The plan would replace the $600 million in subsidies Denmark gives the island each year
The Donald Trump administration is reportedly considering giving about $10,000 to each Greenland resident as part of its plan to annex the island.
The possibility would seek to replace the $600 million Denmark gives the territory in subsidies every year, and has stopped being mere rhetoric to become official U.S. policy, according to The New York Times.
The outlet detailed that the plan already includes several cabinet departments and that the White House’s National Security Council has met several times to advance on it, recently sending specific instructions to different offices.
Would that even pay for the first year of medical insurance that you will need?
No lol not even close the way they charge for private insurance
When Greenlanders don’t want to vote on it? Also if there was a vote does a simple majority count. Maybe 2/3. Or 90%? Or 100%? Does the US constitution allow for separatism despite Texas?
Why so stingy? The Greenland population is about 56,000. You could offer every Greenlander a million dollars, and it would only come to $56 billion, still a bargain in the grand scheme of things. If you actually want to buy someone’s country out from under them, that’s the kind of money you need to be talking about.
This is the same government that brought us the Louisiana Purchase and Seward’s Folly, both of which were really cheap land grabs. They just need to find a quasi-official way for someone to accept the terms and then execute the terms by force. The $10,000 agreement is their legal shield for taking the land by force.
It’s not the same government though. The Alaska purchase was in 1867. The US has an entirely different kind of government than it did back then. And we’re in an entirely different historical era. You can’t just blindly assume what worked in 1867 is going to work or be remotely applicable in 2025.
Oh, jesus. Of course it’s not the exact same government, but it’s America and America is comprised of people and people are fundamentally the same as they were 200 years ago. Ignoring that, this will work because if anything Land Grabs are waaay more common now than they were back then.
Land grabs are more common now than in the 19th century? That’s just completely false. That was the age of Manifest Destiny and overt colonization by European powers. Conflicts like Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are so notable because they are so rare in the modern era. Today, global powers are more about economic influence, trading relationships, and economic spheres of influence. Turns out it’s a lot cheaper and more efficient to just trade with people than to pay for the huge expense of maintaining an old-fashioned colonial empire. Look at China. They’re expanding their influence through their Belt and Road Initiative, not through outright conquest and imperial subjugation. Or look at the US trade and influence machines it built after WW2 like the WTO, the World Bank, etc. It is very very rare for the great powers to outright seize land anymore. The US doesn’t need to conquer Congo and become responsible for its people in order to gain access to its resources. It can just cut a check for them.
And no, it really isn’t the same government. The federal government in 2025 has an entirely different relationship with the US population than it did in 1867. Hell, the entire way the US conducts military and diplomatic policy changed after WW2 and the dawn of the atomic era. The US hasn’t formally declared war on anyone since WW2, when previously it was the norm for every conflict. Programs like Social Security or policies like anti-drug laws would have been unfathomable to a US citizen in 1867.
And if you want to say it’s the same people, it really isn’t. We’re not the same people we were then, culturally or genetically. Even just ethnically, we’ve had so many waves of immigrants that our ethnic admixtures have completely changed. That’s to say nothing of how much our norms and culture have fundamentally shifted. Try explaining gender nonbinary people to someone from 1867.
Look, I get it. It’s tempting to adopt the old world-weary saying that nothing is new under the Sun, but I don’t see how one can possibly look at the monumental changes in global technology, history, and culture over the last century and a half and conclude that things are basically the same. If nothing else, the introduction of nuclear weapons fundamentally changed the way the great powers manage their affairs.
Yes, you can be incredibly pedantic and say that, “well, human nature is the same, so fundamentally nothing has changed.” But at that point you might as well be arguing that the US and ancient Babylon are the same country.
Take the money and tell him to fuck off. He’s a con artist. Have him lose at his own game.
If it was taken seriously, Trump would promise the million after annexing them. Then would never pay and say he did. (Also absolutely insane that this is even a conversation)
Hey when are we gonna get our $5000 Donny? I really need it to start building my crypto factory in order to become a billionaire by the summer.
President Sundowner isn’t going to do shit.
Is that what 30 pieces of silver is worth in this market?
Oh gee Mr Trump a whole 10000, I can buy so many bubblegum with that
Tax money?
Maybe Tariff money? Oh wait they are taxes on domestic importers.
I read someplace that theres about 17 trillion in minerals and oil in greenland. ~57000 population of greenland, so paying for just the mineral wealth not the land and other resources, he’d owe each inhabitant about 298 million. each. So he’s paying them 1 /30,000th of what he should be offering.
Whatever the actual net value is, it’s not that. There isn’t just a 17 trillion pile of minerals sitting somewhere on the surface.
Yeah Greenland is actually in a tough spot. It has a lot of economic potential, but it can’t unlock it without completely upending its own society. There are only 56,000 Greenlanders. If they wanted to expand mining enough to be economically self sufficient, they would need to bring in so many people that the existing population would become a minority. They would have to become an Arctic Dubai.
This is also why they don’t want to be annexed by the US. (Even if the US still had sane leadership.) Once you’re part of the US, any American that wishes can move there. Any American company can set up shop there. The existing society would be completely overrun.
And it would be an ecological disaster.
Not that the Trump administration nor mining corporations care about that, but it would suck for the Greenlanders and our planet.
Why so much? 10 cent would be enough. That of course, is if you want to insult them.
