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PeaceWave

(1,421 posts)
Thu Dec 26, 2024, 11:16 PM Dec 2024

Greenland only has a population of 56,000. If Trump attacks, can they defend themselves?

Last edited Mon Dec 30, 2024, 07:02 PM - Edit history (1)

I'm starting to think this lunatic is serious about taking the world's largest island away from Denmark. Presumably, he'd have to remove us from NATO first, then he'd thumb his nose at NATO once he attacked Denmark's territory. What kind of effed up world is this that we even have to consider such a possibility?

Follow up:

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/team-trumps-case-owning-greenland-takes-unsettling-turn-rcna185733

"Former national security adviser Robert O’Brien said in a Sunday (12/29/24) interview that Denmark should let the U.S. 'buy' Greenland if it cannot defend the self-governing country, noting the territory will become increasingly important in the coming years."

49 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Greenland only has a population of 56,000. If Trump attacks, can they defend themselves? (Original Post) PeaceWave Dec 2024 OP
Ask CNN Chipper Chat Dec 2024 #1
I assume mr715 Dec 2024 #2
You think enough people are going to sacrifice their careers thucythucy Dec 2024 #17
I never expected the President to raid Congress mr715 Dec 2024 #20
Do you have a problem with "mango mussolini", or indeed, any of niyad Dec 2024 #28
I think it is important to laugh at bad people mr715 Dec 2024 #29
To be honest, mr715 Dec 2024 #30
Thank you. I believe in belittling, deriding, and making fun of him in every niyad Dec 2024 #36
Just to be clear, in response to my question, thucythucy Dec 2024 #35
Foolish trump, willing to risk alienation of NATO over a Denmark colony? brush Dec 2024 #23
Typical idiotic nonsense and distraction. ananda Dec 2024 #44
Greenland is covered by NATO. magicarpet Dec 2024 #3
I know this. But, the clown has suggested removing us from NATO. PeaceWave Dec 2024 #5
But if Greenland was subject to attack or if its sovereign territory was threatened,... magicarpet Dec 2024 #10
I just feel like this lunatic is Teflon and would somehow force some kind of concession. PeaceWave Dec 2024 #12
If trDump comes against world courts and world governmental decision making bodies,.. magicarpet Dec 2024 #14
Whether he removes us from NATO or not, if he attacks a NATO country, its basicaly world war 3 ColinC Dec 2024 #25
It's more complicated with a NATO member attacking another NATO member, especially the head of NATO (US) Polybius Dec 2024 #39
Thank you! ColinC Dec 2024 #41
nobody is 'considering' such a possibility stopdiggin Dec 2024 #4
No. Conquering and destroying is among the least imaginative concepts ColinC Dec 2024 #26
Sorry. 'Imagining' that we are going to invade and conquer Greenland stopdiggin Dec 2024 #31
"Imagination," Noun.... ColinC Dec 2024 #33
He can't unilaterally withdraw from NATO. Ocelot II Dec 2024 #6
Aren't they part of Denmark? Denmark is in NATO. Srkdqltr Dec 2024 #7
Denmark was a founding member of NATO in 1949. tirebiter Dec 2024 #9
Grenland is an active member of NATO. magicarpet Dec 2024 #15
Self governing territory, similar to Puerto Rico HereForTheParty Dec 2024 #47
If the scenario plays out BOSSHOG Dec 2024 #8
Russia is pretty much beating the snot out of Ukraine stopdiggin Dec 2024 #11
Ukraine punched way above expectations mr715 Dec 2024 #21
don't get me wrong. Ukraine has acquitted themselves far above expectation stopdiggin Dec 2024 #32
And, still.. . . what, exactly? niyad Dec 2024 #37
and they're still getting slowly ground down stopdiggin Dec 2024 #43
Explication is good. Veiled insults because one is not mindreading are not. niyad Dec 2024 #45
Serious question - how the fuck can we have no money to keep our government functioning.. Initech Dec 2024 #13
Tariffs, duh nt mr715 Dec 2024 #22
So far he's just talked about BUYING them, not attacks. Plus, DUers have posted that if he Silent Type Dec 2024 #16
And they'd better sell, or else... Diraven Dec 2024 #27
I would think that a great many of that 56,000 ornotna Dec 2024 #18
The first step is finding a general who wouldfollow the order. nt Gore1FL Dec 2024 #19
I think it would be harder to find one that wouldn't. Renew Deal Dec 2024 #48
They have Denmark behind them iemanja Dec 2024 #24
Take the orange anus at his word LearnedHand Dec 2024 #34
No one can defend themselves if attacked by the US Polybius Dec 2024 #38
Yeah even with NATO behind Denmark they don't have the reach to beat the US off our shores EX500rider Dec 2024 #42
Trump is employing the negotiating method used at Hiroshima. Ping Tung Dec 2024 #40
Now, things are getting interesting...Denmark is bolstering Greenland's millitary defenses. PeaceWave Dec 2024 #46
All they need to do is dress amputees in military uniforms. Norbert Dec 2024 #49

