It is my understanding that Greenland, along with much of far northern Canada, is being returned to the native peoples. They continue to live in the sunsuatence manner. I doubt that Greenlanders would welcome US control, given our track record of respecting indigenous rights to their land and resources.

The DKK is 14 cents to the US dollar Greenland if not supported by Danish is in the dumpster in short order.


The annual state grant (the so-called block grant) and the expenses the Danish state has in Greenland (Greenlanders and Faroese don’t pay towards the budget of the state, so that’s all paid for by Danish taxpayers) is generally estimated by researchers to roughly equal the profits Danish businesses and publicly owned harbours gain from exports to Greenland, the profits Danish fishing companies make in Greenland (not that much) and the profits from processing Greenlandic fish and seafood in Denmark. So if you think of “Denmark” as a country it doesn't cost it anything, if you think of the Danish state it’s less than 1 billion USD annually, but hard to say precisely, and the taxes from the profits mentioned above should be deducted.

In 2015 Greenland cost slightly below 4.3 billion DKK based on the state grant of 3.7 billion DKK plus the functions the Greenlandic government could choose to administer, but so far hasn't taken over (that includes the judicial system and correctional facilities). You can then add the costs of Danish military presence in Greenland, the foreign service representing Greenland abroad and the Arctic Council etc. The defense costs for Greenland amount to approximately 700 mio. DKK a year (and rising), but it’s hard to separate them completely from other defense costs (e.g. the Arctic Command in Nuuk is also responsible for the Faroe Islands).

A bit above 5 billion DKK a year is probably the best estimate, maybe close to 5.5 billion as prices have gone up since 2015 (Greenlandic inflation is above the Danish). As mentioned above the taxes of the profits from Greenland related economic activities in Denmark should then by deducted, but I have no reliable numbers for that. If you want to deduct income taxes from employees working in Greenland related companies the calculation becomes even more complex.

In general the societal cost, which is close to zero, is considered more important by Danish politicians than the cost of the state. The benefits of easier access to political leaders from great powers and networking opportunities related to the Arctic cooperation then make the benefits exceed the costs. But it’s hard to put a price on that.

As a subsistence society they don't generate a lot of income or have industries. In the more modern world they need the medical care and other supplies. Probably the Danes' view that the "owe" the Greenlanders the ability to lead their historic life. A societal cost they believe appropriate. There are other societies and cultures that don't share this perspective.

If we expect others to honor our sovereignty, we should do the same to others.

It’s pretty well established here that I am far from being a Trump cultist as I’ve repeatedly stated I never voted for him in 2016 or 2020 but did in 2024 only because he’s the lesser of two evils. I agree with him maybe 50-60% of the time. That doesn’t seem consistent with someone who is a cultist. You are like my deceased grandfather in his final years, who would tell the same stories over and over again and fail to retain newly learned information. Nothing sticks with you.

If you cared about peace and stability then you should have supported the peace candidate who didn’t start new wars and tried to establish peace with our adversaries. (Trump) Instead, you bizarrely supported social issues like the gender/sexual deviant you are and voted for Biden who is also the war candidate. Another example of your incongruence between thoughts/actions.

There are clearly other ways to acquire land, such as purchasing them. Which is what Trump wants to do. He isn’t invading anything or taking anything. Your hyperbolic assessment and comparison to Hitler isn’t accurate and shows how deranged you truly are.



Suddenly you care about fiscal responsibility? Or is this another example of you having a conservative mindset but “never Republican” and not voting consistent with the mindset and allowing the bizarre social issues to reign supreme on your priority list?

Trump seems most interested in the natural resources, which would offset the cost of the purchase to some degree. (The full degree I don’t think we know for sure.) You aren’t thinking about the long game and only want to invoke the convenient, short-sighted jab at “the deficit” when it could likely more than pay for itself in the future.



Who’s to say that the people of Greenland (and Denmark) won’t have a say in the matter? I’d assume the land acquisition would be a complex ordeal and not as simple as you suggest. Nobody is “stealing land without consent” and there is nothing tyrannical about it. Let me help you a bit here. As hard as it might be to wrap your head around, Trump and Tyranny are not synonyms.




