But there is so much excitement over Ushaâs visit according to JD!
Perhaps someone was looking forward to being a couch potato when the spouse was gone.
Iâve been thinking about this Greenland thing. Why are we acting the way we are acting? The obvious answer is the grift to gain control of the natural resources. Since Trump is in power I assume everything that is foreign relations related is in service to Putin. Keeping that in mind:
from wikipedia
Pituffik Space Base (/biËduËËfiËk/ bee-doo-FEEK;[2] Greenlandic: [pitufËik]; IATA: THU, ICAO: BGTL), formerly Thule Air Base (/ËtuËliË/), is a United States Space Force base located on the northwest coast of Greenland in the Kingdom of Denmark under a defense agreement between Denmark and the United States. Denmark was a founding member of NATO in 1949 and the 1951 Greenland Defense Agreement allowed the United States to operate the base under a NATO framework. Under the agreement the Danish national flag must be side by side with the US national flag on the base.
It is the northernmost installation of the U.S. Armed Forces, 1,210 km (750 mi) north of the Arctic Circle and 1,524 km (947 mi) from the North Pole. Pituffikâs Arctic environment includes icebergs in North Star Bay, two islands (Saunders Island and Wolstenholme Island), a polar ice sheet, and Wolstenholme Fjord. The base is home to a substantial portion of the global network of missile warning sensors of Space Delta 4, and space surveillance and space control sensors of Space Delta 2, providing space awareness and advanced missile detection capabilities to North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), the United States Space Force, and joint partners.
Pituffik Space Base is also home to the 821st Space Base Group and is responsible for space base support within the Pituffik Defense Area for the multinational population of âTeam Pituffikâ. The base hosts the 12th Space Warning Squadron (12 SWS) which operates a Ballistic Missile Early Warning System (BMEWS) designed to detect and track ICBMs launched against North America. The base is also host to Detachment 1 of the 23rd Space Operations Squadron, part of the Space Delta 6âs global satellite control network. The airfieldâs 3,000 m (10,000 ft) runway handles more than 3,000 US and international flights per year. The base is also home to the northernmost deep water port in the world.[3]
Pituffik Space Base has previously served as the regional hub for nearby installations, including Cape Atholl (LORAN station), Camp Century (Ice Cap Camp), Camp TUTO (Ice Cap Approach Ramp and Airstrip), Sites 1 and 2 (Ice Cap Radar Stations), P-Mountain (radar and communications site), J-Site (BMEWS), North and South Mountains (research sites), and a research rocket firing site.[not verified in body] It also was essential in the construction and resupply of High Arctic weather stations, including CFS Alert (Alert Airport) and Station Nord.
Damage our relationship with Denmark and make this base go away or limit its function would be a great benefit to Putin.
Its a resource grab.
The reality is that while the US is highly productive, it still needs more raw materials to keep growing. It will exhaust its own domestic supplies eventually.
Thats why they are targeting Canada, Greenland, and Ukraine. They are all countries with abundant natural resources.
The US is actually in some pretty serious financial trouble long-term if it doesnât maintain above average economic growth.
I semi-seriously think that part of it is that Trump doesnât understand how a Mercator projection works and thinks that Greenland is bigger than it is. And also didnât like being laughed at over Greenland during his first term and wants to prove that he was correct.
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-00938-y
More than 1,200 scientists who responded to a Nature poll â three-quarters of the total respondents â are considering leaving the United States following the disruptions prompted by Trump. Europe and Canada were among the top choices for relocation.
Greenland and Canada are all about jockeying for position in the Arctic. With shipping lanes open due to no polar ice cap and previously mostly inaccessible areas becoming easier to access, the big powers are fighting to grab what they can.
if itâs any similarity to the threats to move out of the US before his first election, I think about 12 will actually leave.
Given funding cuts to science and universities I think we will see a real brain drain this time. Weâll see.
I think that the current situation is much worse vs Trump 1.0
They are doing active damage to a lot of research programs and attacking Universities.
The first wave of people leaving will go to Canada and the UK.
Thats actually already happening.
It just takes time to move abroad to continue your research.
Good luck finding employment.
You wouldnât hire a Canadian fish expert that had been working in the US, got his funding cut due to global warming being woke, and as a result was looking for a new spot to continue research?
Iâm thinking many countries will view this as an opportunity to attract quality profs and researchers.
Yeah⌠Weâre not even hiring all the Canadian born fisheries scientists and my org is currently laying people off. Maybe a few superstars might get hired by universities, but at the moment people out number positions. This is one reason why Iâm supportive of a moderate reduction in the number of PhD positions.
And US grants to Canadian researchers are getting more restrictive.
It seems that there are still people in the US legal space willing to stand up to tyranny. Several firms had decided to appease Trump which set alarm bells ringing.
Reminds me of this quote by Stuart Mill:
My impression is that there are 5 law firms that have been effectively targeted by what Iâll call the nuclear option in Executive Orders, meaning that the orders are targeting clients and / or removing security clearances from lawyers to stop them from being able to practice. Of those 5, 3 have sued, and the other 2 have rolled over and conceded.
And another 20 firms are being targeted by a separate, less draconian order that feels like it is at best a warning shot.
Edit: 2 have rolled over.
One more gives in to the tune of $100 million.
This ranks right up their with pardoning the J6 rioters. How can someone use the courts to fight illegal actions if the president has so much power that big law firms wonât represent you?
My link isnât working, so Iâll quote a little:
President Trump announced a fresh deal on Friday with a major law firm to avoid a punitive executive order, just hours after two other white-shoe firms sued rather than bow to his demands.
Speaking at the White House, the president said the firm, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, would provide $100 million in pro bono work on issues that he supports, heading off an expected executive order akin to those he has aimed at other firms that put government buildings and agencies off-limits to the firmâs lawyers.
âThis was essentially a settlement,â Mr. Trump said. âWe appreciate Skaddenâs coming to the table, as you know other law firms have likewise settled the case. Itâs a shame whatâs gone on.â
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/03/28/us/trump-greenland-vance-news
Speaking of legal bullying: