Donald! Trump!

This is called “sanewashing”. He say’s idiotic things and then normal people try to rationalize it as, “I think what he really means is…”

I view it the other way around.

I think he has a fairly dry sense of humor and doesn’t filter that through a press secretary. So what we get is “Yeaaaaaaaa …… we’ve not ruled out the biggliest invasion of Greenland the world has ever seen” when what he means is “we haven’t even discussed this to rule it out”.  And most of the media loves to directly quote it because it generates clicks.

I’m not saying he’s not an imbecill with idiotic ideas, but in 5 years time:

Will he have left NATO – no

Will everyone else be paying more into it (meaning buying US hardware) – yes

Will he invade Greenland – no

Will there be more mining and / or another military base – yes

Will he invade Panama – no

Will charges for US shipping be lower – yes

Will he Annex Canada – no

Will there be changes to their trading relationships – yes.

None of those are necessarily good things, but they’re his / the party’s policies. Discussions get had behind closed doors, then he comes out and treats journalists with contempt.

Trump is normalising the idea that powerful countries threatening other countries

Trump/the United States doesn’t have to threaten Greenland, they just have to offer them a deal which is better than the deal they are currently getting from Denmark.

Which isn’t necessarily something that can’t be achieved. With a population of about 58000 the United States could easily make them an offer that Denmark could never afford to match, even if they gave a couple of million dollars to each Greenlander.

Look at how the United States subsidizes nine and a half million Israelis so that they can live very comfortable lifestyles because it serves vital US interests.

And Greenlanders are far from hostile in their attitudes towards the United States:

A first-ever foreign policy opinion poll in Greenland shows support for more cooperation with US, Denmark

https://www.browndailyherald.com/article/2024/11/us-spent-over-22-billion-on-israels-military-operations-in-past-year-watson-study-finds

The United States spent over $22 billion on military aid to Israel and related operations between Oct. 7 of last year and Sept. 30, 2024, according to a research article released by the Costs of War project at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs. 

I make that almost a quarter of a million dollars per each Israeli per year. Imagine if that sort subsidy/support was cut back and redirected at Greenland.

With Middle East oil reducing in importance to the United States, and the growing influence of China, doing so might make sound (geo)political sense. And with Greenland’s population of 58k compared to Israel’s 9.5 million sound economic sense too.

And Greenlanders are far from hostile in their attitudes towards the United States

There is a strong desire for independence from Denmark amongst many Greenlanders, with talks of referenda etc.  They may welcome US investment and jobs etc. but I doubt they would willingly give up their hoped for status as an independent nation to get it.

Regulars on the Ukraine thread will be familiar with the musings of Danish military analyst Anders Puck Nielsen.  A voice of calm and measured strategic analysis in a sea of hyperbole and ill informed bluster.  Here’s his take on Trump’s Greenland ambitions. Spoiler, Denmark isn’t in any position to “sell” and Greenlanders don’t want to be part of the US.

Dementia Don has talked about hugely increasing the number of data centres in America. Now, I find it difficult to imagine Don’s tiny little brain coming up with this idea, however, he’s got three of the world’s richest tech bro’s metaphorically rimming and blowing the Don, so I can imagine them whispering into his delicate shell-like about how much they could show their appreciation for expanding their data processing, especially with the expansion in AI.

Now, one major problem with the huge data farms is the amount of energy they require, which leads to heat, which leads to cooling, which in turn needs power. One thing Greenland has is lots of ice, it’s also very good at producing low-carbon energy…

https://www.worlddata.info/america/greenland/energy-consumption.php

Am I missing something, but assuming the US and Canada merge (which I assume the majority of Canadians would be dubious about anyway), would the 13 Canadian provinces and territories not become states, and given most of these (except maybe the prairie provinces) are waaaay to the left of the US, wouldn’t this just hand the Dems a majority in the House and Senate?

Assuming the US and Canada merge

Would never happen, all the Canadians have to do is look at the US healthcare system, and go….nope!

https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/canada-health-care-system.html

Same for greenland:

https://www.norden.org/en/info-norden/right-healthcare-services-greenland

Trump/the United States doesn’t have to threaten Greenland, they just have to offer them a deal which is better than the deal they are currently getting from Denmark.

Which isn’t necessarily something that can’t be achieved. With a population of about 58000 the United States could easily make them an offer that Denmark could never afford to match, even if they gave a couple of million dollars to each Greenlander.

A million dollars in you back pocket isn’t so appealing if you know its all essentialy gone if you become inflicted with some sort of chronic illness

all, this Greenland nonsense is just a diversion inuit!
FTFY

Am I missing something, but assuming the US and Canada merge (which I assume the majority of Canadians would be dubious about anyway), would the 13 Canadian provinces and territories not become states, and given most of these (except maybe the prairie provinces) are waaaay to the left of the US, wouldn’t this just hand the Dems a majority in the House and Senate?

Before he disappears, Trudeau should just offer unconditional Canadian Citizenship to every Mexican, just to f++k with Trump… 😉

A million dollars in you back pocket isn’t so appealing if you know its all essentialy gone if you become inflicted with some sort of chronic illness

In fairness I don’t think you automatically become an obese, mentally challenged inbred as soon as you take up US nationality.  I believe it takes a few years of living there first.

