Good greenbacks for greenlanders, Mr T?

Definition of what's serious and what's not has been sharply recalibrated ever since Donald Trump recalibrated what's proper and what's not. One quick way to hedge against getting things wrong is to take everything he says without salt. So, when White House on Tuesday announced Trump and his retinue have been 'discussing a range of options to pursue this important foreign policy goal' - of acquiring Greenland - and 'utilising the US military is always an option', we should take the idea Trump first floated in 2019 seriously. By now, reasons for the latest land-lust are well-known: as a strategic US outpost, and for its rich mineral reserves. But instead of geopolitical arm-twisting, the real estate developer-president could dangle a buyout price before every Greenlander.

On paper, the maths looks tempting. Greenland's vast reserves of rare earths, uranium and iron ore could be valued in hundreds of billions. Divide that sum among 57,000-odd Greenlanders, and each citizen could walk away with a life-altering windfall and probably resettle in non-Arctic Miami. In a country largely dependent on Danish subsidies, a better bid could calm nerves, make Greenlanders rich - and US companies and stakeholders richer. A Danmarks Nationalbank report released on Tuesday underlines Greenland's economic vulnerability: 0.8% growth projection this year vis-a-vis 2% in 2022 - as its population continues to diminish.

Yes, Excelpolitik may have its limits. For one, Greenland may not share Trump and his retinue's 'Dig, baby, dig!' evangelical zeal towards resource extraction. Also, with a per-capita GDP of $58,499 (2023) - US ($84,534), India ($2,397) - dangling good money may not do the trick. Also, who sets the valuation? How are resources quantified against volatile commodity markets? What safeguards prevent exploitation once ownership shifts? But before toying with a 'non-consensual' option, why doesn't Trump make an offer that Greenlanders can decide whether to refuse or not? He should be aware that just because it's called Greenland, doesn't mean it's good for golfing.