(Mark E. Johnson, Contributor) President Donald Trump says that the United States can and must take control of Greenland, by purchasing it or by force if necessary. His focus on this issue it sending European leaders into a tizzy.
Here are our top ten reasons that Trump’s intentions for this massive Arctic island are pure genius.
10. It’s American.
Look at a map. Any map. Greenland is part of North America, lying just 16 miles across the Labrador Sea off the coast of Canada. Greenland is in no way European.
9. Colonialism is dead.
France gave up Louisiana in 1803. Spain gave up Florida in 1821. Mexico gave up Texas in 1848. England finally released its grip on Canada in 1982. Sorry, Denmark – history is not on your side, and your time is up.
8. Do the math.
Distances to Nuuk, Greenland – U.S. versus Denmark:
- Bangor, Maine to Nuuk, 1,496 miles
- New York to Nuuk, 1,855 miles
- Washington, D.C. to Nuuk, 2,034 miles
- Denmark to Nuuk, 2,200 miles
7. Nobody thinks the U.S. owning Guam is weird.
Guam has been a U.S. territory since 1898. Anyone born there is a US citizen by birthright. The island is essential to U.S. interests, just like American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
6. The next Alcatraz?
Greenland has thousands of unoccupied coastal islands. Security costs on any island near Nuuk would be miniscule – no fence or lookout towers required. Planning an Alcatraz-style escape? Seawater temps reach their annual high of 40 deg. F in July.
5. Metals, metals, metals:
- Precious metals. A recent Mineral Resource Statement for Greenland’s Nalunaq gold deposit predicts 320,000 ounces of gold, a current market value of $1.5 billion. And that’s just one deposit on an island three times the size of Texas.
- Base minerals. A 2023 survey showed that 25 of 34 minerals deemed “critical raw materials” are found in Greenland. This includes copper, nickel, platinum, zinc and cobalt.
- Rare earths. Rare-earth elements are key to permanent magnets used in electric vehicles (EV) and wind turbines. Three large deposits are located in the southern province of Gardar. Numerous companies are already seeking to develop rare-earth mines in the region.
4. Monitor the Russians.
Key Russian military routes pass near Greenland, both in the air and by sea. Having U.S. eyes and ears in Greenland it vital to U.S. security interests.
3. Denmark isn’t using it.
Northeast Greenland National Park is the world’s largest national park, encompassing 375,000 square miles, larger than any U.S. state except Alaska. The park has no permanent human population and is estimated to receive fewer than 500 visitors a year.
2. Drill, baby, drill.
According to a 2007 U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) report, the northeast of Greenland [the same region covered by the national park] potentially contains up to 31.4 billion barrels of oil. Though this is just two percent of the world’s reserves, controlling Greenland’s oil would boost U.S. reserves by about 70 percent.
And The Number One Reason Trump’s Greenland Plan Is Pure Genius
1. It’s in the Bible.
God gave man dominion over all the earth and its resources. Denmark’s efforts to make Greenland’s vast God-given resources off-limits to development deprives people of oil to heat their homes and other resources to improve their standard of living.
Limiting access to Greenland’s reserves of oil and minerals gives America’s rivals an opportunity to extend influence over the Free World. What Denmark is doing isn’t in the world’s interest, and Donald Trump aims to fix it.
The views in this article don’t necessarily reflect those of Headline USA or its editorial staff.
Mark E. Johnson is in his fiftieth year writing for national news and opinion leaders.