He can have scotland if he gives me a few million. We have great golf courses..

There is a strong desire for independence from Denmark amongst many Greenlanders, with talks of referenda etc. They may welcome US investment and jobs etc. but I doubt they would willingly give up their hoped for status as an independent nation to get it.

Yup, my understanding is that there is easily a majority in favour of independence and the current Greenland Prime Minister is a strong supporter of independence. What I believe appears to be holding back the move to independence are the economic implications of doing so for Greenland.

I guess that a good deal/partnership with the United States might resolve that issue for Greenland. But no, as far as I am aware there is no desire to be absorbed into the United States. Although who knows if each Greenlander was bribed with a couple of million dollars each?

But whilst bribering  58k individuals might be doable there is no possibility of doing that to over 40 million Canadians. And apparently less than 15% of Canadians currently believe that being the 51st State would be a good idea.

So whilst having territorial desires over Greenland might not be totally ridiculous having them over Canada would clearly seem to be. I suspect that Trump’s comments concerning Canada were nothing more idle musings but the ones concerning Greenland were probably quite serious.

Putin must be fairly pleased that Trump is normalising the idea that powerful countries threatening other countries because they want their land or resources is just the way the world works.

I dont think we need Putin to tell us that. Thats pretty much how the world(big powers) have conducted themselves for millennia. British empire, German empire etc etc.

In the latest overnight nonsense from the president elects team it appears they agree with many of the STW massive.

They are suggesting we should take back Shamima Begum. Who would have thought the STW collective and Trump would be in agreement

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/trump-isis-syria-uk-shamima-begum-b2676288.html

When will Putin decide it’s time to take back Alaska?

In the latest overnight nonsense from the president elects team it appears they agree with many of the STW massive.

And the current US president. Joe Biden also supports this “nonsense”.

Luckily we have a Labour government which strongly opposes this nonsense of allowing British born citizens into the UK.

They are suggesting we should take back Shamima Begum. Who would have thought the STW collective and Trump would be in agreement

Even stopped clocks are right twice a day

are waaaay to the left of the US

I think Canada are far closer to the US politically than they are to European social democracies (that are also far more right wing than they were even 10 years ago).

In the latest overnight nonsense from the president elects team it appears they agree with many of the STW massive.

They are suggesting we should take back Shamima Begum. Who would have thought the STW collective and Trump would be in agreement

A few things here:

1. Trump hasn’t said that, Gorka has.
2. He’s right, we should. If roles were reversed and we couldn’t deport a suspected Syrian terrorist back to Syria because they’d washed their hands of the problem then there would be fury erupting all over the red tops.
3. The phrase “we would all wish to see the ‘special relationship’ fully re-established” is troubling. The implication being that there is something lost which needs re-establishing. This feels like a veiled threat.

I think Canada are far closer to the US politically than they are to European social democracies (that are also far more right wing than they were even 10 years ago).

I think Canada are far closer to the US politically than they are to Central Asian dictatorships (that are also far more right wing than they were even 10 years ago).

Is anybody else wondering if Elon has got Trump on the ketamine? He does seem to have found another gear of bonkers ideas.

I think he has a fairly dry sense of humor

He doesn’t appear to possess a sense of humour at all. One of the myriad of things that makes him the creepy bastard that he is

Dementia Don has talked about hugely increasing the number of data centres in America. Now, I find it difficult to imagine Don’s tiny little brain coming up with this idea, however, he’s got three of the world’s richest tech bro’s metaphorically rimming and blowing the Don, so I can imagine them whispering into his delicate shell-like about how much they could show their appreciation for expanding their data processing, especially with the expansion in AI.

I wish the folowing were my words, as it’s very succinct… so I’ll quote it instead…

a machine that lies? buddy… I will lie to you for f*****g free and I won’t even dry up a lake to do it.

He doesn’t appear to possess a sense of humour at all.

It is always harder to intensely dislike someone who makes you laugh so I can appreciate that his detractors would rather not recognise that he has a sense of humour. But he does.

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/etimes/trending/10-quotes-of-donald-trump-that-show-he-has-an-ultimate-sense-of-humour/photostory/115006715.cms

My favourite two on that list are :

On greed

“The point is that you can’t be too greedy”

And

On wealth

“The beauty of me is that I’m very rich.”

So just a really shit sense of humour then. Honestly, those quotes just seem like Trump being Trump and not Trump attempting to be funny. Most of those are just facts to him or him being rude and dismissive.

Well it might a shit sense of humour to you but to someone else it will be funny.

I wouldn’t claim to be a fan of Trump’s humour but I don’t necessarily have a problem with humour that relies on rude and dismissive comments. People like Frankie Boyle have made a comfortable living out of precisely that.

I kinda get the feeling all this to them is like playing a game of The Sims.

Frankie Boyle is a comedian and has a stage persona. Trump is just a **** and as stated I honestly don’t think any of those quotes are him being or trying to be funny. I laugh at him a lot, but not for his humour or lack thereof. Laughing at him definitely not with him.

