Trump, Greenland, and the Dangerous Return to Imperial Thinking

[ArcticGong]

Right-wingers are busy trying to rationalise and sane-wash this behaviour. 
 

http://youtube.com/post/UgkxgnZMhB6mWC8O_qYkqPr7r0V5-kh1fF1v?si=OTsbY02I5149KfVI

[zazen]

On 14/01/2026 at 6:47 PM, Elliott said:

Europe doesn't need the u.s., this is just cowardly. Venezuela has more courage....

 

 

How Europe feels sending 50 soldiers to Greenland:

Trumps just announced tarrifs on NATO allies over Greenland:

I think the US empire is trying to lock in Greenland because of its increasing strategic importance.

It’s already within the US orbit but under Euro sovereignty that still requires cooperation and permission they’d rather not ask for.

Imperialism wants total control - especially over possible riches and leverage via trade corridors and choke points.

What could give Europe more importance and geo-strategic value is being snatched away before it becomes relevant.

Europe needs to start carving out its own autonomy and hedging pragmatically rather than being sucked into bloc thinking. Canada boosting ties with China in the “new world order” for example.

Edited Saturday at 11:42 PM by zazen

[Twentyfirst]

19 minutes ago, zazen said:

I think the US empire is trying to lock in Greenland because of its increasing strategic importance.

 

Not sure if this was mentioned yet in the thread but Venezuela and Greenland could be energy extractors for fueling this whole AI fantasy

[Basman]

3 hours ago, zazen said:

I think the US empire is trying lock in Greenland because of its increasing strategic importance.

Your overestimating Trump. He's not motivated by strategy, but by feeding his narcisism. It's because it's a big ass island and it that makes good TV. The US already has strategic access to Greenland. This is about planting a flag and holding a big rambly speech afterwards. "It was very very cold, but the special forces, they they, such nice samples, worked so hard. So hard working. That horrible Fredriksen was calling me. She's so horrible. We needed Greenland for national security."

[Basman]

Distracting from Epstein motivates Trump more than national security. 

"That horrible Mette Fredriksen. So horrible."

[Kid A]

9 hours ago, Basman said:

Your overestimating Trump. He's not motivated by strategy, but by feeding his narcisism. It's because it's a big ass island and it that makes good TV. The US already has strategic access to Greenland. This is about planting a flag and holding a big rambly speech afterwards. "It was very very cold, but the special forces, they they, such nice samples, worked so hard. So hard working. That horrible Fredriksen was calling me. She's so horrible. We needed Greenland for national security."

Bingo. The exact type of behaviour you can expect from someone who’s at Stage Red level of development.

[zazen]

10 hours ago, Basman said:

Your overestimating Trump. He's not motivated by strategy, but by feeding his narcisism. It's because it's a big ass island and it that makes good TV. The US already has strategic access to Greenland. This is about planting a flag and holding a big rambly speech afterwards. "It was very very cold, but the special forces, they they, such nice samples, worked so hard. So hard working. That horrible Fredriksen was calling me. She's so horrible. We needed Greenland for national security."

lol perfect quote. That’s true also - he is impulsive and performative but doesn’t mean there isn’t a larger strategy at play by those around him or within the state apparatus.

He’s actually the perfect conduit for a late stage empire that doesn’t want to or have the time / resources to conduct policy politely. He’s absorbs reputational damage on behalf of the system - so much for MAGA boasting about him being against the deep state.

Him having a “hulk smash” we look strong logic doesn’t mean he isn’t useful at a time like the one we’re in. It also doesn’t mean these actions will be good for the US empire long term - but instead will be self defeating as they alienate allies or force their own allies to hedge against the US. But late stage empires act brash and overextend themselves out of desperation just as USSR did.

Greenlands always been on the radar: https://www.csis.org/analysis/america-arctic

Even since the Cold War days where they needed it for early warning systems against Soviet ICBM’s that fly over the shortest distance that is the arctic. There actually is a plausible security angle to all this. Hence perhaps also the increase in military’s spending to €1.5t with mention of the golden dome: https://www.france24.com/en/americas/20260117-does-trump-need-own-greenland-to-build-his-golden-dome-missile-shield

But instead of including allies in this arrangement and working along side them - they want to deny any future leverage to those same allies in a bid to maintain primacy. They don’t just want to be at the table but at the head.

[Hatfort]

This is a big mess, and has a lot of implications. If Europe sets military forces, then it would be a bloodfest between allies, although the US is superior, it would mean the end of NATO. Trump and the deep state really want it, but we'll see. I think they will do it. 

Then also, better doing anything crazy before the midterms, that applies to other parts of the world as well, as we are seeing. 

How about later? Let's say Trump gets Greenland. Is he going to just let a Democrat come in 2028 to give it back? This is bad.

[Basman]

9 hours ago, zazen said:

lol perfect quote. That’s true also - he is impulsive and performative but doesn’t mean there isn’t a larger strategy at play by those around him or within the state apparatus.

He’s actually the perfect conduit for a late stage empire that doesn’t want to or have the time / resources to conduct policy politely. He’s absorbs reputational damage on behalf of the system - so much for MAGA boasting about him being against the deep state.

Him having a “hulk smash” we look strong logic doesn’t mean he isn’t useful at a time like the one we’re in. It also doesn’t mean these actions will be good for the US empire long term - but instead will be self defeating as they alienate allies or force their own allies to hedge against the US. But late stage empires act brash and overextend themselves out of desperation just as USSR did.

Greenlands always been on the radar: https://www.csis.org/analysis/america-arctic

Even since the Cold War days where they needed it for early warning systems against Soviet ICBM’s that fly over the shortest distance that is the arctic. There actually is a plausible security angle to all this. Hence perhaps also the increase in military’s spending to €1.5t with mention of the golden dome: https://www.france24.com/en/americas/20260117-does-trump-need-own-greenland-to-build-his-golden-dome-missile-shield

But instead of including allies in this arrangement and working along side them - they want to deny any future leverage to those same allies in a bid to maintain primacy. They don’t just want to be at the table but at the head.

Trump doesn't care about any of this. Any talk about national security is purely bogus pretext. Acting like it's coming from a legitimate place is giving credibility to something that is fundamentally not operating with respect to reality.

It's true though that empires in decline tend to lose patience with reality and act irrationally and that the US is broadly trading global influence for regional influence. 

[Husseinisdoingfine]

I def remember in Leo's video on SDi RED, he said that one of RED's values was the expansion, conquering, and controlling of turf or territory.