2 ms·
Assuming you're right (and I truly hope you're wrong), America would basically be forfeiting the security of global trade and giving Russia's fleets exactly wha
by talldayo 2y ago
Assuming you're right (and I truly hope you're wrong), America would basically be forfeiting the security of global trade and giving Russia's fleets exactly what they want. You don't need to possess Greenland to monitor their waters. America is a rich country, we can pay our allies for services rendered when we want them. On top of that:
1. Greenland is not a hotbed for submarine cable or pipeline interruption, Europe is. If you have to station troops abroad, at least pick somewhere strategically relevant like Port Le Havre or The Hague. Occupying Greenland to spite the Russians would be cutting off our nose to spite our face.
2. Defending a territory the size of Greenland is folly and a waste of money when you can spend a fraction of the money leasing a naval port or base. What are we going to defend there, the new national stockpile of snow?
3. The smallest American carrier group would still be better equipped than the largest airfield currently in Greenland. Since it is close enough to American littoral waters, smaller boats would not even need Greenland for refueling and rearming purposes. The only reason to build air strips would be to accommodate jets that are large enough to cross the Atlantic on a half tank of avgas.
4. Greenland hasn't been a relevant American defense interest since fractional orbital bombardment enabled attacks that could circumvent NORAD's defense systems. If you put SAMs, THAADs and missile defense there, it is diverted away from credible threats to America's population centers.
5. You could spend that same money on aid for Ukraine if you want to kick Russia where it hurts. Sending American materiel to defend a location that doesn't matter to anyone is a fake commitment and an insult to taxpayers. We used to speak softly and carry a big stick, now America speaks loudly and pretends to hit people like a trillion-dollar production of Punch and Judy.