Greenland Seeks Direct US Talks, Bypassing Denmark
Greenland, home to 55,745 people, demands direct negotiations with Washington, excluding Denmark. We analyze the financial costs and historical precedents of this sovereignty bid.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Greenland negotiates with the US, bypassing Denmark: the price of independence
Greenland, with just 55,745 inhabitants, wants to sit down directly with Washington. This request, which excludes Denmark, has peine the debate on the cost of self-determination in the Trump era. The move, seen by many as a hostile takeover of the Danish crown, puts figures on the table that turn every Greenlandic citizen into a potential millionaire.
Cost per capita: $1 to $20 million
Calculations shared in the economic analysis suggest that a compensation of $20 million for each of the 55,745 inhabitants would amount to approximately 16% of the US annual federal spending, around $1.115 trillion. Although other voices lower the offer to $1 million per head, the total cost would be pocket change for the money-printing machine. The strategy, dubbed a "hostile takeover," recalls the purchase of Alaska in 1867, but with influencers and cheerleaders in the mix.
The precedents of Alaska and Puerto Rico
The mirror for agreement supporters is Alaska: the Inuit there have not fared well. However, skeptics point to Puerto Rico, a legal limbo that condemned the island to subsidies and brain drain. The history of Hawaii, Panama, or the Philippines is invoked as a warning: "making pacts with the Devil is costly." But 80% of Greenland's GDP already depends on fishing and Danish subsidies, and the Pituffik Air Base has been under US control for decades.
What role does the EU play?
The paradox is massive: the only nation threatening the sovereignty of a NATO member state is the United States itself. Greenland left the EU in 1985, but Denmark remains in the bloc. Brussels looks away while Washington tempts Greenlanders with offers Denmark cannot match. Some analysts see this as a necessary humiliation to wake the EU from its "proge dream."
The Gordian knot will be untied when Greenlanders go to the polls. The unanswered question is whether the international community will allow a European territory to become the 51st state without making a move.
Related debates in the forum
Greenland, with just 55,745 inhabitants, wants to sit down directly with Washington. This request, which excludes Denmark, has peine the debate on the cost of self-determination in the Trump era. The move, seen by many as a hostile takeover of the Danish crown, puts figures on the table that turn every Greenlandic citizen into a potential millionaire.
Cost per capita: $1 to $20 million
Calculations shared in the economic analysis suggest that a compensation of $20 million for each of the 55,745 inhabitants would amount to approximately 16% of the US annual federal spending, around $1.115 trillion. Although other voices lower the offer to $1 million per head, the total cost would be pocket change for the money-printing machine. The strategy, dubbed a "hostile takeover," recalls the purchase of Alaska in 1867, but with influencers and cheerleaders in the mix.
The precedents of Alaska and Puerto Rico
The mirror for agreement supporters is Alaska: the Inuit there have not fared well. However, skeptics point to Puerto Rico, a legal limbo that condemned the island to subsidies and brain drain. The history of Hawaii, Panama, or the Philippines is invoked as a warning: "making pacts with the Devil is costly." But 80% of Greenland's GDP already depends on fishing and Danish subsidies, and the Pituffik Air Base has been under US control for decades.
What role does the EU play?
The paradox is massive: the only nation threatening the sovereignty of a NATO member state is the United States itself. Greenland left the EU in 1985, but Denmark remains in the bloc. Brussels looks away while Washington tempts Greenlanders with offers Denmark cannot match. Some analysts see this as a necessary humiliation to wake the EU from its "proge dream."
The Gordian knot will be untied when Greenlanders go to the polls. The unanswered question is whether the international community will allow a European territory to become the 51st state without making a move.
Related debates in the forum
- Why are some very thin people who eat a lot never gaining weight? · 229 replies
- UCO enters Ferraz: operation underway against an illegal financing network of the PSOE · 22 replies
- Inheriting money is (almost) useless now · 153 replies
- Surprise in a Valencia bar: the unexpected charge that appeared on the ticket after breakfast · 180 replies
Also available in: Deutsch
Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (273 replies).
More summaries
-
The cost of Spain's gender violence law: a workshop, a son, and a complaint
A café racer YouTuber denounces the 'viogen' he suffered after his son's birth: arrest, restraining order, and a ruling that reopens the debate.
-
Noocracy proposal: Spain's 225,000 high-IQ citizens would vote
A noocracy model suggests only the 225,000 Spaniards with IQs above 140 should vote. It features rotation and claims to prevent corruption.
-
Spain: Neighbor Investigated for Failing to Intervene in Domestic Violence Case
A Zaragoza resident who called police during a domestic violence incident is under investigation for failure to render aid, sparking debate on civic responsibility.
-
Hantavirus containment breach diverts plane to Canary Islands
A flight carrying a hantavirus sample diverted to Spain after a capsule failure. The Andes strain outbreak reignites health safety debates.
-
Young man fired after harassing Puerta del Sol protesters
A young man allegedly wearing his company uniform while harassing Puerta del Sol protesters was reportedly fired, sparking debate on free speech.
-
Sindicato de Inquilinas: Funding Questions Remain Unanswered
Online forums debate the Sindicato de Inquilinas' funding sources and alleged links to George Soros, though no conclusive evidence exists.