Danish Royal Palace ‘Surprised’ By Trump Canceling Trip

[rainman + 263]

U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to cancel a visit to Denmark next month after the prime minister described his plan to buy Greenland as “absurd” took the Danish royal palace by surprise, a spokeswoman said Wednesday. Lene Balleby told The Associated Press Wednesday that the news was “a surprise” to the royal household, which formally had invited Trump to visit Denmark Sep. 2 and 3 as part of a European trip. She had no further comments.
Trump announced his decision by tweet after the Danish prime minister dismissed the notion of selling the semi-autonomous territory to the U.S. as “an absurd discussion.

[BALBOA + 37]

What a circus ... It's not usually a situation that an administration to cancel a visit to a foreign country by tweet.Indeed, I don't know similar example ...

[Tom Kirkman + 8,860]

[Pavel + 384]

1 minute ago, Tom Kirkman said:

So, Greenland is now a geostrategic interest?!

[pinto + 293]

Just now, Pavel said:

So, Greenland is now a geostrategic interest?!

😃 yep. Ice ice baby...

[BALBOA + 37]

5 minutes ago, Tom Kirkman said:

Someone said, this is the real reason: "Barack Obama to return to Denmark in September"

https://www.thelocal.dk/20190813/barack-obama-to-return-to-denmark-in-september/amp?__twitter_impression=true

 

[rainman + 263]

Just another long standing ally insulted....one by one.

[damirUSBiH + 327]

Greenland story "has a history".... back in 1946, officials offered Denmark $100 million in gold bars for the world’s largest island, a Danish autonomous territory. U.S. officials at the time thought it was a “military necessity. The U.S. has a military base there.

[Tom Kirkman + 8,860]

1 hour ago, Pavel said:

So, Greenland is now a geostrategic interest?!

Yes.

How a potential Chinese-built airport in Greenland could be risky for a vital US Air Force base

 

================================

/ a bit off topic, the quarantined Reddit forum r/The_Donald (blacklisted by Google) has been having a field day laughing about the whole Greenland / Trump thing.  Sample:

[ronwagn + 6,290]

6 hours ago, Pavel said:

So, Greenland is now a geostrategic interest?!

Of course. Look where it is. Russia is trying to develop unchallenged control of the arctic.  Greenland has many resources to Develop, not the least of which might be tourism. 

Greenland is expected to be one of the world’s next great mining frontiers as global warming starts to uncover precious metals from the frozen surroundings. Substantial volumes of minerals are now within reach of geological land mapping technologies, according to research conducted by GlobalData, a natural resources business intelligence provider.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Greenland

 

[ronwagn + 6,290]

6 hours ago, rainman said:

Just another long standing ally insulted....one by one.

We were the ones insulted. A polite no would have been fine. You have it backward. 

[Enthalpic + 1,496]

For refusal to discuss selling Greenland!  This joke never stops!

As a joke Canada should invite US to discuss the potential purchase of Alaska. 😂

Can't make this stuff up, truth is stranger than fiction.

[Enthalpic + 1,496]

56 minutes ago, ronwagn said:

We were the ones insulted. A polite no would have been fine. You have it backward. 

Disagree.  Why would anyone be polite to trump? That was like asking if you would sell your wife and being surprised when you are told to F off.

Edited August 21, 2019 by Enthalpic

[Enthalpic + 1,496]

6 hours ago, Tom Kirkman said:

 

 

Try increasing your dosage.

[Enthalpic + 1,496]

58 minutes ago, ronwagn said:

Of course. Look where it is. Russia is trying to develop unchallenged control of the arctic.  Greenland has many resources to Develop, not the least of which might be tourism.

..and it will never be part of the US

[Jan van Eck + 7,558]

On 8/21/2019 at 4:38 PM, Enthalpic said:

Disagree.  Why would anyone be polite to trump? That was like asking if you would sell your wife and being surprised when you are told to F off.

Kinda depends on the wife, don't you think?   I know lots of guys who would be delighted to cash in the wife and pick up a nice piece of change in the bargain.  Then they can go out and buy a neat snowmobile!

Ah, Canadians - ya gotta love 'em. 

[Jan van Eck + 7,558]

On 8/21/2019 at 3:44 PM, ronwagn said:

We were the ones insulted. A polite no would have been fine. You have it backward. 

