President Trump said he would talk to Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney about making Canada the 51st state. But the president said he didn’t expect it to get to the point of using military force — though he wouldn’t commit to the same for Greenland.

“Something could happen with Greenland, I’ll be honest,” Trump said in an interview with NBC News’ “Meet the Press” that aired on Sunday.  He said that “we need that for national and international security,” but he added “I don’t see it with Canada. I just don’t see it.”

  • Phoenixz@lemmy.ca
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    7 hours ago

    Both are a threat with violence and war to independent states, let there be no mistake.

    This should not just be condemned politically by every other country, they should boycot the usa

  • lennee@lemm.ee
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    9 hours ago

    well, might need to fly some drones into american soldiers then

  • danekrae@lemmy.world
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    13 hours ago

    Threatening war on an ally, a member of the EU and UN; while helping the enemy.

    That’s not what a russian asset would do…

      • Civil_Liberty@lemm.ee
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        10 hours ago

        Well shit… I don’t know how I did not see this angle. He doesn’t even have to deal with the back lash of dead US soldiers for a war nobody in their right mind will support… he just needs to present a legitimate enough threat to divide NATO forces. For fucks sake, I can’t wait for the morning I wake up to find out he is dead. Edited a word

  • Hikuro-93@lemmy.world
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    9 hours ago

    US could do that, sure.

    But I bet it’d quickly find out just how much of its power, safety and bravado is due to being located in a geographically safe and isolated area with no real hostile armies trying to end them from the other side of the border.

    Just how much of that willingness to fight comes from invading foreign underdeveloped territories across the sea, with little chance for the fight to make its way back to US cities and US civilians.

    Easy to start fights from the comfort of a distant home, sending only military lives into the far away battlefield.

    Something Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East can’t claim, as they have to contend with potentially bad neighbors due to all sorts of reasons.

    Go ahead, poke the bear, FAFO.

  • PattyMcB@lemmy.world
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    15 hours ago

    Reminder to the military: you are not required to follow illegal orders. In fact, you are duty-bound to disobey them

    • archonet@lemy.lol
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      13 hours ago

      I’m quite positive, whether he invades a sovereign nation or not, in some time – be it five years, ten, or more – we’ll have our own version of the Nuremberg trials. Whoever is still alive that perpetrated or participated in this rape of democracy will be held accountable, someday, because all dictatorships fall.

      The only question is how many people have to suffer before then.

      • neukenindekeuken@sh.itjust.works
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        9 hours ago

        It took a whole world war and everyone bagging on Germany/Japan for something like that to happen.

        In order for history to repeat, we’d need to have everyone in the world team up against the US.

        • archonet@lemy.lol
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          9 hours ago

          Not really, just for someone who comes after him to hold him and his cronies accountable. And there will be someone after him, sooner or later, that will. It might not be his immediate successor, or his successor’s successor. But people aren’t going to forget about this.

    • Voroxpete@sh.itjust.works
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      13 hours ago

      An invasion of Greenland, or Canada, wouldn’t necessarily be unlawful.

      Remember 9/11? Remember George Bush asking Congress to approve his use of military force to hunt down the suspects?

      Well that Authorization for the Use of Military Force, unlike any prior which had clearly defined limitations, was simply against “terror” and set to expire “never.”

      One member of Congress refused to vote for this, precisely because she understood that Congress was effectively forever giving up its ability to determine when and how the President was allowed to deploy the military. She got death threats. She was right.

      All Trump has to do is “find” a terrorist threat in a country, and he’s allowed to send US troops there. Remember how he recently decided that fentanyl is a weapon of mass destruction? Yeah.

      • huppakee@lemm.ee
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        11 hours ago

        You’re thinking if us laws, but we’re talking about international law

        • ℍ𝕂-𝟞𝟝@sopuli.xyz
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          11 hours ago

          The US deliberately does not subject itself to international laws, because it breaks them routinely. It is a rogue state in that regard, and it did not start with Trump or even Bush.

  • DBT@lemmy.world
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    13 hours ago

    If we need Greenland so bad how is it we’ve been just fine leaving them the fuck alone since forever?

