The Panama Canal.....

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alan

Well, that plus its location makes it the perfect spot to monitor and intercept missiles from Russia, North Korea and China. Whoever controls Greenland militarily, also controls the Arctic.

When I was at my first duty assignment in the Air Force 50 years ago, as the Vietnam war was winding down, the worst possible assignment was an 89 day TDY (Temporary Duty) to Thule Air Force Base in Greenland.

It's also a nearly perfect spot to launch ships and aircraft to or from those locations, which makes it a desirable beachhead for those foreign powers as well. I don't know when we started using Greenland as an important defensive post against far eastern aggression, but it's been at least that long. Paul Krugman may not be aware of that, but now you are.

They don’t call it Thule anymore, they’re using some unpronounceable local name.

I remember spending a lot of time talking about the GIUK gap back in the day, as well as the potential for tracking ICBMs on polar trajectories. I understand the place has been costing the Danes a fortune to support since before Napoleon. They refused a purchase offer in 1946, so I’m not sure why they’d change their minds now. As long as the US can maintain basing rights there, I’m not sure it’s necessary to pay for another dependency. There are probably multiple contingency plans for seizing it in time of war. There is mining potential, but the US already has considerable Arctic claims.

I think Trump is just looking for a monument here.