cross-posted from: https://quokk.au/c/world/p/1191953/us-to-build-two-military-bases-in-greenland-under-new-deal-with-denmark

The defence deal signed at the UN General Assembly also re-affirms Denmark's sovereignty over its semi-autonomous Arctic territory.

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[–] 124 points 4 days ago (52 children)

I'm no military strategist, but normally if a country threatens to take over your territory you don't let them build military bases there.

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  • [–] 80 points 4 days ago (13 children)

    There is basically nothing new in that agreement, USA always had the option to have more bases in Greenland, and they used to have that during the cold war. It is USA themselves that have limited the number of bases they wanted to have there.
    Trump just think he made some kind of deal, when in reality that deal has been there for more than half a century.

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  • [–] 16 points 4 days ago (1 child)

    Sure, but with Trump there never really is a "deal", because at some point in the future he'll just decide he wants something else. See, e.g., NAFTA. In this case, he'll build up the bases and then declare Greenland part of the U.S.. I'd like to believe that the midterm elections will shift the balance of power, and Trump will face a reckoning, but in reality I think he'll do something like declare martial law and fuck the elections. He's already ordered republicans to "cheat like hell". It's going to be an interesting year end.

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  • [–] 11 points 3 days ago (3 children)

    There's also a clause that says they can only be there if USA is in NATO.

    Which ties them.to NATO for the foreseeable.

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  • [–] 1 point 3 days ago

    One, that's unfortunate

    Two, if the US breaks off NATO, it's not like anyone should expect whoever is there at the time to say "oh okay never mind" and then sit up and leave.

    They weren't there before for whatever reason, and now that they have a foot in, they're just gonna keep pushing.

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  • [–] 3 points 3 days ago (1 child)

    I don't really like it. Complains about the cost of defending a Europe he hates. Spends/Builds bases in missile/aircraft range to be closer to attack Europe but defended by isolation and no armies nearby.

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  • [–] 4 points 3 days ago*

    Yeah, this is... Trumps playbook again and again.

    Make up fake controversial bullshit, get massive headlines, never actually follow through with bullshit, and then just do what we were gonna do already and call it a 'victory'. But nothing was ever really done, it was all a storm in a teacup and legally or operationally nothing really changed.

    All his 'wins' are just maintaining the status quo, and the media and the public eat it up.

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  • [–] 4 points 4 days ago (11 children)

    These bases won't be operational for years, by which time we'll likely be rational again.

    And with the US carrier strategy, this doesn't really make attacking Greenland any easier or more likely.

    They're not building from scratch, but one is abandoned and one was only used by dog sledders...

    The current US government isn't exactly competent, this is not a short term threat.

    It also says that "no state that is not a member of Nato shall be allowed to establish its own manned or unmanned military installations in Greenland nor shall they be allowed a persistent presence of military forces in Greenland".

    And locks us into NATO in the meantime, which is a short term threat

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  • [–] 2 points 4 days ago (1 child)

    Yep, nothing new about those bases, just two money pits in the middle of nowhere. If they end up being more than a rough airfield and a dozen marines in a tent, it will be shocking. And by “it” I mean the price tag.

    The new pact says the US "shall be allowed to establish an additional Defence Area at Narsarsuaq and Mestersvig" […] Narsarsuaq is a former civilian airport and World War Two base. […] The Mestersvig outpost is remote, far less developed, and used by a Danish naval dog sled unit.

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  • [–] 2 points 3 days ago

    My main concern is that Trump seems to have learned that "military facility" is his magic "I can do what I want" card. The ballroom has a bunker under it so it's a matter of national security to build it. His triumphal arch is going to be a sniper nest and drone launcher (can't make this stuff up) so it's a matter of national security.

    So let's see if those "military bases" come with oil wells or strip mines as an integral part of their design.

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  • These bases won't be operational for years, by which time we'll likely be rational again.

    You think? I decided I won't go to Fascistan ever again in my lifetime, about 10 years ago. Neither for missions nor for holidays. Lots of bridges are burnt and it will take more than a lifetime to rebuild trust. By which time Fascistan and Putistan and Europe will likely be irrelevant because China and India etc...

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