President Trump said he would talk to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney about making Canada the 51st state. But the president said he didn’t expect it to get to the point of using military force — though he wouldn’t commit to the same for Greenland.

“Something could happen with Greenland, I’ll be honest,” Trump said in an interview with NBC News’ “Meet the Press” that aired on Sunday.  He said that “we need that for national and international security,” but he added “I don’t see it with Canada. I just don’t see it.”

  • DBT@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    48
    ·
    12 days ago

    If we need Greenland so bad how is it we’ve been just fine leaving them the fuck alone since forever?

    • ToastedRavioli@midwest.social
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      29
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      edit-2
      12 days ago

      The claim we need it for safety and security is bs considering we have probably more service members there than there are people in Nuuk.

      Its all about minerals, which we have no claim to. If Greenland were a territory, the federal government would have full control over the entire thing. US territories are modern day colonies basically

      • grue@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        11
        ·
        11 days ago

        Other real (albeit idiotic) reasons might include Putin feeding Trump the idea of the US having control of the newly ice-free Northwest Passage, or just a sheer megalomaniacal desire to secure his legacy via territorial expansion.

    • grue@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      15
      ·
      11 days ago

      Greenland is part of Denmark, so attacking it ought to trigger NATO Article 5. I’m pretty sure NATO ex-US is capable of putting up a fight too, even if the 50k people who live in Greenland themselves could not.

        • smayonak@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          11 days ago

          They’re going to use the cia. Trump would use proxy forces to invade under the guise of assisting a rebellion. He can find an opposition political leader, declare him the leader (in this case, declare Greenland to be soverign from Denmark) and then absorb greenland.

          • InverseParallax@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            2
            ·
            11 days ago

            Nope, not possible.

            Everything would leak worse than hegseth because they all think it’s stupid and have more friends in Europe than here.

            The CIA would love to bring this regime down, they hate the worthless inbred southern fried junta more than anyone.

        • InverseParallax@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          7
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          12 days ago

          Put up a fight?

          Nah, more like encourage our trash to attack, then slide in right behind them.

          We’d let the canadians help us give them what they deserve.

        • Miles O'Brien@startrek.website
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          13
          ·
          11 days ago

          I’d be happy to join a Canadian foreign legion. I view protecting Canada from foreign aggression my patriotic duty as a fellow human being, and neighbor.

          Besides, once upon a time I swore an oath to protect my country from threats foreign and domestic, so I am honor bound to fight alongside Canada against the biggest threat the US has ever faced.

          I’m not sure how many Americans would join me, or how receptive Canadians would even be to a bunch of tacticool looking non-professionals with guns showing up and CLAIMING to want to help, but I’m positive there will be americans fighting back. Whether it’s on the front lines with guns, or with sabotage in the states, who can say.

          • MagicShel@lemmy.zip
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            6
            ·
            11 days ago

            I’m in my fifties so I have no illusions about my combat effectiveness, but I took that same oath and I would obey it in the same way for the same reasons. Plus I’m like 75 miles from the border. If the lines moved just a little afterward, I could wind up Canadian anyway.

            • FaceDeer@fedia.io
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              6
              arrow-down
              1
              ·
              11 days ago

              I suspect sabotage would be the best use of most American allies. Pipelines, power lines, railroads, bridges, America has plenty of those just lying around undefended. And many of them are a stiff breeze away from collapsing on their own anyway.

              Blowing up or burning down a few might not have much direct impact on America’s warfighting capabilities, but forcing the American military to divert huge amounts of manpower to protect all of that would. Not to mention increasing the likely-alreayd-extreme discontent at the government.

              And, of course, assassinations when you can manage it. (Ooh, this isn’t Reddit, I can say such things without being [ Removed ])

      • CobraChicken3000@lemmy.ca
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        58
        ·
        12 days ago

        I mean, all of the might of United States military had trouble with the Afghani insurgents. Now, just imagine Canadian insurgents who speak the same language, look exactly like you, and know your history better than you do. No city in the continental United States will be safe.

      • grober_Unfug@discuss.tchncs.de
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        10 days ago

        I’m not so sure about that. I could easily imagine him thinking “that’s just Europe, we can win this”.

        I’m fairly sure that he thinks the same about Canada, but that’s probably just too close to home to start a war. The US prefers to fight far away from home.

  • BotsRuinedEverything@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    47
    ·
    11 days ago

    There is no way, in hell, that Trump plans on making Canadians into American citizens. Why would he add the equivalent of another California to the voting population. No Canadian will ever cast a vote in favor of the political party that took their country from them.

    What version of statehood is he envisioning here?

    The scariest part here is that the Republicans are acting, in every way, like they will never be subject to a legitimate vote again.

    • TheProtagonist@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      7
      ·
      11 days ago

      The scariest part here is that the Republicans are acting, in every way, like they will never be subject to a legitimate vote again.

      I thought that’s the plan?!

    • Revan343@lemmy.ca
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      6
      ·
      11 days ago

      Making us citizens and giving us statehood are two different things, and I could see the former, but not the latter. Not that we would join willingly in the first place

      • Smoogs@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        4
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        11 days ago

        Then he needs to stop calling it a 51st. A state can vote. A territory cannot.