Trump is a bully. Any ‘humour’ he is responsible for generally revolves around mocking people and he always punches down. Being the bully he always has a ready supply of nasty sycophants to laugh along with him

When I think of Trumps ‘humour’ the first thing that springs to mind is this…

I honestly don’t think any of those quotes are him being or trying to be funny.

Fairy nuff. But if you honestly think that Trump is always being completely serious and never trying to be funny then I don’t think that you really understand him at all.

And remember this is a man who quite remarkably managed to get the majority of US voters to vote for him to become their president. He is actually pretty good at winning people over. I wouldn’t be too dismissive.

When I think of Trumps ‘humour’ the first thing that springs to mind is this…

Yup, and what I found shocking at the time was the fact that his supporters didn’t seem to have a problem with him mocking a disabled person. In fact I am fairly confident that they probably found it funny.

then I don’t think that you really understand him at all.

And that makes me extremely happy. If I understood the deranged **** I’d be worried about myself!

Okay but the point that TINAS made is both valid and important imo. Much of what Trump says should not be taken seriously because it is said for effect (including comedic effect)

In fact I take very little of what he says seriously. Although on the question of Greenland I don’t really agree with TINAS and do think Trump is being quite serious. It isn’t actually a totally crazy idea. Although I don’t doubt that when the idea of buying Alaska from the Russians or Louisiana from the French was first suggested that the idea was also dismissed as crazy by some.

It is quite feasible for Greenland to become the 51st State, it would require Greenlanders to agree, and that’s all really, unlikely but far from impossible.

He cannot be serious about Canada though. Although I suspect he is about the “Gulf of America”.

He doesn’t appear to possess a sense of humour at all. One of the myriad of things that makes him the creepy bastard that he is

Has he ever laughed? What does his laugh sound like?

It is quite feasible for Greenland to become the 51st State, it would require Greenlanders to agree, and that’s all really, unlikely but far from impossible.

Far from impossible? Greenland, like most colonies is desperate for independence from Denmark and to keep them happy they’ve had to grant them ever increasing autonomy. 

They’re far from going full IRA, but the very last thing on earth they’re going to vote for is to become an airbase and mineral mine for some imperialist madman

I think it is unlikely but perfectly feasible that the 58k inhabitants of Greenland might want their country to be declared the 51st State.

How many States do you know where the people are desperate to break away from the Union? I can’t think of any.

Have you seen the film “The Mouse That Roared” btw?

Edit : Btw 53% of Greenlanders voted in a referendum to leave the EEC/EU 33 years before the UK voted to leave the EU, so Greenlanders don’t necessarily always do what they are expected to do.

Everything Trump says has to be viewed in the light of him being a psychopath.   I am sure he believes all his nonsense.   However its all impulsive and he is quite capable of claiming things are true that are not.  He has a totally distorted perception of reality.   It’s a waste of time trying to understand the rationale behind his words.  He is not rational

Yup, and what I found shocking at the time was the fact that his supporters didn’t seem to have a problem with him mocking a disabled person.

Off topic, but that’s not comedy, that’s just being nasty, snarky and sarcastic…

A good comedian doesn’t need to stoop to such low levels… Just look at Billy Connely or Bill Bailey or any other good comic.. they could tell you a story about a pair of shoes, and have you wetting your pants with laughter.

Jokes don’t need to have a ‘victim’ to be funny, they just need to be funny.

No but that example that binners gave was a classic example of Trump trying to be funny. There is no point saying that Trump is always serious and never tries to be funny because that obviously isn’t true.

And whether you and I found that funny is totally irrelevant to Trump, he wasn’t trying to make us laugh. He was trying to entertain his target audience which I suspect he managed to do.

Btw in a matter of days Trump is about to become the most powerful man in the world, he has managed to do that by convincing millions of Americans to vote for him, a clear majority of voters in fact, I’m lovin how everyone on here seems to dismiss him as a totally incapable cretin.

His list of talents might be short but right there at the top is his ability to manipulate and mould public opinion to get him the results that he wants and needs.

Trump ‘trash talks’ just like a boxer or MMA fighter at a press conference.

It’s his way of negotiating  vulgar, public and pugalistic  BI don’t think Trump is a fascist either,elieve anything he says then the joke is on you. A lot of this trash talk isn’t even aimed at the electorate, or me and you It’s aimed at Putin, Xi, Rocket man and the Ayatollahs.

And Trump isn’t a fascist, he’s an anarchist. That’s what most people get wrong about him.

I’m lovin how everyone on here seems to dismiss him as a totally incapable cretin.

Even a totally incapable cretin can have great PR.

We’re almost at a point now of it being a cult of personality. Trump is clearly a sociopath, but viewed through a certain lens he’s an entertaining sociopath.

And we can’t throw stones either, this is exactly how we got Boris. For all of their successes and/or failings, Biden and Starmer both are dreary and who votes for dreary? Trump is the personification of “hey America, hold my beer and watch this!” Granted, “this” is almost certainly the last word of many Americans, certainly the ones with guns, but it’s a compelling argument.