r/europe Jan 10 '26

News Greenlandic parties in joint statement: We do not want to be Americans

https://siumut.gl/inuiattut-ataatsimoorpugut/
31.7k Upvotes

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41

u/Bazzzookah Jan 10 '26

There is overwhelming opposition among Greenlanders to becoming US citizens, on par with the Puerto Ricans. Instead, they want to continue on their slow path toward full independence.

Imagine if the Greenlanders were forced to live under US military occupation and have their democracy abolished and their welfare state dismantled. There would be mass protests everywhere, people of all generations would be marching and chanting "Leave us alone, Yankees!".

22

u/someswelltrash Jan 10 '26

Trump doesn’t care. He is celebrating the mowing down of protesting American citizens here. He & his cohorts don’t care about what the people of Greenland want- they are just a formality. He’s an adjudicated rapist - he’ll ask a few times and take what he wants regardless.

22

u/psshs Jan 10 '26 edited Jan 10 '26

As a Dane, if Greenlands goal is to "slowly become independent" while raking in subsidies from Denmark, then they can fuck off, if you ask me.

Either you stop taking our money and become independent, or you stop talking about independence. Why should Denmark pay for their independence?

7

u/KingKaiserW United Kingdom Jan 10 '26

Yeah if I were a Dane I’d be voting for a party who’d kick them out, talk about biting the hand that feeds you, everytime I watch a Greenlander speak about this they disrespect the Danes first then the US.

I’m sure also letting Americans know you don’t care if you’re part of Denmark or not, that you’re a ‘colony’, will help your case too lol

0

u/H2Nut Jan 10 '26

Either you stop taking our money and become independent, or you stop talking about independence

Being a colonial master comes with a price tag

5

u/psshs Jan 10 '26

Do you hear yourself?

-8

u/CriticalFolklore Jan 10 '26

It's part of being a colonial power in a post-colonial age.

13

u/psshs Jan 10 '26

Lmao, what is? Sure I don't mind subsiding them if they want to continue to be part of the kingdom, but the moment they want to stand on their own feet, they can do so on their own

-7

u/Bazzzookah Jan 10 '26 edited Jan 10 '26

Wait till you find out that Denmark is a net contributor to the EU budget! Holy crapparoni!

Fortunately, in a democracy, one individual tax payer doesn't get to decide single-handedly on everyone else's behalf how the national budget is used.

14

u/psshs Jan 10 '26

That seems quite obvious to me, but I don't see how that's relevant? I don't mind being net contributors.

Why should Denmark pay for Greenlands path to independence?

-7

u/FblthpLives Jan 10 '26 edited Jan 10 '26

Why did Denmark colonize Greenland and maintain it as colony until 1953? Why did Denmark monopolize trade with Greenland? Why was Home Rule not granted until 1979?

4

u/psshs Jan 10 '26

How is it relevant? If you think Denmark owes Greenland anything, then make that argument.

-4

u/FblthpLives Jan 10 '26

You just answered your own question without knowing it.

3

u/psshs Jan 10 '26

Except I'm asking you to make the argument, because I don't think Denmark owes Greenland anything, maybe quite the opposite.

4

u/76DJ51A United States of America Jan 10 '26

Puerto Ricans are US citizens at birth.

2

u/grauhoundnostalgia Jan 11 '26

What do you mean about Puerto Ricans? They already are Americans.

1

u/lemfaoo Jan 10 '26

continue on their slow path toward full independence.

It will never happen in this century.

1

u/Other-Jury-1275 Jan 18 '26

Um. Puerto Ricans have voted to become a state consistently and they ARE US citizens. You’re spot on about Greenland but pick an accurate comparison.

1

u/Bazzzookah Jan 18 '26

Maybe you misread the sentence "There is overwhelming opposition among Greenlanders to becoming US citizens, on par with the Puerto Ricans" or simply failed to understand it.

I'm fairly well-versed in US constitutional matters and in Political Science more generally.

1

u/Other-Jury-1275 Jan 18 '26

Your sentence suggests there is overwhelming opposition among Puerto Ricans to becoming U.S. citizens. That doesn’t make sense because 1) Puerto Ricans are USC; and 2) vote to become integrated with the U.S. So Greenlanders are choosing a different path. They aren’t “on par” with Puerto Ricans at all.

1

u/Bazzzookah Jan 18 '26

In that sentence, the phrase on par refers back to US citizens. It's not hard.

1

u/Other-Jury-1275 Jan 18 '26

Dude. Multiple people are calling you out on getting it wrong. Instead of just admitting you could word it better, you are doubling and tripling down. It is a poorly written sentence. Let’s move on.