Alright, it’s not every day that one hears of one country absorbing another. Well, not these days, anyway. It used to be common for that sort of thing to happen back in antiquity, as countries fought for resources. The march of technology made that less necessary, via better farming, medical advances, and global society generally adopted an agreed-on set of boundaries with each other’s neighbors. The last few times major annexation has occurred, it was a result of the conclusion of a World War. The resulting lines drawn after World War II, in fact, like World War I before it, almost resulted in World War III. The cost of such territorial swaps gets more expensive the more forward into time we go, with a trend that’s more than just a bit alarming if you think about it.
Imagine my surprise this afternoon to here whispers of a possible acquisition of Greenland from Denmark by the USA! And it could be an absolute boon for the Greenlanders, not a burden or serfdom. You see, Denmark has been having some difficulties due to their financial support of the country, and there has been some half-joking banter between President Trump and some associates that perhaps we should buy the island. I do mean half-joking, too. If we made such an offer, it will not be the first time – we’ve tried to purchase Greenland twice before. Maybe the third time’s the charm, eh?
When Viking explorers found Greenland just prior to 1000 A.D., they were in search of freer lands and the ability support themselves. The original Nordic peoples faded from that land, and many historians think that it was due to the onset and progression of the Little Ice Age. That being said, another people, the Thule, took up residence there, and while they too were confronted with the chilling climate, they did endure, and today a mix of Thules and Danes live there. And it’s a small population, only around 56,000 people on a large, resource-rich land mass. That resource level and sparse population, I find intriguing. I have to say, I would be well-tempted to possibly live there, and embrace my Viking heritage even more deeply.
Some may regard the possibilities here as whimsical, or even openly fantastic, for me, I’ll be watching with interest.