I claim to know what I know and nothing more. I do know one thing for sure. I can assess politics better than you. Your jaded, ill-informed, and biased opinions are worthless and nobody with a brain takes you seriously. Attempting to deflect with “The Dunning-Krueger effect” is yet another way to not address the shortcomings of your own opinions and positions and not refute the central point of mine.


Streamer

Purchasing Greenland is honoring their sovereignty. For example in 1917 we bought the virgin islands from Denmark with a population of around 30,000 for $25 million in gold coin. So we could, in theory, purchase Greenland from Denmark with a population of around 55,000 for an amount in gold coin.

Of course like everything Trump says, he has a big consequence if little conditions are not met. So while everyone is looking at the big consequence of buying Greenland from Denmark nobody is looking at the little conditions he wants. So Trump wants Denmark to pay more for defense for Greenland to be able to keep Russia out, which they announced 2 hours after he offered to purchase Greenland that they are spending $1.5 billion on additional military aid including inspection ships, long range drones, dog sled patrols and airport upgrades (where no doubt our aircraft can land). Another little condition he wants is for China to get out of Greenland and to get the west/US in. For example Chinese companies have been investing in Greenland’s rare earth sector, Shenghe Resource, a shanghai listed company has a stake in the Kvanefjeld project and Kringlerne project in Greenland. All existing rare earth mines outside China, except for those in Russia and one mine in Australia, Mount Weld, export their minerals or concentrates to China. We would want these rare earth minerals in Greenland mined by the west so it goes to our industry instead of China's.

Also Greenlanders are not subsistence hunter/gatherers, many go to school in Denmark and their small mixed economy is based on fishing, construction, tourism and of course the massive government subsidies.

So whether we buy Greenland or not, I expect to see more military spending in Greenland and I expect to see less China development and more western development. Russia out, China out and the US in whether we buy it or not.

Streamer,

If you weren't a Trump cultist before, you sure come across as one now. It seems like quite a stretch that the candidate who tried to steal the 2020 election and cause a coup by inciting the Capitol riots, and temporarily stopping the "peaceful transfer of power" for the first time in US history, and who stole gov't top secret classified documents and refused to turn them back to the US gov't when confronted, and a convicted felon, and adjudicated for sexual assault, (I could go on, but you get the point) is somehow the "lesser of two evils."

It's not so much that Trump didn't start new wars as he just happened to inherit a period of peace. Biden didn't start the wars that were started by Putin (for whom Trump is a certified ball washer) and Hamas. Just because certain conflicts began in other countries during Biden's term in office is hardly evidence that he started them. If Trump doesn't start wars it's because he kow tows to global tyrants.

Yes, it may surprise you but I do care about fiscal responsibility. In case you haven't noticed, the Rs threw the fiscal responsibility label out the window with Bush jr's administration. Actually, one could say Reagan too, for that matter.

You say that Trump and tyranny are not synonymous, but actions speak louder than words. Trumps actions appear to be setting the US up for a tyranny run by oligarchs.

You think you assess politics better. Watch now as the MAGA and oligarch infighting plays out. Trump has already back peddled his "promise" to lower the price of groceries and gas. The only thing I count on Trump actually following through on is his promise to lower taxes and regulations for his billionaire overlords.

"Of course like everything Trump says, he has a big consequence if little conditions are not met. So while everyone is looking at the big consequence of buying Greenland from Denmark nobody is looking at the little conditions he wants."

I don't dispute that this is how Trump operates. However, only a despicable azzhole behaves this way. It looks like Trump is unaware that it's possible to get things done without behaving like a playground bully. Statesmanship exists for a reason.

I think Trump was one of those little nerdy kids that got beat up behind the backstop in elementary school. His family inheritance grew him a pair and now it's payback time.

Care to share an example or cite anything I have ever said that could be construed as me being a cultist?


