Trump looks at a map and dreams of empire, from Greenland to Panama | Opinion
Plutarch wrote that Alexander the Great wept when his minions informed him that there were no more worlds left to conquer. His empire, stretching from Egypt to the northwest corner of India, encompassed the entirety of the world as it was known to the Greeks at that time in human history, roughly 325 B.C.E.
Weeping for comparable reasons won’t be a problem for Donald Trump. Evidently he’s been perusing maps and has identified Greenland, Canada and potentially a piece of Panama as possible targets to incorporate into an expanded version of the United States.
In particular, Trump, whose book “Art of the Deal” portrayed him as a master of negotiations, has declared that he wants to strike a deal to buy Greenland from Denmark, just as the U.S. bought the Virgin Islands from Denmark in 1917.
The leaders of the targeted territories were not pleased when they were informed of Trump’s goals. Greenland’s prime minister asserted that Greenland “is not for sale — not now, not ever.” Denmark, one of America’s NATO allies, had the same terse message for Trump.
It’s reassuring that, thus far at least, Trump’s proposed method of acquiring the mineral-rich, sparsely populated island was to do so via a purchase rather than a military conquest facilitated by the fact that the U.S. already has a major military presence on the strategically situated island.
Meanwhile, an invasion also would seem to be off the table as a means of furthering Trump’s idea of making the entire nation of Canada our 51st state. Although polls show that a tiny fraction of Canadians favors statehood, many more are reluctant to trade their government-run healthcare for America’s medical industrial complex dominated by insurance companies, big pharma and hospital chains.
The idea of statehood for Canada may also get pushback within the U.S. For instance, advocates who’ve been pushing statehood for Puerto Rico and/or the District of Columbia may well ask, “What about us? Weren’t we in line to be the 51st state?” Moreover, making Canada coast-to-coast into one humongous state could also upset California, which would no longer be our most populous state.
So scratch the idea of statehood for Canada — for now. Meanwhile, there’s nothing vaguely amusing about Trump’s threats to take over the Panama Canal because “they’re ripping us off.”
Moreover, seeming to threaten a sovereign nation may prompt the targeted nation’s leaders to take protective and deterrent steps by seeking alliances with nations that are not on good terms with the United States. Think China or Venezuela.
During the 2024 campaign, Democrats tried to portray Trump as a dangerous leader with “fascist” tendencies. Trump occasionally contributed to this narrative by blurting out unfiltered thoughts during campaign rallies and on social media, but in the end, the Democrats’ strategy did not work.
Unfortunately, however, Trump’s contributions to this worrisome narrative didn’t cease when he won the election. He may not be the “fascist” the Democrats imagined, but he seems to share a worrisome trait that emperors, dictators and kings have exhibited throughout human history.
For most authoritarian rulers, their top priority is to protect their existing domain and cling to power, no matter the cost. That was evident in Syria, where Bashir al-Assad even resorted to using chemical weapons against his countrymen.
Less extreme but equally shameful tactics have been used in sham “democracies” such as Nicaragua and Venezuela, where authoritarian rulers have persecuted their political opponents, rigged elections and silenced the media.
For certain other authoritarian rulers, however, merely maintaining their existing realms has not been enough. From Alexander the Great and Napoleon Bonaparte to Adolf Hitler and Vladimir Putin, they gaze at a map and want more.
Do Trump’s musings about Greenland, Canada and Panama expose him as a leader with authoritarian tendencies, inclinations or aspirations? Or is this just another example of bluff and bluster from a celebrity who’s a master of both? Stay tuned.
Robert F. Sanchez, of Tallahassee, is a former member of the Miami Herald Editorial Board. He writes for the Herald’s conservative opinion newsletter, Right to the Point. It’s weekly, and it’s free. To subscribe, go to miamiherald.com/righttothepoint.