And…then?
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Greenland still belongs to Denmark even if you give 99999999 gazillion to each Greenlander
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I don’t think anyone in Greenland is dumb enough to sell out their country for 10k to then live in a country where you will pay out of your ass in taxes, handing those 10k right back to the IRS in 5 years tops.
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Greenlanders would have to call themselves “Americans” henceforth, which is considered an insult and lower class of civilization world-wide.
- If Denmark doesn’t recognize Greenland’s self-determination then they are hypocrites.
- Maybe maybe not. He could also give them way more. There arent a lot of people there.
- Being an American means you don’t care what the rest of the world thinks about you so this point is moot.
Denmark does recognize Greenland’s right to self determination. They can leave at any time they wish, but overwhelmingly voted to stay, several times.
Actually, greenlanders have polled and voted to become independent as a supermajority, they just haven’t started the process of independence yet.
I expect that the process towards independence for greenland is going to be delayed in light of recent events though. I can’t imagine they’d want to go through with it right now
Either way, Denmark has come out and said in the past that they will respect the wishes of greenland
Edit: here’s a recent poll I believe https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/news/virtually-no-greenlander-wants-to-join-the-us-poll-finds/
Yes Greenland wants to be independent under the terms that Denmark continue to pay huge regional subsidies of more than 10k USD per capita per year. On top of paying for official functions like police and defense. While still being tax exempt.
They don’t want to pay for any of that themselves.
Apparently the only thing that keeps Greenland part of Denmark is money.
And AFAIK Denmark gets nothing in return.If this support for more than a hundred years, doesn’t make Greenlanders feel as if they are part of Denmark, then I don’t see why we should keep supporting them.
Yes we made mistakes in the past, but good luck finding someone else to support you, that display greater respect for the autonomy of Greenland.
Well, yeah, obviously they wouldn’t get the subsidies anymore, I thought that was implied in gaining independence
Either way, they should still have the right to decide themselves
I thought that was implied in gaining independence
One should think that is a given, but that’s not how the people of Greenland see it.
Well, in that case I do agree with you. If they gain independence, the subsidies should stop. I mean, that’s only natural
And yes, I don’t think it would be a wise choice for greenland to do, but ultimately they should still have that choice, otherwise it’s just a glorified colony
It’s not the money as such but Greenland not being ready for full independence. They don’t want independence to leave them worse off, poorer, as a playing ball of larger powers, etc.
Basically Greenland is a 30yold guy living with their parents figuring out how to get their own place. They aren’t thrilled about the situation, but the parents are tolerable and it definitely beats being homeless.
Denmark gets a friend out of this, and a good conscience. Also, business opportunities. Applies to Europe in general, I very much doubt Greenland will go for independence without joining the EU. Not only would it provide safety, but it also means sovereignty while still being able to draw on cohesion funds.
I very much doubt Greenland will go for independence without joining the EU.
Greenland actively chose NOT to be part of EU!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenland_and_the_European_Unionafter gaining autonomy in 1979 with the introduction of home rule within the Kingdom of Denmark, Greenland voted to leave in 1982 and left in 1985
Support for re-joining increased form 40% to 60% from 2021 to 2024.
Main stumbling block has always been the fisheries policy, same with Norway, Iceland and the Faroer, and while truth be told the CFP really needs reform it also has lost much economical importance for the countries. Well maybe except the Faroer.
Greenlanders and Faroese are still EU citizens, btw, by virtue of being Danish citizens, with all the privileges that entails. That kind of special status won’t be possible upon independence, it’s going to be all-in or all-out. Ask Brits how losing EU citizenship feels like.
I guess if the people of Greenland accept a measly 10k soon to be worthless USD in exchange to join a dying empire, they deserve to be part of that empire. Maybe Trump is actually smart and this is a hidden IQ test.
I had a feeling he would try something like this. If you only need to convince 57 thousand people, throwing money at them is a very real option. But I never imagined he would go so cheap. 2 million dollars for every man woman and child would only cost the USA 120 billion dollars. Not a bad price for Greenland. 10k is a fucking insult.
Even at 2 million that wouldn’t really be enough money to be above all the shitty laws the US inflicts on its own citizens.
Not sure why you’re being downvoted, you’re correct and this is likely what the current administration will do. Hell, if 10k isn’t enough they could up it to 100k since there are so few people in Greenland. Maybe even more.
Denmark has stated that they will honor a referendum if it comes to that. That was before the US wanted to annex the territory but it’s still true.
The US can and will try to simply buy Greenland and it’s fairly likely to succeed in my view.
Lmao they want no part of America
Yeah. But I think you’re underestimating how much people like money dude.
That’s barely any worthwhile money. I think you really overestimate how much ten k means to people - especially when it means being sucked in by a failing capitalist system.
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So if that’s valid, could some states get bought by other countries? Hell, I bet many residents in some states would pay to have it be part of a different country.
As a Californian, I hope we accept Denmark’s offer.
I need some brave Canadian MP to make this kind of offer on Vermont or Michigan.
First… we take Manhattan…
Who in their right mind would trust the US right now? Or ever really…the US undid so much precedent over the last few months that it is laughable to even consider trusting them.
Even before that, who would want to be in part of America by choice? The health care horror show and massive inequality are but two reasons.
Trump is a known liar and a thief.
