Trump’s Annexation of Greenland: The Decline of Globalisation?

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Donald Trump’s designs on Greenland have stunned the world. The story opens a window into bigger questions about globalisation and geopolitics. It also questions who really gets to own the future.

This post explores some basic facts about Greenland. It also offers some analysis on whether we are now in a post-globalisation age.

🌍 Why Is It Even Called “Greenland”?

Blame Erik the Red, the Norse explorer who named it strategically around 982 AD. His aim? Attract more settlers by making a massive ice-covered island sound… welcoming. The name stuck, but over 80% of Greenland is still covered in ice today.

The population—just 57,000—is mostly Inuit and concentrated around the capital, Nuuk.

How Did Denmark End Up Owning Greenland?

In the 18th century, the Danish-Norwegian kingdom first claimed Greenland as a colony. It became solely Danish in 1814. After World War II, the US treated it like a protectorate. Then, in 1953, Greenland officially became a Danish province.

What followed was controversial: forced assimilation known as “Danization.” Greenlanders were relocated. Children were fostered in Denmark. Thousands of Inuit women and girls were fitted with IUDs without consent to lower birth rates.

🗳️ What’s Greenland’s Political Status Now?

Greenlanders voted for home rule in 1979 and gained further autonomy in 2009. Denmark still oversees foreign policy and defence, but Greenland runs its own government and domestic affairs. There is strong local support for eventual full independence.

Why Does Trump Want Greenland?

He has called it “strategically nice.” Greenland sits near Russian missile routes and hosts critical US military bases. It’s rich in rare earth minerals, and as the ice melts, it could offer new shipping routes and mining potential.

But there’s a big catch: Arctic mining is notoriously difficult, and even China has pulled out of projects there. Plus, Greenland already supports US military operations—without being owned by it.

❌ Denmark and Greenland Said No. Firmly.

Denmark quickly rejected Trump’s original 2019 proposal to by Greenland: “Greenland is not for sale.” Greenland’s leaders echoed this, calling the move “unacceptable” and uniting across political lines to oppose it. Trump’s follow-up? He didn’t rule out taking it “one way or another.”

🧊 Life in Greenland: Cold, Harsh, and Proud

Greenland is the most sparsely populated place on Earth. Most settlements are coastal—there are almost no roads inland. Winters bring near-total darkness; summers, endless light. The weather is brutal, the health challenges serious, and yet the people remain deeply connected to their land and culture.

🔍 What Does This All Say About Globalisation?

Let’s dig deeper by applying some sociology theory.

🛍️ 1. Hyper-Globalist View: Greenland as Global Gold

According to optimist globalisation theorists, Trump’s proposal reflects how global integration turns everything—even icy islands—into economic assets. Rare earth minerals, shipping lanes, and strategic location? It’s the dream of borderless capitalism.

🚨 2. Pessimist View: This Is Neo-Colonialism

Pessimist theories of globalisation highlight how global power still exploits the periphery. Greenlanders are Indigenous, self-governing, and have already faced forced assimilation. A rich foreign nation trying to “buy” them off? It’s not new—it’s colonialism 2.0.

🏛️ 3. The Nation-State Still Matters

Some sociologists argue that the nation-state is declining, while others think globalisation is in reverse. But Greenland shows how smaller nations—and even semi-autonomous ones—can still resist global superpowers. Local democracy and cultural pride won out over geopolitical ambition.

💪 4. Masculinity and Global Power

James W. Messerschmidt’s work on masculinities and crime offers another angle. Trump’s aggressive push to “own” Greenland is an assertion of hegemonic masculinity. It involves dominating territory, flexing power, and refusing to take “no” for an answer.

✊ Greenland Said No—and That Matters

Trump’s failed Greenland gamble wasn’t just a bizarre news story—it revealed how globalisation, imperial legacy, and modern identity politics collide. The people of Greenland, often overlooked in global politics, made their voices heard: they are not for sale.

🧠 Want to Explore More?

Check out these sociology reads to dig deeper into the ideas behind the headlines: