Philosophy Now Forum

godelian wrote: ↑Thu Jan 16, 2025 5:40 am Denmark may not like it.

Greenland has a population of just 56000 people.

The small political establishment in Greenland may object too, but what if Donald Trump did the following?

If the USA pays $1 million to each Greenlander, we are talking about a budget of $56 billion. To put it in perspective, the net worth of someone like Elon Musk is estimated to be $416 billion. In fact, the USA could pay $10 million to each Greenlander totaling $560 billion and the cost would still amount to just peanuts.

Greenland would be worth a lot more to the USA than $56 billion to $560 billion.

godelian wrote: ↑Thu Jan 16, 2025 5:40 am If Trump succeeds in getting the Greenlanders to vote in a referendum on the matter, the Greenlanders are quite likely to approve a payout of $1 million to $10 million per Greenlander for Greenland to join the USA as its 51st state. Denmark may initially try to prevent such referendum from taking place but Trump can solve the problem by using lots of scary and threatening language (for which he is infamous anyway).

In my opinion, the idea is substantially less outlandish than how the mainstream media depict it.

If I were Donald Trump, I would probably also try it.

Age wrote: ↑Thu Jan 16, 2025 9:20 am WHY?

godelian wrote: ↑Thu Jan 16, 2025 5:40 am Denmark may not like it.

Greenland has a population of just 56000 people.

The small political establishment in Greenland may object too, but what if Donald Trump did the following?

If the USA pays $1 million to each Greenlander, we are talking about a budget of $56 billion. To put it in perspective, the net worth of someone like Elon Musk is estimated to be $416 billion. In fact, the USA could pay $10 million to each Greenlander totaling $560 billion and the cost would still amount to just peanuts.

Greenland would be worth a lot more to the USA than $56 billion to $560 billion.

If Trump succeeds in getting the Greenlanders to vote in a referendum on the matter, the Greenlanders are quite likely to approve a payout of $1 million to $10 million per Greenlander for Greenland to join the USA as its 51st state. Denmark may initially try to prevent such referendum from taking place but Trump can solve the problem by using lots of scary and threatening language (for which he is infamous anyway).

In my opinion, the idea is substantially less outlandish than how the mainstream media depict it.

If I were Donald Trump, I would probably also try it.

BigMike wrote: ↑Thu Jan 16, 2025 12:15 pm

godelian wrote: ↑Thu Jan 16, 2025 5:40 am Denmark may not like it.

Greenland has a population of just 56000 people.

The small political establishment in Greenland may object too, but what if Donald Trump did the following?

If the USA pays $1 million to each Greenlander, we are talking about a budget of $56 billion. To put it in perspective, the net worth of someone like Elon Musk is estimated to be $416 billion. In fact, the USA could pay $10 million to each Greenlander totaling $560 billion and the cost would still amount to just peanuts.

Greenland would be worth a lot more to the USA than $56 billion to $560 billion.

If Trump succeeds in getting the Greenlanders to vote in a referendum on the matter, the Greenlanders are quite likely to approve a payout of $1 million to $10 million per Greenlander for Greenland to join the USA as its 51st state. Denmark may initially try to prevent such referendum from taking place but Trump can solve the problem by using lots of scary and threatening language (for which he is infamous anyway).

In my opinion, the idea is substantially less outlandish than how the mainstream media depict it.

If I were Donald Trump, I would probably also try it.

Well, Godelian, first of all, I must say this idea is... ambitious. But hey, we’ve learned not to underestimate the allure of throwing wads of cash at a problem, right? After all, who among us hasn’t tried to buy our way out of awkward situations, be it a botched real estate deal, a sticky court case, or, I don’t know, an entire autonomous territory?

But let’s unpack this with a pinch of humor. So, Trump convinces Greenland to become the 51st state by offering every citizen a cool million bucks—or even ten million? First off, imagine the town hall meetings. Some guy in Nuuk is like, “Wait, I can get a small yacht and still afford a lifetime supply of seal blubber? Where do I sign?”

Meanwhile, Denmark is over here clutching their Legos, trying to figure out how to counter this. Maybe they up the ante with a lifetime supply of Carlsberg beer and free tuition for every Greenlander? Now, that’s a bidding war I’d pay to see.

As for Trump using “scary and threatening language” to close the deal, well, that’s definitely on brand. I can just picture him at a rally in Ilulissat: “Greenland, you’re gonna be tremendous as a state. The best state. You’ve got ice, you’ve got fish—did you know I love fish?—and you’ve got, uh, polar bears. Fantastic polar bears. Denmark doesn’t even know what to do with you. But me? I’ll make you the best ice-based state in the world. Better than Alaska, folks!”

And let’s not forget the logistics. If Greenland joins the union, you’d have 56,000 people, mostly in parkas, suddenly trying to figure out the Electoral College while the rest of us are Googling "Where exactly is Greenland?"

So yeah, sure, less outlandish than it seems—because everything is relative. But at least it’s good to know that if Trump ever tries to buy a country again, he’s got a detailed financial plan. We can all sleep easier knowing that.

godelian wrote: ↑Thu Jan 16, 2025 9:48 am

Age wrote: ↑Thu Jan 16, 2025 9:20 am WHY?

Greenland is a bit like Alaska. At first glance, it initially looks quite worthless but on the long run it almost surely isn't.

BigMike wrote: ↑Thu Jan 16, 2025 12:15 pm

godelian wrote: ↑Thu Jan 16, 2025 5:40 am Denmark may not like it.

Greenland has a population of just 56000 people.

The small political establishment in Greenland may object too, but what if Donald Trump did the following?

If the USA pays $1 million to each Greenlander, we are talking about a budget of $56 billion. To put it in perspective, the net worth of someone like Elon Musk is estimated to be $416 billion. In fact, the USA could pay $10 million to each Greenlander totaling $560 billion and the cost would still amount to just peanuts.

Greenland would be worth a lot more to the USA than $56 billion to $560 billion.

If Trump succeeds in getting the Greenlanders to vote in a referendum on the matter, the Greenlanders are quite likely to approve a payout of $1 million to $10 million per Greenlander for Greenland to join the USA as its 51st state. Denmark may initially try to prevent such referendum from taking place but Trump can solve the problem by using lots of scary and threatening language (for which he is infamous anyway).

In my opinion, the idea is substantially less outlandish than how the mainstream media depict it.

If I were Donald Trump, I would probably also try it.

Well, Godelian, first of all, I must say this idea is... ambitious. But hey, we’ve learned not to underestimate the allure of throwing wads of cash at a problem, right?

BigMike wrote: ↑Thu Jan 16, 2025 12:15 pm After all, who among us hasn’t tried to buy our way out of awkward situations, be it a botched real estate deal, a sticky court case, or, I don’t know, an entire autonomous territory?

BigMike wrote: ↑Thu Jan 16, 2025 12:15 pm But let’s unpack this with a pinch of humor. So, Trump convinces Greenland to become the 51st state by offering every citizen a cool million bucks—or even ten million? First off, imagine the town hall meetings. Some guy in Nuuk is like, “Wait, I can get a small yacht and still afford a lifetime supply of seal blubber? Where do I sign?”

Meanwhile, Denmark is over here clutching their Legos, trying to figure out how to counter this. Maybe they up the ante with a lifetime supply of Carlsberg beer and free tuition for every Greenlander? Now, that’s a bidding war I’d pay to see.

As for Trump using “scary and threatening language” to close the deal, well, that’s definitely on brand. I can just picture him at a rally in Ilulissat: “Greenland, you’re gonna be tremendous as a state. The best state. You’ve got ice, you’ve got fish—did you know I love fish?—and you’ve got, uh, polar bears. Fantastic polar bears. Denmark doesn’t even know what to do with you. But me? I’ll make you the best ice-based state in the world. Better than Alaska, folks!”

