking at WWIII. Greenland, by itself, is virtually helpless, but they will call Denmark to assist them, and there is a strong likelihood that Europe and Canada will go to their aid. Welcome to WWIII.
Even if this doesn’t happen, and the US quickly and easily takes over Greenland – bad enough in itself – it will still be a disaster from the point of view of Canada. We will be virtually surrounded by US territory at that point, and, whether from his infamous “national security” or some other excuse, Donald Trump will then find a reason to add us to his collection.
Would we fight? Absolutely. And, unlike all of the other wars the US has participated in, they would also lose innocent civilians. But, in the end, we would lose. The United States has nine times our population and the largest military in the world.
That is what is disturbing my sleep. And, if you are a Canadian, it should disturb yours, too.