mr715

(1,638 posts)
2. I assume
Thu Dec 26, 2024, 11:18 PM
Dec 2024

mass resignations from the DOD


Point Being : It isn't going to happen but it is a very provocative (and tactical) story to talk about.

thucythucy

(8,831 posts)
17. You think enough people are going to sacrifice their careers
Fri Dec 27, 2024, 12:07 AM
Dec 2024

to stop this from happening? Really?

Refresh my memory: when was the last time we saw "mass resignations" in response to any US foreign policy decision, enough to put a stop to it? From the DoD, the State Department, or from any other agency of the federal government?

"It isn't going to happen" is all too often followed by, 'I can't believe this is really happening."

I think when it comes to Mango Mussolini, all bets are off.

mr715

(1,638 posts)
20. I never expected the President to raid Congress
Fri Dec 27, 2024, 01:26 AM
Dec 2024

But also, respectfully, you are here using the epithet "Mango Mussolini". He's Trump.

Owning Greenland is a fun little diversion away from the real harm that is going to happen. Yes. Our diplomatic standing with the Kingdom of Denmark will suffer a blow, but I don't think Greenlandic sovereignty is in question. Honestly I think it is a question for the King of Denmark of the Archduke of the Panama Canal.


MR

niyad

(123,017 posts)
28. Do you have a problem with "mango mussolini", or indeed, any of
Fri Dec 27, 2024, 02:34 AM
Dec 2024

the names we use for that F'n, insane, murdering, orange, RAPIST, TRAITOR**? Please tell me that you are not suggesting that we treat him with respect!!!

mr715

(1,638 posts)
29. I think it is important to laugh at bad people
Fri Dec 27, 2024, 02:48 AM
Dec 2024

I am certainly not suggesting treating him with respect. I am suggesting that through his singular incompetence and incoherence we may yet be saved from dictatorship. I'm not saying it is likely, and I'm enjoying a lot of beer.


Oyah, lets give him lots of respect. Shame to my home town of NYC. Honestly, gotta give him respect for single handedly lowering the psychic value of NYC by simply being associated with it...

I remember after 9/11 he wanted to rebuilt the exact same towers, except with gold color and 1' taller. At the time (I was a freshman at NYU) I liked that plan.

But yeah, he is the Whore of Babylon. I shall rejoice in his ruin.


MR

mr715

(1,638 posts)
30. To be honest,
Fri Dec 27, 2024, 02:53 AM
Dec 2024

Mango Mussolini is all well and good, but I want to laugh at his real name. No Voldemort shit. The name Donald Trump should be marked in history as a joke. The joke happens to be on us, but such is the burden of history.

Gore Vidal mentioned how Washington DC would make fine ruins someday. He is still correct.

I appreciate you niyad.


MR

niyad

(123,017 posts)
36. Thank you. I believe in belittling, deriding, and making fun of him in every
Fri Dec 27, 2024, 11:38 AM
Dec 2024

possible insulting way.

thucythucy

(8,831 posts)
35. Just to be clear, in response to my question,
Fri Dec 27, 2024, 09:59 AM
Dec 2024

you can't in fact cite any instance where any foreign policy initiative of the US government was met with "mass resignations."

Which is why I doubt this is at all likely to happen in this instance.

brush

(59,424 posts)
23. Foolish trump, willing to risk alienation of NATO over a Denmark colony?
Fri Dec 27, 2024, 01:54 AM
Dec 2024

Further evidence of his insanity/mental decline. And of course it'll never happen. Demmark will retain Greenland.

magicarpet

(17,899 posts)
3. Greenland is covered by NATO.
Thu Dec 26, 2024, 11:21 PM
Dec 2024

Sourced from AI,...