Not really, Ron.  You are not appreciating the history of this debacle. 

Trump really wanted to go to some monarchy and be feted by a Queen.  He got a taste for that life when he trotted over to England.  The Danes did not, and had not, issued an invitation.  Trump sent emissaries via back channels hustling for an Invite and a State Dinner.  After some awkward moments, the Danish Government went to the Queen and asked if she would be so gracious as to issue the Invitation.  The Queen went along.  Now Trump comes along with his ridiculous idea - advanced only in the Press - that he wants to go buy Greenland.  Remember that Greenland is not the property of the Danes to sell.  By Treaty Agreement with the people of Greenland, it belongs to the people who live there.  The deal is that Danmark is responsible for external protection, supplies the Navy, and represents Greenland diplomatically as an autonomous self-governing region. Danmark has no authority to go sell it, it is not theirs to sell. 

The rough equivalent would be for Trump to send out a Tweet demanding that Mayor DeBlasio of New York City go sell him Rockefeller Center.  Guess what - not his to sell. 

When the Queen's spokespeople say that "she is surprised" by Trump's public cancellation (and abuse), that is palace-speak for "We are seriously pissed off."  Trump is far too dense to catch that subtlety.  The Prime Minister was caught off-guard, as the protocol for any such ideas is to send over a Diplomatic Note to make the inquiry.  Instead, this goes by "Tweet" over the internet.  That is seriously banal. 

OK, so the descriptive of "It is an absurd request" was a bit forward. It could have been handled with "That is a most unusual request."  But that is a culture clash; the Danes are known for being straight-forward.  In any event, Danmark is a signatory to the Helsinki Treaty that sets European Borders in cement  (which the Russians have cheerfully violated in Crimea and the Donbass.) 

Trump is behaving like some teenage drama queen - demanding attention.  He comes across to the rest of the world as a complete fool.  Americans looking at this are not going to vote this guy in for a second term. He just keeps screwing up. 

[John Foote + 1,135]

10 minutes ago, Jan van Eck said:

Americans looking at this are not going to vote this guy in for a second term. He just keeps screwing up. 

I for one will be slightly surprised if Trump doesn't win reelection.

If he somehow loses, it will be his ability to galvanize opposition, couple with some serious hubris, that costs him the election. 

[Jan van Eck + 7,558]

1 minute ago, John Foote said:

I for one will be slightly surprised if Trump doesn't win reelection.

If he somehow loses, it will be his ability to galvanize opposition, couple with some serious hubris, that costs him the election. 

He may not even make it past the primaries if there is a serious candidate that arrives.  Trump has lost the Suburban Republican Woman vote.  He cannot win without that demographic.  So he cannot win. 

[John Foote + 1,135]

8 minutes ago, Jan van Eck said:

So he cannot win. 

You are making the assumption the Democrats field a candidate that doesn't offend or scare the Suburban Republican woman. They can easily snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

Texas is interesting. The cities are blue. The rural, red. The suburbs lean red, but the Trump/Tea Party types are driving them off. Cruz only won by a few points, against a looney tune (Beto). Not beating a dem in a statewide election in Texas by double digits was unheard of not so long ago. Now it's getting close. So while the red body count to the US congress is up, the amount each district is won by is down. When Texas flips, it will flip hard, and it's the hate message that will undo the Republicans. Unless they can separate from their leader. The real wall Trump is building, is with the electorate of the future. For the first time in decades Texas is coming into play. And if Texas flips, no Republican has a chance.

Again, I don't see that happening in 2020. But unless the Republicans remember Reagan's Big Tent, they are drinking their own Jim Jones Kool Aide

[Jan van Eck + 7,558]

On 8/24/2019 at 7:04 PM, John Foote said:

You are making the assumption the Democrats field a candidate that doesn't offend or scare the Suburban Republican woman. They can easily snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

Great analysis, John.  But let's remember that the Democrats may well become irrelevant to this.  If the Republican Party ends up with a solid, serious challenger to Trump in the primaries, I predict Trump will lose there.  It won't even make it to the General Election. 

"Trump" is a phenomenon.  Nobody expected him to win in the Electoral College.  He won because the Democrats ran the absolute worst possible candidate - Clinton.  The Dems could have run the town clerk of Hoboken, New Jersey and cleaned up.  Instead the Party surrendered to the Clintonites and you see how that went.  

