Bulletins and News Discussion from January 13th to January 19th, 2025 - From Mar-A-Lago to Nuuk - COTW: Denmark (including Greenland)

Image is of Donald Trump Jr. in Greenland, proudly demonstrating what he's learned in his standing lessons.

The imperial core is continuing the process of self-cannibalization as the interimperial wars between Europe and the US over resource and territorial control continue. Greenland, populated with less than a hundred thousand heavily exploited people, is the newest territory to fall under Trump's gaze. The main draw is the mineral resources present there, of which it boasts nickel, copper, cobalt, and platinum, and much more than remains unexplored under the ice. But the ice is melting, and profit must be made. There is an additional element of wanting Arctic territory to counter Chinese and especially Russian interests and aims; Russia is increasingly eyeing the northern Arctic route as an alternative to more vulnerable routes through the Suez Canal or around Africa, and is investing heavily in icebreakers for that purpose.

However, even if Europe possessed the desire to resist American annexations - and they absolutely do not, at the end of the day - they do not even have the ability. Denmark may, to a lesser or greater extent, make angry sounds and talk about national honour or some such, but their military would be trampled underfoot by even the New York Police Department, let alone a concerted military effort by the US. If Trump wants Greenland, he will have it. This will naturally increase the grumbling in Europe about reconsidering the Transatlantic alliance, and that grumbling may, in the medium-term future, as the American Empire continues its decline, lead to meaningful results. But in the short term, Europe shall have to bear whatever Trump throws at them, for they obviously cannot now ally with Russia, who was the natural counterweight to American interests for decades before 2022.

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Marco Rubio says the U.S. may put Cuba back on the list of countries that sponsor terrorism Removal of the Caribbean country from the list was announced in the last days of Joe Biden's Democratic administration.
“I have no doubt that (Cuba) meets all the requirements to be considered a state sponsor of terrorism,” Marco Rubio said on Wednesday before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee for his confirmation hearing as secretary of state.
The statement was made just one day after President Joe Biden announced the removal of Cuba from the list of “State Sponsors of Terrorism”. “Nothing that the Biden administration has agreed to in the last 12 to 18 hours is binding on the next administration, which begins on Monday,” he said.
- “I have no doubt that (Cuba) meets all the requirements to be considered a state sponsor of terrorism,”
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  Rubio said that the Cuban government maintains “friendly relations with Hamas and Hezbollah”, and strong ties with Iran, as well as “hosting spy stations for two countries hostile to the United States”. During the nearly five-hour hearing, Rubio said that the United States must begin to put its “fundamental national interests above all else”.
  Rubio stressed that the easing of sanctions against Venezuela should be reconsidered. “Now they have general licenses, where companies like Chevron are pouring billions of dollars into the regime's coffers, and the regime hasn't kept any of the promises it made. So all of this needs to be reconsidered.”
  He also assured that one of the main problems for the US would be the “strong presence of Russia and Iran in Venezuela”, which is allowing “Iran to start building drone factories”. He also accused Venezuela of “giving passports to Hezbollah”.
  
  They allow their territory to be used by a terrorist state to run a black site conducting unlawful detainment and torture.
- Little Marco never fails to disappoint.