A month or so ago I remember thinking that, yes, Donald Trump will turn America into Russia with an oligarchic government, a dictator-like leader, and KGB-like raids by ICE, but at least he doesn't have any imperialist ambitions. There wouldn't, I was sure, be any invasion of Canada or Mexico like Putin's war to regain Ukraine as part of the former USSR and make him a national hero.
Then just a few weeks ago, before his inauguration even, Trump started talking about Greenland, Panama and Canada.
Greenland is fairly safe. NATO would back up Denmark if Trump tried anything there. Denmark should kick the American military base off Greenland or, if the US withdraws from NATO, have NATO take it over.
Canada is safe from a military invasion, at least for now. It will be interesting to see what happens with the threatened tariffs and other undefined economic pressures. But when the American west runs out of water due to mismanagement of ground water aquifers exacerbated by global heating, Canada will be asked to share our water by diverting rivers south. And if we don't comply to their satisfaction I wouldn't rule out tanks rolling across what we used to brag about being the longest undefended border in the world. When Trump was building his Mexican wall during his first term I recall suggesting that Canada should be building a wall on our southern border too.
No, it's Panama that I think is the most vulnerable. Once Trump has all his loyal people in place in authority over the military he could just decide to take over the canal and who would stop him. American ships would be given preference in queues and charged lower fees but if he put Republicans in charge of running it there would be chaos and delays far worse than anything he imagines there is now.
President William McKinley is Donald's latest hero. He was the 25th president, serving from 1897 until 1901. One reason for Trump's obsession with McKinley was his fondness for tariffs to protect American industry. Another possible reason is that it was during McKinley's presidency that America annexed Hawaii and, as a result of victory in the Spanish-American War, added Guam, the Phillipines and Puerto Rico to American territory. To honor his hero, Trump is renaming Mt. Denali (the highest peak in North America) back to Mt. McKinley, reversing the name change made in 2015 by President Obama (which the State of Alaska had been asking for since 1975).
Donald Trump should take to heart William McKinley's most famous quote:
We want no wars of conquest; we must avoid the temptation of territorial aggression. War should never be entered upon until every agency of peace has failed; peace is preferable to war in almost every contingency.
Donald should also keep in mind why McKinley's presidency ended in 1901 - he died from an assassins bullet.
Sources
"America has an imperialist presidency" - the Economist, 25 January 2025
https://www.economist.com/leaders/2025/01/23/america-has-an-imperial-presidency
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