Streamer

How about that you accepted that . . . "he's a con artist, a grifter, a narcissistic megalomaniac, a pvssy grabbing rapist, an incessant liar (over 50,000 counted in the past 8 years), disrespects American military calling them "suckers and losers," guilty of business fraud, advocated suspending parts of the U.S. Constitution after the 2020 election, denies losing the election even though many of his own staff informed him that he lost, and he acknowledged it in private, incited an attack on the U.S. Capitol ("be there Jan. 6; it'll be wild," "go fight like hell!". And the protestors did just that and tried to prevent the certification of the election for the first time in US history. He finally called it off after 4 hours or so when it was clear he wasn't going to succeed. He used his position in office to enrich himself. During the recent campaign he said he wants to get rid of "the enemy within," without specifically saying who that is, but suggesting that it includes Pelosi, Schiff, Biden, Harris, and probably anyone else he picks at whim. He acts with the impulses of a 13 year old. And as he's choosing his new cabinet, the primary qualification for consideration appears to be fealty to Trump and not the US Constitution. Does any of that not bother you?

When over 200 died in the wool Republicans announce Trump unfit for office and endorse their Democratic opposition, doesn't that carry at least a little weight?"

as the "lesser of two evils."

I've never said that Biden or Harris have no negative baggage, but no matter how hard they tried, they'd never come close to Trump's collection. With all that is known, voting for Trump is to sign up in the cult.

“ When over 200 died in the wool Republicans announce Trump unfit for office and endorse their Democratic opposition, doesn't that carry at least a little weight?"

What’s this ?

Which 200 republicans died when they endorsed the democrats ?

Fake news perhaps...

As far as carrying the load, it sounds like the weight you seek is coming from those democrats having now switched to Trump this go round.

I think the statement by Salmo that "voting for Trump is signing up to the cult" is going a bit too far. In fact, those in my cult (someone might call my friends) voted for a much needed and demanded change from the way our national government was headed. Many voters voted against Harris which amounted voting for Trump. Harris and Biden's track record made that easy. I'm really weary of liberals' name calling and intimidation tactics if anyone disagrees with their culture, especially their attacks on free speech. Salmo, I think you're a little bit over the edge. I hope you can re-examine the changes coming in our national leadership that I think will benefit the majority of us. I'm not expecting things to be perfect, just a lot better.

Tug, yeah things are going to be so much better when Trump coerces Panama to give back the canal, and Canada to become the 51st state, and Greenland to join the US.

I disagree that I'm going too far calling Trump voters cultists. After all, Trump is a convicted criminal and so far unconvicted criminal for trying to overthrow the gov't after the 2020 election and stealing classified top secret documents. I just can't see that being forgivable under and conditions. And the downsides to the Biden administration have been more than small in comparison to the upsides.

If and when Trump doesn't use his impending administration to trash the national economy, bring back inflation, investigate every prosecutor or whatever who investigated or prosecuted him for actually being a criminal, or pardon J-6ers who were convicted of criminal acts, trash the US Constitution, and probably a few more things, then I might back off a little. The guy is such a despicable POS there is no way he can be the lesser evil of any other candidate.

Be a liberal. Be wrong about literally everything. Say something. Expect anyone to listen to you. Sad. Many such cases!

Damn, Salmo. You’re really sipping the koolaid! I accept that Trump may be some of the items you mentioned, but as stated previously, I’m voting for president, not my personal pastor. I’m after policies that are in alignment with the collective needs of our country. I also happen to like most of his cabinet picks, with exception to a few. If Trump grabs whor3s by the pvssy, tweeted something mean, or acts narcissistic I don’t care as long as America’s needs are being met. The last 8 years have shown us he can do a better job of that than anyone the democrats chose to prop up.

January 6th is purely hyperbolic. There was no insurrection. Not even close. Trump also did not say or do anything to incite an insurrection. Where is the smoking gun and why wasn’t he charged? Jan 6th insurrection claims was purely an extreme form of political retaliation to get back at Trump. Kind of hard to overthrow the government without a single firearm or weapon. Where were all those gun-totin’ NRA MAGAs at? Yeah, not an insurrection.

