Waging war on Denmark is wrong and will damage U.S. defense and foreign relations for decades We Americans should be ashamed of ourselves and of our government. Stealing Greenland from Denmark by military force or the threat thereof is criminal under international law. It is immoral. Doing this to o ne of our closest allies, one always generous in aiding our defense and that sacrificed lives fighting for us, is outrageous. Donald Trump and Elon Musk initiated this, but we as citizens offer few objections. Politicians who should understand the issues are mute. Consider the key fact that relative to national populations, as many Danish soldiers died fighting our war Afghanistan fighting as did Americans. Trump and Musk say controlling Greenland is somehow necessary for defense, a view never advanced in military circles before now. Why not? Because Denmark has allowed the U.S. to freely operate dozens of military facilities in Greenland starting in World War II and continuing to the present. These included several U.S. Air Force bases, including two large ones with nuclear bombers and aerial refueling tankers. We based nuclear-tipped Nike missiles on the island, operated four Dew Line radar bases and ran a naval support facility. When a B-52 with four nuclear weapons crashed in 1968, some 700 Danish civilians worked without personal protective equipment on a cleanup of scattered radioactive material. Yet 20 years later we stiffed 200 of them who sued for damaged health. This is not a mere issue of differing opinions. It is a deeply moral one but also has practical implications for our place in the world going forward. Are we as a people entirely ungrateful to others who sacrificed for us? Can we thus ever be trusted? Will we keep promises? Will we uphold treaties that 14 U.S. presidents made over eight decades? Moreover, since it is clear that the whole impetus comes from the desire of Musk, a manufacturer of electric cars, to gain control of rare earth minerals, the world knows that blatant corruption now drives U.S. defense and foreign policy. Why is no one speaking up? Rudy Boschwitz long was a key member of the Senate Relations Committee. He knows attacking a small ally harms our position in the world. What about Arne Carlson, proud of his Scandinavian Heritage? What about Tim Pawlenty, thoughtful and moderate? None are in any danger from Trump. Why are all lips sealed? Not only GOP leaders show moral obtuseness. Why isn’t Amy Klobuchar calling for sanity? Tina Smith is not running again. Why is she silent on this issue? Moreover, if GOP Reps. Finstad, Emmer, Fischbach and Stauber really think that destroying  NATO is good policy, then why don’t DFL Representatives Craig, Morrison, McCollum and Omar protest twice as loudly? I am not the only veteran who knows the importance of common defense of democracy against aggression. Over decades, hundreds of Minnesota Guard and Reserve members have trained with Danish comrades. Some served with them in Afghanistan. Why do none protest? Many of us have friends named like Pilegaard or Jamtgaard. We have been to Aebelskiver celebrations in towns like Tyler, Ruthton, Dovray or Askov. Thousands of Minnesotans have Danish roots. Millions of us are their friends and relatives. Why such silence? Americans have a curious faith that we can offend and always be forgiven. This time we are wrong. Our silence tacitly approves immoral actions that will harm our nation’s vital interests for decades going forward. St. Paul economist and writer Edward Lotterman can be reached at stpaul@edlotterman.com. Related Articles Letters: Tim Walz is doing what the party wants Letters: I have Trump Derangement Syndrome and here is the cause Russell N. Myers: Volition: Women are changing the world Letters: Maybe Minnesota should become Canada’s 11th province Real World Economics: Tariffs raise questions, here are some answers ...read more read less