Greenland is a self-governing Danish territory that has been covered by the North Atlantic Treaty since Denmark joined NATO in 1949. Greenlandic representatives participate in NATO delegations along with Denmark.

magicarpet

(17,899 posts)
10. But if Greenland was subject to attack or if its sovereign territory was threatened,...
Thu Dec 26, 2024, 11:33 PM
Dec 2024

,... the combined military forces of NATO member countries would immediately come to Grenland's and Denmark's defenses. Even if the threat was coming from the USA to seize or confiscate their land.

A foolish move if Team trDUMP thought it a good idea - and not djt's mouth playing alpha male tough guy thug for the cameras.

PeaceWave

(1,421 posts)
12. I just feel like this lunatic is Teflon and would somehow force some kind of concession.
Thu Dec 26, 2024, 11:37 PM
Dec 2024

magicarpet

(17,899 posts)
14. If trDump comes against world courts and world governmental decision making bodies,..
Thu Dec 26, 2024, 11:42 PM
Dec 2024

.... he will not get the red carpet treatment like he can expect in AmeriKKKa. World leaders know his game and will not give him much leeway.

ColinC

(11,098 posts)
25. Whether he removes us from NATO or not, if he attacks a NATO country, its basicaly world war 3
Fri Dec 27, 2024, 02:15 AM
Dec 2024

Polybius

(19,626 posts)
39. It's more complicated with a NATO member attacking another NATO member, especially the head of NATO (US)
Fri Dec 27, 2024, 02:48 PM
Dec 2024

ColinC

(11,098 posts)
41. Thank you!
Fri Dec 27, 2024, 03:02 PM
Dec 2024

I wasn't able to copy paste it, but the paragraph about article 5 said that if there is a clear agressor in a member to member conflict, then article 5 would be triggered. The article makes clear there are many ways in which a clear aggressor could be up in the air and nato intervention woild be complicated. However, if Trump follows through with his plans to blatantly invade somebody as he has threatened for years, I could imagine there would be no question who the aggressor is.

It isnt entirely obvious tho how serious or blatant Trump is intending to be with these threats. My guess is he will just do whatever he feels like on a random Tuesday...

stopdiggin

(13,544 posts)
4. nobody is 'considering' such a possibility
Thu Dec 26, 2024, 11:21 PM
Dec 2024

Well - outside of a few whom are what we shall call - ' highly imaginative' ...

ColinC

(11,098 posts)
26. No. Conquering and destroying is among the least imaginative concepts
Fri Dec 27, 2024, 02:17 AM
Dec 2024

It is, in effect, the absolute absence of imagination.

An imagination vacuum.

There is, after all, nothing less imaginative.

stopdiggin

(13,544 posts)
31. Sorry. 'Imagining' that we are going to invade and conquer Greenland
Fri Dec 27, 2024, 03:00 AM
Dec 2024

is the very essence of wild imagination.
(and I was making every effort to be 'gentle' in using that description)

please take up your discussion elsewhere ..... I am the farthest thing from interested ...

ColinC

(11,098 posts)
33. "Imagination," Noun....
Fri Dec 27, 2024, 03:08 AM
Dec 2024

"the faculty or action of forming new ideas, or images or concepts of external objects not present to the sense."

Conquering, taking by force and destroying is the very definition of an old idea. It is perhaps one of the oldest ideas in civilization.

Perhaps you can find other words to make your point, but with all due respect, calling it "imagination" is an insult to the word, and all those who truly have ever imagined.

The biggest problem with these fuckers is they literally have no imagination, so they revert to the oldest ideas since before the wheel was even invented. Which frankly aren't even ideas at all: they are emotional impulses rooted in their most primitive parts of the brain.

Ocelot II

(123,986 posts)
6. He can't unilaterally withdraw from NATO.
Thu Dec 26, 2024, 11:23 PM
Dec 2024

the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024, enacted last December, prohibits the President from unilaterally withdrawing from NATO without approval of a two-third Senate super-majority or an act of Congress. So that's not happening. And if he did manage to get the US out of NATO and he attacked Greenland/Denmark, the other NATO countries would be obligated to defend Denmark. That could get very, very messy. Trump considers other countries to be just real estate that can be bought and sold, but he'd find out the hard way that it's not.

Srkdqltr

(8,195 posts)
7. Aren't they part of Denmark? Denmark is in NATO.
Thu Dec 26, 2024, 11:23 PM
Dec 2024

Actually...with global warming, it might not be a bad deal. Think of the resorts, the minerals, oil drilling in the future.

magicarpet

(17,899 posts)
15. Grenland is an active member of NATO.
Thu Dec 26, 2024, 11:47 PM
Dec 2024

Greenland is covered by NATO.
10:21 PM

Sourced from AI,...

