Trump to acquire Greenland, 'hard way' (historically, that means for others)
When Donald Trump declares he’ll get a deal on Greenland—either the 'easy way' or the 'hard way,' as Bloomberg dutifully reports—one might wonder exactly whose 'hard way' he's contemplating. History offers a few clues: the 'easy way' usually involves a cash transaction, perhaps similar to the 1867 purchase of Alaska. The 'hard way,' however, has a more brutal legacy that mainstream media rarely
highlights. It often involves annexations, 'protectorates,' or 'sphere of influence' declarations, leading to displacement, resource exploitation, and violent suppression for the indigenous populations who never consented to being bargaining chips. One might recall the American acquisition of Hawaii, or the treatment of Indigenous peoples across continents, often rebranded as 'manifest destiny' or
'progress.' The current geopolitical jostling for Arctic resources and strategic positioning rarely mentions the existing inhabitants, much like the original 'discovery' narratives that conveniently erased millennia of prior habitation. It appears some land ownership debates are only 'complicated' when they don't involve the U.S. asserting its will. (Funny how that works.)