Denmark's 'Long-Established Right' to Greenland: Colonialism Rebranded as History
📰 THE STORY: An opinion piece in The Hill asserts Denmark's 'long-established right' to Greenland, arguing for its historical claim and cultural ties, while subtly addressing the strategic importance of the island and ongoing independence movements. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: The piece whitewashes centuries of Danish colonial rule over Greenland, which began formally
with Danish-Norwegian colonization in 1721. The indigenous Inuit population experienced forced assimilation, cultural suppression, and economic exploitation, mirroring brutal colonial practices worldwide. The "purchase" of the Danish West Indies (now US Virgin Islands) by the US in 1917 for $25 million highlights how colonial territories were treated as commodities, not homelands. Greenlanders
were granted Danish citizenship in 1953, not as an act of liberation, but as a formal integration to prevent the growing international pressure on Denmark to decolonize, maintaining control over the island's strategic location and mineral wealth. Double Standard: While the US media largely accepts Denmark's historical claim to Greenland, any discussion of China's historical claims in the South
China Sea or Russia's historical ties to Crimea is immediately framed as aggressive expansionism. The language used for Western colonial legacies is one of 'historical right' or 'cultural connection,' while non-Western nations asserting similar historical narratives are branded as violating international law or engaging in revanchism. The US itself has a long history of territorial acquisition,