Dem
47
GOP
53
As long as we are on the subject of stunts obviously meant to distract attention from, you know, Iran, the economy, Epsteinpot Dome, all the corruption, etc., let's address one so strange that you could not possibly sell it as a Hollywood screenplay.
Our subject here is Greenland, which is one of Donald Trump's obsessions. You don't have to take our word for it; he regularly posts about it on his social media site for wannabe Vikings. For example, there was this strange image, back at the end of May:
Who is making these images? And how are they causing Trump to become aware of them?
Also, why is Trump so interested in Greenland? We have five answers, and we think that most or all of them are correct:
And once Trump develops an obsession, of course, he struggles to let go (see, for example, Qatar Force One). The effect is particularly profound if he senses an opportunity to line his own pockets (again see, for example, Qatar Force One).
And that brings us to the latest news, which was first reported by The Guardian. There is a shady-seeming company called Greenland Energy that was ostensibly founded to plunder the energy resources of the island. And among the officers of that company, there's a lot of incest with the officers of a defense firm working on Greenland Golden Dome plans. A few weeks ago, employees of Greenland Energy arrived in Jameson Land, a remote portion of Greenland that is protected by conservation laws. And those employees began unloading the supplies and equipment needed to drill a $30 million oil well.
The maneuvering here is a little complicated, since exploration rights to that particular piece of land belong to a British company named 80 Mile. Greenland Energy says it will acquire 80 Mile, but it would still be necessary to get approval from the government of Greenland. That approval has not even been requested yet—a minor detail you might think would be resolved before, you know, you start sending people and supplies to some godforsaken ice-cold wilderness. And that approval may not be forthcoming. If it does not come, will Greenland Energy start drilling anyway, on the might-makes-right theory of oil exploration? Seems probable.
And then there's the detail that takes this story into the realm of the surreal. When the folks from Greenland Energy arrived in Jameson Land, they had in tow with them... Trump-loving former TV psychologist Phil McGraw. Because how can anyone take such a venture seriously unless there's at least one quack-y snake oil salesman there? Undoubtedly, if Theodore Roosevelt was alive, he'd be kicking himself right now that he forgot to bring Charles Bigelow along on his trip to Panama. McGraw is present because he is ostensibly making a documentary about this project. That is another detail that suggests that this scheme is going to go forward, whether the government of Greenland likes it or not.
We wrote yesterday that we expect a whole lot of crazy stuff—even more than usual—to come out of this administration over the next few months as it desperately tries to distract voters. Moving forward with imperialistic ambitions in Greenland, which are less likely to turn into a quagmire than the imperialistic ambitions in the Middle East have, would seem to be in that category, specifically with an eye toward "reminding" male voters that Trump is "strong" (and never mind any stories you've read about him hiding in a catering truck). (Z)