Enough is enough

It’s past time to challenge Mr Trump on his outrageous statements of intent. There are so many ways that what he is proposing for Greenland is simply not going to happen. I believe that’s true whether you take an American view, or a Greenlandic view or, indeed any other.

Let’s see this from an American perspective first. My next door neighbour has a larger house than mine, and he also has a bigger and more expensive car than mine. So if I was to follow the Trump approach I might just say, ‘I need my neighbour’s house and car’. Does that justify my actions if I knock down a section of his garden fence and break one of his windows, take his car keys, change the locks on his door, and seize his car and house for my own use?

Clearly it does not. The police would soon be knocking on my door, probably with an arrest warrant. Saying I need something does nothing to make it legally mine. I’d soon find out that the police and the law courts would have a different view!

Yet this is effectively what Mr Trump is saying to Greenland. The USA ‘needs’ Greenland. If the USA needs anything, it needs to mind its own business, apply some common sense, and observe international law. We’ve seen countries with overwhelming military power make similar demands in the 20th century. Adolf Hitler argued that Germany needed lebensraum (literally ‘living space’). Poland and Russia had space they did not need (in Hitler’s opinion), so the German army was ordered to take it – first by invading Poland. and later by invading the Soviet Union. In the end that did not work out well for Germany.

Perhaps we should dig into the details and see how Trump might come unstuck.

An invasion of Greenland would involve American forces. There is no land border so troops would have to be taken in by air and/or by sea. The first thing would be for Trump to require the Pentagon to draw up plans for such an invasion. But American forces of all ranks owe allegiance, not to the President of the USA, but to the Constitution. They would be right to refuse orders that were either illegal or immoral. I think Trump would be stuck right there. Orders to invade an allied nation would be seen as neither legal nor moral. About as legal and moral as me taking my neighbour’s car or house!

I believe France, Germany and Norway already have small numbers of troops in Greenland to bolster Danish forces, and I further understand that British troops will join them very soon. I expect them to be joined by Polish, Finnish, Swedish and other forces, also very soon. What will they do? My first task if I was ordered to make it harder for an enemy force to land would be to consider ways to block those landings. Greenland is very inhospitable in the winter months. Even more so for forces unfamiliar with such conditions. And if American forces did arrive, I’d focus on ways to limit or destroy their supplies. But I don’t think Trump will get this far. His foolish bluster will be dealt with long before any invasion of Greenland gets under way. American politicians, both Democrat and Republican will make sure of that. Crowds would be out on the streets demanding he back down. It would be a disaster for Trump, Vance, MAGA, and for the USA as a whole.

Invading Greenland is probably Trump’s worst idea so far. If he persists he will be bought down. And his landing will be very hard indeed. I suggest he learns ice-skating as fast as possible, he’s going be on severe ice soon, with no grip. And even if he become a great skater, he’ll be on very thin ice and the heavier you are, the more likely the ice is to break! You don’t live long if you’re plunged into severely cold water. If you’re unfit and have a dodgy heart, your time would be even more limited. I hope you’re listening, Donald!