Why Trump Really Wants Panama & Greenland

At first it sounds like a joke. Trump wants to take over the Panama Canal. And buy up Greenland. And make Canada the "51st State."

Now, the Canada crack is probably just Trump blowing his usual smoke. Also, he loves teasing Justin Trudeau, whom Melania has obviously had a crush on, even now. (See the above infamous image from 2019.) If the conservative candidate in Canada, Pierre Poilievre, wins election (as appears likely), Trump will likely work with him and not try to subvert Canada at all. But the Greenland and Panama plans are probably quite real. Trump has indicated so by sending Don, Jr. to Greenland to scope the place out. He indicated so again in yesterday's bizarroland press conference. That means he's not just saying dumb shit he doesn't really mean when it comes to Greenland and Panama. He's fucking serious!

Here are the likely reasons why:

Trump has real estate holdings in Panama, and it's been quite clear that he's been using them as a tax dodge and/or a money laundering scheme for foreign investments. Since this involves a sovereign nation other than the United States, there's a good chance that any investigations by the Panamanian government could reveal yet more corruption by Trump and his family, and Trump is powerless to stop it. Legally, anyway. (You may recall, back in 2017, that Ivanka Trump was caught up in the news story about Trump's tower in Panama, and the sour business dealings the Trump family had with Alexandre Noguiera.) By now, it is quite obvious, as a Newsweek article recently pointed out, that Trump has been cheating Panama out of tax revenue, probably totaling in the millions. He has also likely been using his Panamanian holdings for other nefarious activities, and it would surprise no one if Russian money were involved, like it similarly was with a Trump tower built in Toronto.

If he finds a good enough bullshit excuse to stage an invasion and takeover of Panama, all those legal problems go away, along with his debts.

That's the obvious case. What about Greenland?

News outlets have pointed out the numerous strategic advantages for the U.S. regarding Greenland. But those strategic advantages only apply to traffic going into and out of the North Sea region, including the Norwegian and Baltic seas. That means NATO countries and, of course, Russia. If Trump keeps siding with Putin, what's the point of holding Greenland?

The point could be Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. There are rumblings that Russia may be targeting them next. When the war with Ukraine ends, even with Russia only keeping its eastern holdings in the region, the Baltic countries could be targeted next. And with Trump-controlled U.S. forces controlling Greenland, it will be difficult to get European aid to those countries.

But all that's just military strategy. There's another big reason Trump might want Greenland - oil! With the realities of global warming causing Greenland's ice-sheets to retreat, hundreds of square miles of land mass have been exposed, and geologists know there's lots of oil to be exploited under there. Trump sees an opportunity to seize the island territory and then take in huge bribes from any and all oil companies willing to open a drilling site. It could mean billions for him.

And as president, he will have immunity for it all.

What irony! That the very global warming caused by fossil fuels has led to the opportunity for even more exploitation of fossil fuels! I mean, one could take the lesson that, if Greenland's ice sheets are disappearing, maybe that means global warming is real and we need to curtail our addiction to oil now!

But nah, that would make too much sense!

Of course, this is all speculation. But it's speculation founded on well-documented evidence.

We the People, misled by the Right-Wing Media Machine, threw our democracy away for a dictator. Now that dictator wishes to be a conqueror, too.

If he succeeds with Panama and Greenland, where will he turn next? (Don't think it won't be you, California!)

Eric

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