Donald Trump has many weird obsessions, but his fixation on acquiring Greenland may be the weirdest. Alas, it’s also consequential. European nations are taking it seriously enough that they have sent military forces into Greenland — not exactly to fight off an invasion, but to serve as a tripwire that would mean that U.S. forces trying to seize the island would have to open fire on allies. This would be an awesome act, and also an order that the U.S. military might (and should) disobey.
So Trump is making his all-purpose response:
Some quick thoughts, in no particular order:
· European deterrence has worked. This is basically a howl of frustration on the part of a mad dictator who has just realized that he can’t send in the Marines
· A tariff to promote territorial expansion is clearly illegal, under any sane interpretation of U.S. trade law. This is on the Supreme Court, which is obviously dithering while the world burns
· Trump thinks, or at least wants to believe, that tariffs are a Veg-O-Matic policy that can accomplish all goals. They slice! They dice! They eliminate budget deficits! They reindustrialize! They intimidate foreigners!
· These are nations that allegedly made trade deals with Trump. They’ve just learned what they should have known from the beginning: a deal with Trump lasts until he feels like breaking it
· Greenland? We’re going to demolish what’s left of our credibility for Greenland?
