AUG 17 PRESIDENT TRUMP WANTS TO BUY GREENLAND?

AUG 17  PRESIDENT TRUMP WANTS TO BUY GREENLAND?

When you first saw the bizarre headline about the USA purchasing Greenland, your first thought was to come to the DUNER BLOG. Thanks! Let's get to the mailbox.

Did Trump tweet this at three in the morning? Glen, Utah. Good question! Actually, it wasn't a tweet at all. Rather, this story first ran in the Wall Street Journal. Their source was a unnamed White House staff member. Anyhow, the insider quipped that Donald "in varying degrees of seriousness" brought up the subject a couple of times. Hmm. Whether it's legit or not, Glen, it still gives us one of the rare chances Greenland comes up in the news, so let's continue!

Did politicians over-react to the article? Karen, Hannover. Naturally! Regardless of the validity of the source, people couldn't wait to react online. Especially politicians. Greenland Premier Kim Kielsen says the world largest island is "not for sale." Likewise, Danish MP Rasmus Jarlov tweeted: "Forget it, Donald!" Wisely, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen declined to comment on the article in the WSJ.

Who owns Greenland? Kenji, Osaka. Norwegian Erik the Red was the first European to visit the ice-covered island in the year 986AD. He called it Greenland and encountered the Inuit and Thule people. Despite the colorful name, it received sporadic colonization from Norway over the next thousand years. OK, here comes the confusing part: In the 1700's, the Danish and Norwegian kingdoms merged together, sharing colonies. When they separated in a 1815 treaty, Denmark was ceded Greenland. Since 2009, Copenhagen has granted the island self-rule.

Why does Trump want Greenland? Juan, Quito. Alright...remember...Trump never officially announced this policy. Nonetheless, let's wildly speculate: It's not a military strategy, as the US already operates the Thule AFB as part of a 1950 NATO agreement with Denmark. Nope, most feel Trump is interested in Greenland's many natural resources. Coal (a Trump favorite), zinc, copper, iron...even rubies...are plentiful, yet hidden under the permafrost. With glaciers rapidly melting, these treasures might be exposed within a decade.

Is there any precedent for this? Burt, Boston. Believe it or not, this would NOT be the first time the USA has contacted Denmark about purchasing Greenland. Fresh off his savvy grab of Alaska, Secretary of State Seward also tried to acquire it. However, the only formal request came in 1946. President Truman offered $100 million for Greenland and was rebuffed. NOTE: The last time the US bought territory was in 1917, when the US purchased the Virgin Islands from Denmark.

How do the residents of Greenland feel about this? Sara, Boulder. Interesting angle, Sara. Greenland is the most sparsely populated place on earth. All of the 56,000 residents live in or around Nuuk, the capital. 90% are of Thule/Inuit descent. Although independent politically from Denmark, residents are still dependent on Denmark for food and supplies.

Stay tuned! Danish PM Frederiksen and Trump set to meet later in the year!!