Trump campaigned on America First, a term coined in 1940 and which meant that the U.S. should not aid foreign countries or enter into foreign wars. America should mind its own business. America First never meant that we should be the world's bully, taking whatever was in our "national interest."
If "national interest" were the measure of morality, then the actions of any foreign conqueror could be justified as serving that nation's "national interest." Hitler thought it was in Germany's "national interest" to annex Poland and much of the east. Stalin thought it was in Russia's "national interest" to annex Poland, the Baltic states and Finland. Mao thought it was in China's "national interest" to annex Tibet.
And perhaps it was. But it was not moral.
The Neocon expansionists, with their vaunted "moral compass," might respond, "America's better than that -- so we have a right to behave the very same way."
Well, maybe not in such blatant words. But that's their argument. We're "good" because we don't behave like bad nations, so we have a right to behave like bad nations.
Silly, isn't it?
Trump's "America First" foreign policy is hardcore Neoconservatism. In addition to blanket support for Israel, Trump has called for the annexation of the Panama Canal, Gaza, Canada, and Greenland. I doubt he expects to annex Canada, but of all those territories, he seems most determined to take Greenland.
Yet the people of Greenland bravely responded "No" in their recent elections. Jakob Wiezman of Politico reports (March 12, 2025):
"Greenland had a message for Donald Trump as islanders went to the polls this week: thanks, but no thanks.
"The U.S. president’s repeated noises about acquiring the vast Arctic island — not ruling out military force or economic coercion — were rejected at the ballot box, as a party that denounced Trump’s ambitions came out on top.
"The opposition center-right Democrats party grabbed the most votes in a surprising national election result that saw the country’s governing coalition parties (the left-wing Inuit Ataqatigiit and center-left Siumut) edged out into third and fourth place, on a total of 28,620 votes cast (70 percent turnout).
But like the Godfather, Neocon Trump is determined to make Greenland an offer they can't refuse. Following the election, on March 13, Emily Goodin of the Daily Mail reports:
"President Donald Trump on Thursday reiterated the United States 'needs' Greenland for national security purposes and indicated he's willing to send in American troops to take control of the island.
'I think it'll happen,' the president said of annexing the island during his Oval Office meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
'We really needed for national security. I think that is why NATO might have to get involved anyway,' he added."
Ayn Rand famously said: "A need is not a claim."
I've met conservatives, libertarians, and Objectivists who love to cite Rand whenever an impoverished person seeks a handout. But when America (or Israel) demands or takes something because some leader says the nation "needs" it for their "national interest," these same Rand fans go silent.
I wish the people of Greenland well in their quest for independence -- from both Denmark and the United States. We demanded independence from Britain. Greenlanders are entitled to the same.
And I wish Trump would focus on putting America First (no foreign aid) but without the Neoconservatism (foreign conquests).
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