    • ToastedRavioli@midwest.social
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      12 hours ago

      The claim we need it for safety and security is bs considering we have probably more service members there than there are people in Nuuk.

      Its all about minerals, which we have no claim to. If Greenland were a territory, the federal government would have full control over the entire thing. US territories are modern day colonies basically

      • grue@lemmy.world
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        9 hours ago

        Other real (albeit idiotic) reasons might include Putin feeding Trump the idea of the US having control of the newly ice-free Northwest Passage, or just a sheer megalomaniacal desire to secure his legacy via territorial expansion.

    • grue@lemmy.world
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      9 hours ago

      Greenland is part of Denmark, so attacking it ought to trigger NATO Article 5. I’m pretty sure NATO ex-US is capable of putting up a fight too, even if the 50k people who live in Greenland themselves could not.

      • CobraChicken3000@lemmy.ca
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        15 hours ago

        I mean, all of the might of United States military had trouble with the Afghani insurgents. Now, just imagine Canadian insurgents who speak the same language, look exactly like you, and know your history better than you do. No city in the continental United States will be safe.

        • Miles O'Brien@startrek.website
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          10 hours ago

          I’d be happy to join a Canadian foreign legion. I view protecting Canada from foreign aggression my patriotic duty as a fellow human being, and neighbor.

          Besides, once upon a time I swore an oath to protect my country from threats foreign and domestic, so I am honor bound to fight alongside Canada against the biggest threat the US has ever faced.

          I’m not sure how many Americans would join me, or how receptive Canadians would even be to a bunch of tacticool looking non-professionals with guns showing up and CLAIMING to want to help, but I’m positive there will be americans fighting back. Whether it’s on the front lines with guns, or with sabotage in the states, who can say.

          • MagicShel@lemmy.zip
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            10 hours ago

            I’m in my fifties so I have no illusions about my combat effectiveness, but I took that same oath and I would obey it in the same way for the same reasons. Plus I’m like 75 miles from the border. If the lines moved just a little afterward, I could wind up Canadian anyway.

            • FaceDeer@fedia.io
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              9 hours ago

              I suspect sabotage would be the best use of most American allies. Pipelines, power lines, railroads, bridges, America has plenty of those just lying around undefended. And many of them are a stiff breeze away from collapsing on their own anyway.

              Blowing up or burning down a few might not have much direct impact on America’s warfighting capabilities, but forcing the American military to divert huge amounts of manpower to protect all of that would. Not to mention increasing the likely-alreayd-extreme discontent at the government.

              And, of course, assassinations when you can manage it. (Ooh, this isn’t Reddit, I can say such things without being [ Removed ])

        • InverseParallax@lemmy.world
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          14 hours ago

          Put up a fight?

          Nah, more like encourage our trash to attack, then slide in right behind them.

          We’d let the canadians help us give them what they deserve.

  • MyOpinion@lemm.ee
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    14 hours ago

    Every word from this Orange Turd is treason. Their needs to be a trial and he needs to never see the light of day again.

    • krashmo@lemmy.world
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      14 hours ago

      He also said he’s not sure if we need to uphold due process in all situations. I’m willing to concede the point in his case if it means we can hang him tomorrow.

  • SoupBrick@pawb.social
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    14 hours ago

    Located between the U.S., Russia and Europe, Greenland is viewed as a strategic position for both economic and defense purposes, with melting sea ice opening up new shipping routes through the Arctic.

    • LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      13 hours ago

      Shipping from the U.S. to Europe can only be made more inefficient by heading up towards Greenland. The only way it could be more efficient is if the U.S. took over Canada and was trying to directly trade with Russia without Europe being in the way. An attack on Greenland should be seen as an attack on Canada and all of the EU/UK

      • grue@lemmy.world
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        9 hours ago

        The only way it could be more efficient is if the U.S. took over Canada and was trying to directly trade with Russia without Europe being in the way.

        Exactly.

  • Admiral Patrick@dubvee.org
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    14 hours ago

    Every time I hear this, I think “Ok, that’s what his right hand is doing. What he doing with his other hand?”

    Read: Isn’t the batshit stuff pretty much always a distraction?