BigMike wrote: ↑Thu Jan 16, 2025 12:15 pm And let’s not forget the logistics. If Greenland joins the union, you’d have 56,000 people, mostly in parkas, suddenly trying to figure out the Electoral College while the rest of us are Googling "Where exactly is Greenland?"

BigMike wrote: ↑Thu Jan 16, 2025 12:15 pm So yeah, sure, less outlandish than it seems—because everything is relative. But at least it’s good to know that if Trump ever tries to buy a country again, he’s got a detailed financial plan. We can all sleep easier knowing that.

Gary Childress wrote: ↑Thu Jan 16, 2025 1:10 pm

BigMike wrote: ↑Thu Jan 16, 2025 12:15 pm

godelian wrote: ↑Thu Jan 16, 2025 5:40 am Denmark may not like it.

Greenland has a population of just 56000 people.

The small political establishment in Greenland may object too, but what if Donald Trump did the following?

If the USA pays $1 million to each Greenlander, we are talking about a budget of $56 billion. To put it in perspective, the net worth of someone like Elon Musk is estimated to be $416 billion. In fact, the USA could pay $10 million to each Greenlander totaling $560 billion and the cost would still amount to just peanuts.

Greenland would be worth a lot more to the USA than $56 billion to $560 billion.

If Trump succeeds in getting the Greenlanders to vote in a referendum on the matter, the Greenlanders are quite likely to approve a payout of $1 million to $10 million per Greenlander for Greenland to join the USA as its 51st state. Denmark may initially try to prevent such referendum from taking place but Trump can solve the problem by using lots of scary and threatening language (for which he is infamous anyway).

In my opinion, the idea is substantially less outlandish than how the mainstream media depict it.

If I were Donald Trump, I would probably also try it.

Well, Godelian, first of all, I must say this idea is... ambitious. But hey, we’ve learned not to underestimate the allure of throwing wads of cash at a problem, right? After all, who among us hasn’t tried to buy our way out of awkward situations, be it a botched real estate deal, a sticky court case, or, I don’t know, an entire autonomous territory?

But let’s unpack this with a pinch of humor. So, Trump convinces Greenland to become the 51st state by offering every citizen a cool million bucks—or even ten million? First off, imagine the town hall meetings. Some guy in Nuuk is like, “Wait, I can get a small yacht and still afford a lifetime supply of seal blubber? Where do I sign?”

Meanwhile, Denmark is over here clutching their Legos, trying to figure out how to counter this. Maybe they up the ante with a lifetime supply of Carlsberg beer and free tuition for every Greenlander? Now, that’s a bidding war I’d pay to see.

As for Trump using “scary and threatening language” to close the deal, well, that’s definitely on brand. I can just picture him at a rally in Ilulissat: “Greenland, you’re gonna be tremendous as a state. The best state. You’ve got ice, you’ve got fish—did you know I love fish?—and you’ve got, uh, polar bears. Fantastic polar bears. Denmark doesn’t even know what to do with you. But me? I’ll make you the best ice-based state in the world. Better than Alaska, folks!”

And let’s not forget the logistics. If Greenland joins the union, you’d have 56,000 people, mostly in parkas, suddenly trying to figure out the Electoral College while the rest of us are Googling "Where exactly is Greenland?"

So yeah, sure, less outlandish than it seems—because everything is relative. But at least it’s good to know that if Trump ever tries to buy a country again, he’s got a detailed financial plan. We can all sleep easier knowing that.

In my opinion, using scary and threatening language seems inappropriate even if he is only bluffing.

BigMike wrote: ↑Thu Jan 16, 2025 12:15 pm Acquiring Greenland through democratic means is OK if that's what Trump wants to do, however, it would be 100% up to the people of Greenland and also Denmark maybe ought to have a say in the negotiations as well.

BigMike wrote: ↑Thu Jan 16, 2025 12:15 pm And the owners (the people and state) ought to be able to make their decision without feeling threatened.