Donald Trump embarrassed our nation on the world stage at Davos, threatening and degrading European allies in his quest to “acquire” Greenland, and talking like an 18th century king before an assembly of lesser vassals. But there was some humor too, when he kept talking about the need to acquire Iceland, when he meant Greenland, adding to the confusion. Although I’m sure the prime minister of Iceland didn’t think it was funny, I couldn’t help but chuckle.
Trump is an idiot, as all assembled could clearly see. Yet an idiot with the nuclear weapons and leading the world’s largest economy must be handled with kid gloves.
The week prior to the conference, Trump sent an official White House memo to the prime minister of Norway, complaining that Norway had not given him the Nobel Peace Prize, which instead was given to the opposition leader in Venezuela, Maria Corina Machado. In this memo, Trump said, “Considering your Country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace,…The World is not secure unless we have Complete and Total Control of Greenland.”
Donny doesn’t get the Nobel, so now, according to him, he’s justified in seizing the territory of a NATO ally. We’ve had military basing rights in Greenland since WWII, enshrined in a treaty since 1951. Trump’s argument that Russia or China is out to take over Greenland is absurd. Greenland is part of NATO, so already has the guarantee of collective defense, and the US is already free to bolster its military presence in Greenland if it thinks necessary. We use to have 15 bases in Greenland (we have 1 now), and we could build back bases if we need them.
When Trump’s threats were rebuffed by all European countries and Canada, Trump did his popular TACO shuffle, crab-walked backward, then said he he had come to some kind of framework of a possibility of a deal, then jetted home early back to the US, claiming victory in another classic Trump art-of-the-deal maneuver. The sovereignty of Greenland was apparently taken off the table for now, but Trump’s harm to the NATO alliance keeps mounting.
Trump has permanently tarnished the reputation of America. Who can trust America to live up to its commitments. Trump doesn’t care about the rule of law, at home or abroad. He neglects treaties, imposes tariffs and sanctions at will, makes shady deals to enrich himself and his cronies, and threatens anybody who stands in his way. Who can trust such a man, or the country that would elect that man, not once, but twice. In the best case, Trump and Trumpism goes away after the 2028 election. But other countries will always wonder, if these stupid Americans can elect such a man twice, how can we trust them not to do so again.
Waipahu Bob 