        • nyamlae@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          3
          ·
          10 days ago

          Let’s stop debating the details of a stupid plan. Trump deserves total, unreserved opposition, not submissive "well, actually…"s.

          • Smoogs@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            ·
            edit-2
            8 days ago

            No, he deserves prison. In the special section for dementia. That’s not Canada’s job. Americans need to sort their stuff out, lock him up and stop looking for countries to come to their rescue while they let him threaten with annexing. And stop bending the knee. I mean cmon’ how spineless can one be?

            Canada didn’t bend the knee. Not like America has to him and his whims. America already has its own congress, a senate and a judiciary system. So not sure what you’re expecting Canada to do at this point to fix a bumbling dementia riddled idiot for America who put him there in the first place and seem to have failed in their own system to remove him whilst all the while complaining about it.

            This is an American failure. Not Canadian.

        • epicstove@lemmy.ca
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          11 days ago

          Do US territories legit get no representation in government?

          In Canada the territories are a riding, thus have a seat in Parliament (A massive one due to their small and spare population)

          • dryfter@lemm.ee
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            4
            ·
            11 days ago

            No, only states do. Although territories have members in congress, they can’t vote on any legislation. They have a government set up by Congress and pretty much oversee themselves with no ability to influence elections or laws in the states. The last territory to become a state was Hawaii. Territories are land grabs, statehood comes after that.

            Canada would unfortunately be a land grab for the resources and nothing else for Trump. It would be ravaged and the people of Canada would suffer greatly for it without an ounce of ability to do anything about it.

    • OutlierBlue@lemmy.ca
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      27
      ·
      11 days ago

      There is no way, in hell, that Trump plans on making Canadians into American voters citizens.

      We’ll be like Guam or Puerto Rico.

    • huppakee@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      14
      ·
      11 days ago

      It’s only rumours so far, but according to the new president nobody is going to vote ever again, soo

    • OccamsRazer@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      1
      arrow-down
      4
      ·
      10 days ago

      There’s no way he was ever serious about it, but i can’t for the life of me figure out his plan. Only thing i can figure is that it was some kind of negotiation tactic involving Greenland.

      • supernight52@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        6
        ·
        10 days ago

        And this is where you’re not paying attention. He is serious. He has always been serious. Canada’s leaders are taking the threat seriously, so why would you think he isn’t serious? He is unstable, and taking marching orders from Putin.

        • OccamsRazer@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          1
          arrow-down
          5
          ·
          10 days ago

          I need a lot more evidence before buying into wild conspiracy theories about our top level of government being compromised by foreign countries. Canadian politicians are not taking it seriously except for how they can leverage it to their benefit. Carney won because of it, so I can’t blame him.

          • supernight52@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            3
            ·
            10 days ago

            It literally is not a conspiracy. Trump is saying he is serious. Multiple govt officials in Canada are taking it seriously. Just because you refuse to believe an insane person would do something insane, doesn’t make it a conspiracy.

    • smayonak@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      28
      ·
      11 days ago

      They already answered this question. They would use procedural rules to prevent Canadian votes from mattering, the same as they have done in the US in many states.

    • barneypiccolo@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      2
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      10 days ago

      Because Putin promised Canada to him, in exchange for Alaska.

      And you only care what the people think if you think they can hold you accountable in some way. Without elections, and with the largest military in history willing to fire on American citizens, the opinion of the people is irrelevant.

  • SoupBrick@pawb.social
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    14
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    12 days ago

    Located between the U.S., Russia and Europe, Greenland is viewed as a strategic position for both economic and defense purposes, with melting sea ice opening up new shipping routes through the Arctic.

    • LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.dbzer0.com
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      11
      ·
      12 days ago

      Shipping from the U.S. to Europe can only be made more inefficient by heading up towards Greenland. The only way it could be more efficient is if the U.S. took over Canada and was trying to directly trade with Russia without Europe being in the way. An attack on Greenland should be seen as an attack on Canada and all of the EU/UK

      • grue@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        4
        ·
        11 days ago

        The only way it could be more efficient is if the U.S. took over Canada and was trying to directly trade with Russia without Europe being in the way.

        Exactly.

      • SocialMediaRefugee@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        10 days ago

        Or see how fast they withdraw from NATO and form a new alliance.

        According to Article 13 of the 1949 NATO treaty, members can declare their withdrawal, but the document does not provide for a member to be expelled. The only measure the treaty provides to sanction serious violations of the alliance’s principles is a joint decision by the other member states to restrict or suspend cooperation.

        • samus12345@lemm.ee
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          edit-2
          10 days ago

          The US military is such an essential part of NATO that if they don’t withdraw, a new alliance should definitely be made.

  • Admiral Patrick@dubvee.org
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    17
    arrow-down
    3
    ·
    12 days ago

    Every time I hear this, I think “Ok, that’s what his right hand is doing. What he doing with his other hand?”

    Read: Isn’t the batshit stuff pretty much always a distraction?