Why would Trump bring back inflation when he is looking to cut spending and implement DOGE for increased government efficiency? Yeah he should pardon most of not all the J6 crew… know why? The FBI had over 26 informants present at the riot. Most of them accessed the restricted areas. How many of them got arrested? ZERO…

Trump didn’t steal classified documents. More hyperbole and misrepresentation from a delusional mid-wit who thinks he’s smart. Joe Biden had classified documents which were far less secured. But oh no! We can’t charge Quid Pro Joe! You know… the guy that actually gave a quid pro quo to withhold aid if they didn’t stop investigating Hunter… all caught on tape.

I don’t love Trump and only agree with him about 50-60% of the time. I call it on both sides. You don’t because you are so enamored with D’s that you can’t see straight. Perhaps it explains your fixation on gay rights. You should rekindle with the wifey. Post nut clarity might set you straight again!


Streamer

I have known narcissists. They share one common trait, when things go wrong, they look for someone to blame rather than a way to correct the problem. In our nuclear age, that is unacceptable to me. Trump's personality defects bring real drawbacks to judgement and action in a crisis. IMHO. And this doesn't mean that most politicians have a degree of narcissism in their personalities. With Trump, it is just over the top!

With your definition regarding lack of accountability, all politicians are narcissists. Have you ever seen a politician ever take accountability? Trump is really no different than any of the others in that regard.


Streamer

Streamer,

No insurrection? Only because it failed. It was an attempted insurrection. If not, why did all members of Congress, including the MAGA ones, run away for hours before returning to the job of certifying the election? If you didn't see it, you had to work hard at not looking. The J-6 select committee issued the report to set the record. Then DOJ began the task of holding Trump legally accountable, which failed due to the excessive delays. If Trump was innocent, why all the delay when he could have had his day in court and been acquited, potentially?

I agree that firearms would have likely made the protestors efforts more likely to succeed. That would have led to gunfire on both sides with many lives lost on both sides (my best estimate). But had they not only delayed but prevented the certification, it would have been a successful insurrection, guns or not. The FBI had informants on site. The informants did not instigate the riot, but were collecting information. That's what informants do. Trump was charged with the crimes Smith believed the gov't could prove. Insurrection is difficult because Trump is smart like a mafia crime boss and is careful to limit his personal exposure.

Most if not all J-6ers should be pardoned? Are you including the ones who assaulted police? How about the ones who damaged public property?

Nice whataboutism re Biden's classified documents. You do realize that the FBI determined that the vast preponderance of the documents in Joe's possession were determined to be his personal records from his years serving in the Senate. He didn't know he had any classified docs and readily agreed to return them to the gov't, unlike your buddy Trump who argued he had every right to keep them (he didn't) and the FBI had to raid and seize them from his home. So yes, Trump stole classified documents. Even minded person like yourself has to agree those two situations are not even close to being the same.

Trump is going to bring back inflation because he's not as smart as he thinks he is. Damn near every economist and financial planner worth their salt agrees that the tariffs are going to result in increased prices to consumers. Our buddy here Fish Prince doesn't think that's inflation, but that's what most folks in the money business are calling it. Cutting spending is largely a pipe dream. Increased gov't efficiency is a worthy goal, but the actual cost savings are a pittance of the federal budget of $6.5 trillion. Most of that budget consists of manadatory and entitlement expenses. Only a small fraction is discretionary, like the defense budget, for instance. Mandatory costs include debt service. Do you propose that the US renege on its debts? How about Social Security? Should the seniors who paid into it all their working lives be denied the benefits now? Oh, and Trump said he won't touch SS. If your boy Trump is so fvcking smart, how is he going to do what he promised and not add trillions more to the national debt?

Actually I do call it on both sides. I'm about as even handed a critic as you'll find. I criticised Joe for his handling of the southern border and agree that he, like Trump before him, contributed to inflation by doling out cash to nearly everyone during Covid. I cut them both some slack on the cash however, because Covid created a no-win situation. Not giving the cash to those most in need may have been as bad or worse as the inflation. But hindsight, etc. I think Joe did right with the IRA (inflation reduction act), the chips act, and the infrastructure act; these are all things that make the US better.

And what you call a fixation on gay rights I see as a position in favor of personal freedom, so you can keep your advice.