Greenland, a piece of arctic real estate
The Norwegian Viking Eirik Raude discovered the large arctic island to the west around AD 985, when he was forced from Iceland in connection with a murder. He called his discovery Greenland, because he thought the name would attract other Vikings to settle there with him. The name was not totally false, as the shoreline in the south was ice free, and even featured some limited grassy fields.
Adventurous Vikings bought this somewhat fake news and settled in Brattalid in Eiriksfjord in Southwest Greenland, according to Eirik´s Saga. They kept it going for about 500 years, partly supported by supplies from Iceland. When the climate turned colder in what is called the Little Ice Age in the 14th century, the coastal waters stayed frozen year around. Icelandic supply ships could not reach the settlers.
In his book Collapse (2005) Jarred Diamond draws the conclusion that the arctic Innuits survived the colder climate because they consumed only what nature offered, such as whales and seals. They were not dependent on supplies from elsewhere.
“Even the way Trump talks about this weakens the defence alliance, as it opens the possibility of one member attacking and occupying another member’s territory.”
The Norwegian priest Hans Egede arrived in Greenland in 1721 in search of the Viking settlements but found nothing. He established himself at Godthåp /Good hope (today´s Nuuk, Greenland´s capital) in 1728 and started missionary activities among the local population of Innuits. At that time Norway and Denmark were one country, and when the union was dissolved in 1814, Denmark kept Greenland. In 1953 the large arctic island became a Danish Amt (a county) and since 1979 they have had Home Rule. The 58.000 Greenlanders (88% Innuits) are used to relative peace and quiet. Not anymore. Greenland is world news.
Again, the key word is real estate. Donald Trump says he needs Greenland for national security, but he looks at the island somewhat like Eirik Raude; as a piece of real estate. Trump would prefer to buy it but would use military force if need be. Not that US forces in Greenland is a new idea. During World War II US troops were stationed here to prevent Germany from using the island for control of the North Atlantic. From 1951 onwards the Americans have had up to 12 military bases there, as a deterrence against the Soviet Union and later the Russians. The American presence was scaled back after the Cold War ended. The main base has been Thule Air base on the Northwest coast, now called Pituffik Space Base.
The 1951 US-Denmark Defence Agreement, part of the NATO cooperation, allows the US to strengthen its armed presence in Greenland as the situation in US/Canadian coastal waters and the North Atlantic requires, in close contact with Denmark. Mark Rutte, the NATO General Secretary said in an interview with CNN on 7. January that the issue of additional US military forces in Greenland is “fully open to discussion.”
The way Donald Trump has gone about this, has made both Greenland and the US less safe. The Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has made it crystal clear: A military takeover of Greenland spells the end of NATO. Even the way Trump talks about this weakens the defence alliance, as it opens the possibility of one member attacking and occupying another member´s territory.
“So, this is again a real estate story and, as Eirik Raude, Trump uses false pretences. Last time did not end well.”
Donald Trump might be interested in mining resources such as gold, platinum, zinc and copper as well as rare earth minerals. For permission to do that, he needs to apply to Greenland´s self-government. There is no need for American ownership of Greenland.
Donald trump wants to dominate the Western hemisphere. He even has a name for it: the “Donroe Doctrine,” a take-off on the Monroe Doctrine, established in 1823 when President James Monroe, in a speech to Congress, stated that the Western Hemisphere was off-limits to further European colonial expansion. As part of his new doctrine, Trump wants to be a president who enlarges the US land mass. That would be one for the history books.
So, this is again a real estate story and, as Eirik Raude, Trump uses false pretences. Last time did not end well.