Lots of people voted "Anybody but Clinton."  This time around, lots will vote "Anybody but Trump."  Especially suburban moms, the ultimate voter demographic that much prefers milder politics. Does not matter what Party.  A lot will be "Anybody but..." voting. 

Edited September 10, 2019 by Jan van Eck
Edited "He lost" to "he won" for clarity

[Enthalpic + 1,496]

10 minutes ago, Jan van Eck said:

Great analysis, John.  But let's remember that the Democrats may well become irrelevant to this.  If the Republican Party ends up with a solid, serious challenger to Trump in the primaries, I predict Trump will lose there.  It won't even make it to the General Election. 

"Trump" is a phenomenon.  Nobody expected him to win in the Electoral College.  He [won] because the Democrats ran the absolute worst possible candidate - Clinton.  The Dems could have run the town clerk of Hoboken, New Jersey and cleaned up.  Instead the Party surrendered to the Clintonites and you see how that went.  

Lots of people voted "Anybody but Clinton."  This time around, lots will vote "Anybody but Trump."  Especially suburban moms, the ultimate voter demographic that much prefers milder politics. Does not matter what Party.  A lot will be "Anybody but..." voting. 

I agree with that.  Sanders would have won.

[footeab@yahoo.com + 2,132]

1 hour ago, John Foote said:

I for one will be slightly surprised if Trump doesn't win reelection.

If he somehow loses, it will be his ability to galvanize opposition, couple with some serious hubris, that costs him the election. 

IF BIden?  Nope.  Tulsi Gabbard?  I would vote for her in a heartbeat over Trump.  But, the Demorats are as clueless as the Rhinoturds currently so....

[Douglas Buckland + 6,308]

Funny how the thread went from Trump trying to buy Greenland, with many comments based on what can all agree is the 'less than accurate' mainstream media reporting, to a discussion on the next US Presidential election...

[ronwagn + 6,290]

5 hours ago, Jan van Eck said:

Not really, Ron.  You are not appreciating the history of this debacle. 

Trump really wanted to go to some monarchy and be feted by a Queen.  He got a taste for that life when he trotted over to England.  The Danes did not, and had not, issued an invitation.  Trump sent emissaries via back channels hustling for an Invite and a State Dinner.  After some awkward moments, the Danish Government went to the Queen and asked if she would be so gracious as to issue the Invitation.  The Queen went along.  Now Trump comes along with his ridiculous idea - advanced only in the Press - that he wants to go buy Greenland.  Remember that Greenland is not the property of the Danes to sell.  By Treaty Agreement with the people of Greenland, it belongs to the people who live there.  The deal is that Danmark is responsible for external protection, supplies the Navy, and represents Greenland diplomatically as an autonomous self-governing region. Danmark has no authority to go sell it, it is not theirs to sell. 

The rough equivalent would be for Trump to send out a Tweet demanding that Mayor DeBlasio of New York City go sell him Rockefeller Center.  Guess what - not his to sell. 

When the Queen's spokespeople say that "she is surprised" by Trump's public cancellation (and abuse), that is palace-speak for "We are seriously pissed off."  Trump is far too dense to catch that subtlety.  The Prime Minister was caught off-guard, as the protocol for any such ideas is to send over a Diplomatic Note to make the inquiry.  Instead, this goes by "Tweet" over the internet.  That is seriously banal. 

OK, so the descriptive of "It is an absurd request" was a bit forward. It could have been handled with "That is a most unusual request."  But that is a culture clash; the Danes are known for being straight-forward.  In any event, Danmark is a signatory to the Helsinki Treaty that sets European Borders in cement  (which the Russians have cheerfully violated in Crimea and the Donbass.) 

Trump is behaving like some teenage drama queen - demanding attention.  He comes across to the rest of the world as a complete fool.  Americans looking at this are not going to vote this guy in for a second term. He just keeps screwing up. 

The left wing leaders of Europe are losing touch with the people IMHO. They may be losing more power and control of the people in the near future. I cannot see how Europeans could possibly be happy with the trend Europe is heading toward. I lived in Europe for 26 months and it seems like it has become far worse than it was in 1965 when I came home. 

I actually think that Greenland would do far better with help from America than with Denmark. I think that is hard to refute logically. Thanks for explaining the protocol and laws involved. 

 

Edited August 25, 2019 by ronwagn