Greenland is a self-governing Danish territory that has been covered by the North Atlantic Treaty since Denmark joined NATO in 1949. Greenlandic representatives participate in NATO delegations along with Denmark

BOSSHOG

(41,821 posts)
8. If the scenario plays out
Thu Dec 26, 2024, 11:23 PM
Dec 2024

We could be at War with NATO. Just what Vlad wants. Ya know Vlad? Trumps other Boss? The news about Russias almost Daly losses in Ukraine for quite some time makes me wonder just what kind of superpower they are? If they were a superpower wouldn’t they have defeated Ukraine on Day One?

stopdiggin

(13,544 posts)
11. Russia is pretty much beating the snot out of Ukraine
Thu Dec 26, 2024, 11:35 PM
Dec 2024

right at the moment. (which side will ultimately be fatally sapped of strength and will to proceed is a pretty grim calculus right now)

The remaining part of your post is pretty much spot on. Driving a wedge (of any description) into western cohesion and cooperation ... Benefits ALL of our common adversaries ... (including terrorists and nihilists)

mr715

(1,638 posts)
21. Ukraine punched way above expectations
Fri Dec 27, 2024, 01:32 AM
Dec 2024

This was never a conflict where there was an unexpected outcome. What is telling is how easily Ukraine was able to break the forward Russian defense apparatus and how vastly outclassed their intel community is to NATO.

stopdiggin

(13,544 posts)
32. don't get me wrong. Ukraine has acquitted themselves far above expectation
Fri Dec 27, 2024, 03:04 AM
Dec 2024

on a whole slate of measures. And, still .......

stopdiggin

(13,544 posts)
43. and they're still getting slowly ground down
Fri Dec 27, 2024, 10:18 PM
Dec 2024

with many indicators not pointing in the right direction. Plain enough?

Initech

(104,400 posts)
13. Serious question - how the fuck can we have no money to keep our government functioning..
Thu Dec 26, 2024, 11:40 PM
Dec 2024

Yet we have enough to stage imaginary wars against Greenland and Panama because we have a fragile man child as the leader of the free world?

Silent Type

(8,845 posts)
16. So far he's just talked about BUYING them, not attacks. Plus, DUers have posted that if he
Thu Dec 26, 2024, 11:55 PM
Dec 2024

did attack Greenland that would trigger some international agreements that could stop trump. Unfortunately, he’s crazy enough to do just about anything. But think Congress would stop him.

Diraven

(1,336 posts)
27. And they'd better sell, or else...
Fri Dec 27, 2024, 02:26 AM
Dec 2024

There are MAGA propagandists arguing precisely this - that if they refuse to be bought we're totally justified in taking them by force, because we can.

ornotna

(11,241 posts)
18. I would think that a great many of that 56,000
Fri Dec 27, 2024, 12:11 AM
Dec 2024

Would be able to beat the shit out of that fat fuck.

He's all talk.

iemanja

(55,761 posts)
24. They have Denmark behind them
Fri Dec 27, 2024, 02:06 AM
Dec 2024

but even so, the answer is probably no. I hope Trump is just spewing bullshit, as he often does.

I think it more likely he withdraws the US from NATO because that's what Putin wants.

LearnedHand

(4,590 posts)
34. Take the orange anus at his word
Fri Dec 27, 2024, 04:02 AM
Dec 2024

Whether he can accomplish it is another thing, but we better act as if he seriously intends to do it. In the past he almost always tried to do exactly what he said he'd do. He's stupid and malignant and uninformed, but he acts on what he sets his tiny mind to.

Polybius

(19,626 posts)
38. No one can defend themselves if attacked by the US
Fri Dec 27, 2024, 02:42 PM
Dec 2024

Not even China, although that would take time, maybe even decades. A population of 56,000 would take a day.

EX500rider

(11,771 posts)
42. Yeah even with NATO behind Denmark they don't have the reach to beat the US off our shores
Fri Dec 27, 2024, 03:06 PM
Dec 2024

Ping Tung

(1,979 posts)
40. Trump is employing the negotiating method used at Hiroshima.
Fri Dec 27, 2024, 02:54 PM
Dec 2024

He'll send Copenhagen a visitor called Enola Gay II.

Norbert

(6,959 posts)
49. All they need to do is dress amputees in military uniforms.
Mon Dec 30, 2024, 08:29 PM
Dec 2024

That alone should keep him away.

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