In 1867, the United States purchased Alaska from the Russian Empire for $7.2 million.
asserted
States → purchase → million
The deal was widely ridiculed: Critics called it “Seward’s Folly,” after secretary of state and lead negotiator William Seward.
asserted
Critics → ridicule → Seward
In hindsight, given the state’s immense natural resources and strategic location, it’s tough to think of Alaska as anything other than one of America’s most important territorial expansion since Thomas Jefferson’s Louisiana Purchase.
asserted
it → give → Purchase
Yet many have still not learned their lesson about the Monroe Doctrine, which warned foreign powers not to meddle with the United States in our hemisphere.
asserted
which → learn → hemisphere
Even fewer have learned their lesson about America’s national interest in the Arctic region.
asserted
fewer → learn → region
President Donald Trump’s new Greenland deal proves it.
asserted
deal → prove → it
Trump has long sought the frigid, sparsely populated Danish territory.
asserted
Trump → seek → territory
In August 2019, Trump confirmed he was eyeing Greenland, referring to the massive island as “strategically nice” for the US.
asserted
he → confirm → US
The Danish prime minister dismissed any American acquisition as “absurd,” but the idea never died.
asserted
idea → dismiss → acquisition
Just before his second term, Trump again declared US ownership of Greenland an “absolute necessity,” and Donald Trump Jr. and the late Charlie Kirk toured the island.
asserted
Jr. → declare → island
Ever since, Trump the elder has repeatedly argued that the United States must acquire Greenland, citing its prized location and its coveted rare earth minerals.
asserted
States → argue → location
Democrats and transatlantic elites scoffed in unison.
asserted
Democrats → scoff → unison
Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.), the House Democratic Caucus chairman, called Trump’s rhetoric “completely unhinged.”
asserted
Aguilar → call → rhetoric
Sen. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) took a break from conveniently ignoring his disgraced friend Eric Swalwell to rebuke Trump as “an idiot.”
Former British Prime Minister Keir Starmer blasted Trump’s threat of tariffs on nations opposed to an American acquisition as “completely wrong.”
asserted
Starmer → take → acquisition
French President Emmanuel Macron attacked the possible duties as “unacceptable.”
asserted
Macron → attack → duties
In reality, Trump was just doing what he does best on the world stage: Pursuing “the art of the deal” by aiming very high, applying massive leverage, and then landing on an outcome that isn’t exactly what he was targeting but still redounds solidly to America’s national interest.
asserted
he → do → interest
True, the new deal Trump just signed with the Danish and Greenlandic prime ministers on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly doesn’t acquire Greenland for the US outright.
asserted
Trump → sign → US
The deal affirms two new sites where the United States will station troops and build bases.
asserted
States → affirm → bases
That’s in addition to America’s lonely current outpost, the remote Pituffik Space Base, home to about 150 troops — which will now be “modernized and expanded.”
asserted
which → ’ → troops
The deal explicitly includes Greenland in Trump’s sprawling “Golden Dome” missile defense system.
asserted
deal → include → system
It clarifies that no non-NATO nation can ever establish a military presence in its tundra.
asserted
nation → clarify → tundra
And it binds Denmark to working closely with the United States to counter Russian and Chinese espionage on the world’s largest island.
asserted
it → bind → island
Finally, the kicker: The deal gives the United States “permanent control over security and all other needs” in Greenland, regardless of whether Greenland ultimately wins independence from Denmark.
asserted
Greenland → give → Denmark
That’s a win for the Monroe Doctrine, and a win for the United States.
asserted
That → ’ → States
It’s a win for Trump.
asserted
It → ’ → Trump
And it’s another win for Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who ironed out the final terms in his typically smooth fashion.
asserted
who → ’ → fashion
Trump and Rubio sealed the deal by ceding on sovereignty while pressing on America’s bona fide, tangible security concerns.
asserted
Trump → seal → concerns
The only surprise here is that people like Gallego and Macron are still allowing themselves to be repeatedly triggered by Trump’s over-the-top opening gambits.
asserted
themselves → allow → gambits
Fact is, Trump’s “art of the deal” on the world stage follows a well-established pattern — and has a corresponding record of results.
asserted
art → follow → results
On NATO, Trump secured a massive win after spouting lots of blustery rhetoric, getting NATO leaders last summer to commit to spend at least 5% of their national GDPs on defense by 2035.
asserted
Trump → secure → 2035
On Iran, Trump may not (yet) have instigated the toppling of the radical Islamist theocracy, but he has crippled the mullahs’ nuclear ambitions, missile stockpile and petroleum-based economy.
uncertain
he → instigate → ambitions
He’s used trade incentives and economic leverage to secure pro-America peace deals in decades-long conflicts as far-flung as those between India and Pakistan, and Armenia and Azerbaijan.
asserted
He → use → India
Again and again, Trump’s critics freak out over his rhetoric, lambaste him as a lunatic or a tyrant (or both), and then watch as he negotiates a deal that gets him basically what he wanted in the first place.
And most important: The United States wins big-time.
asserted
States → freak → place
Trump’s haters won’t see it that way, but Trump doesn’t care.
asserted
Trump → see → ?
He’ll stay focused on the bigger picture.
asserted
He → stay → picture
It’s what the great men of history do.
asserted
men → ’ → history
The Aporia
