this post was submitted on 08 Jan 2026
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[–] arrow74@lemmy.zip 1 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

Ahem: Vietnam

While more involved than Afghanistan the goal was still never to annex a nation. It was to prop-up another puppet government. Plus the US relied more on sending bodies to the meat grinder there. If we see the US engage at WW2 levels that's where things get much bleaker. Also worth mentioning we've never really seen the US engage in total war this close to home. The last notable war that happened this closely was the Civil War. Greenland is close enough that you can move soldiers from the continental US and have them engaged in combat within the same day. If not under 12 hrs. That was not the case in either Vietnam of Afghanistan

Also I think you're missing a massive point here: You can't "topple" Greenland

Not what I said. You can 100% occupy Greenland and remove it from the control of Denmark before they can respond. I'm well aware that Greenland is a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark.

But anyway the rest I'm in agreement.

[–] Aceticon@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 3 days ago

Vietnam was definitelly "all out" but I grant your point that America wasn't trying to make it part of its territory, not least because since the days of Puerto Rico and taking territory from Mexico, America's Imperial strategy has always being one of installing puppet governments rather than direct control.

As for the rest, I disagree on it being possible for even America to 100% occupy Greenland unless the locals agree - remember it's 25% of the territory of America, most of it being far harsher. As long as support for a Resistance keeps on arriving from Denmark and Europe, an American occupying force would keep suffering casualties.

This is actually the basis of my point: America invading and occupying Greenland's cities is probably easy, its actually controlling a territory the size of 25% of America with very specific characteristics that totally favor the locals over American troops (hence my reference to Afghanistan, were the territory was equally large and almost equally harsh and Poshtun were in a very similar situation vs the American occupiers) is impossible unless to locals overwhelmingly side with America.

IMHO Greenland would quite possibly turn in the kind of quagmire war that happens at the stage of empires when they're starting to fall and engage in reckless military adventures to try and prop-up the elites, which end up overextending their military and draining most of their power.