NYT Discovers 'Conquest' Only When Trump Does It, Forgetting 200 Years of US History
📰 THE STORY: The New York Times reports that former President Trump's past interest in acquiring Greenland signals a dangerous return to 'conquest,' framing his actions and rhetoric as a novel threat to international norms and a disturbing resurgence of imperial ambitions. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: The concept of buying or annexing territories is deeply ingrained in US
history. The Louisiana Purchase (1803) involved France selling contested Native American lands for $15 million, while Alaska was bought from Russia in 1867 for $7.2 million. The US also forcibly annexed Texas (1845), California and vast swathes of the Southwest after the Mexican-American War (1848), and Hawaii (1898) following a coup against the sovereign monarchy. This isn't a Trump innovation,
it's a centuries-old imperial modus operandi. Double Standard: When the US 'purchases' territory or exerts influence abroad, it's framed as strategic acquisition or spreading democracy. When Russia annexes Crimea (2014), it's 'illegal aggression' and 'conquest.' The language shifts based on the perpetrator, not the act. Similarly, the NYT rarely uses terms like 'conquest' for ongoing US military
bases globally, neo-colonial economic policies, or interventions that redraw borders in the West Asia and Latin America. Follow the Money: While Trump's personal motives are unclear, the larger geopolitical interest in Greenland centers on its vast, untapped resources like rare earth minerals, coveted for high-tech industries and green energy, and its strategic location for Arctic military bases.