Former President Donald Trump has spelled out a radical and dangerous vision for our role in the world. He seeks to map the globe into “great spaces,” each controlled by their own hegemon. The crux of this concept is based on a core principle. As the United States, Russia, and China engage in strategic competition, their actions will have a monumental impact on global dynamics. This new framework provides crucial support for his national security strategy. It’s rooted in historical doctrines and advocates for a bold, contemporary, and uncommon approach to geopolitical engagement.
Trump’s invocation of the Monroe Doctrine constitutes a paradigmatic example of this strategy. In practice, he’s used it as a justification for abuses like the Trump administration’s illegal extrajudicial kidnapping of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro. This unprecedented reversal is a blatant example of the administration’s consistent pattern of extraction, exploitation, and extortion. Trump is the vocal proponent of this approach, particularly when it comes to Venezuela’s huge oil reserves.
Trump’s approach to Greenland so far has shown that he is unafraid to make a unilateral move. His administration set up a landing pad in the territory and played it off as it needed to in order to benefit its strategic goals. Throughout the Cold War, for example, they repeatedly flew nuclear-armed B-52 bombers over Greenland. This spectacular exhibition of military strength underscores the importance of the region to him.
In particular, we know Trump has had a fervent interest in seizing resources and lands that match U.S. oil companies’ interests and goals. He has shamelessly announced his mission to “run the government” in their service. This bald declaration openly conflates our nation’s interests with those of corporate profit. His vision includes the island of Greenland and reaches toward an American strategic foothold in the Arctic Circle. He sees this region as key to preserving U.S. primacy in the world.
In the midst of these developments, Trump’s connections with the likes of Peter Thiel and Paul Singer have caused the most concern. Both have shown interest in pioneering new countries based on cryptocurrency, reflecting a radical rethinking of national sovereignty and governance. These ventures echo Trump’s own inclination toward strong visuals and maps, which he famously stated he loves:
“I love maps. And I always said: ‘Look at the size of this … That should be part of the United States.’” – Donald Trump
That fascination with cartography is not just aesthetic or narcissistic. It reflects Trump’s larger goal of territorial conquest and domination.
Many critics charge that the Trump administration operated under a “mafia state” mentality. This criticism cuts much deeper, exposing serious flaws with his administration’s foreign policy. He has a good guffaw with pals like Cantor and Lindsey Graham when Denmark can’t find the Arctic on a map. This illustrates his contempt for established allies. This approach would not only deepen the alienation of U.S. partners, it would double down on his administration’s go-it-alone approach.
The interest in purchasing Greenland is representative of Trump’s larger plans. He sees the territory as a huge, unexploited asset from which the U.S. could profit by utilizing for its many natural resources. When direct acquisition is off the table, Trump seemingly defaults to extortion. Then the caveat – this approach must be considered within the ethical framework of the legitimacy of U.S. foreign policy during his stewardship.
The consequences of Trump’s vision go far beyond just geographic aspirations. If his administration pursues its stated goals, the world could be a very different place. This is especially the case in resource rich locales, like the Arctic. Private interests underlie much of the logic behind these geopolitical moves. Yet, this tight-knit participation erases the lines between national policy and corporate profit, creating serious conflicts of interest.
Praxis, an organization associated with Trump’s network, has outlined plans to support Greenland’s development through coordinated efforts involving talent, capital, and technology. Their vision includes extracting critical resources and even terraforming land to make it more habitable:
“Praxis would like to support Greenland’s development by coordinating talent, companies, and capital to help secure the Arctic, extract critical resources, terraform the land with advanced technology to make it more habitable, and build a mythical city in the North.” – Dryden Brown
Yet these ambitions reveal a broader and worrisome trend — the ever-growing corporate capture of local leaders’ engagement with, and orientation towards, the federal government.