The Daily Signal - #534: The US-Greenland Relationship

Episode Date: August 27, 2019

Greenland has enjoyed some unusual time in the spotlight. Earlier this month, President Donald Trump said he wanted to buy the mostly frozen island. Today we have an exclusive interview with Greenland’s foreign minister to Washington, Inuuteq Holm Olsen. Daniel had the chance to speak with Olsen earlier this summer about the historic ties between the U.S. and Greenland and what a closer relationship could mean. Plus: We talk about what a new poll says about the shift in American values. We also cover these stories: • President Trump discusses having talks with Iran. • Trump says he is an "environmentalist" when asked about climate change. • Rep. Sean Duffy, R-Wis., is resigning, announcing that he wants to spend more time with family after discovering his unborn ninth child has a heart condition. The Daily Signal podcast is available on Ricochet, iTunes, SoundCloud, Google Play, or Stitcher. All of our podcasts can be found at DailySignal.com/podcasts. If you like what you hear, please leave a review. You can also leave us a message at 202-608-6205 or write us at [e-mail]. Enjoy the show! Release date: 27 August 2019 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is the Daily Signal podcast for Tuesday, August 27th. I'm Kate Trinco. And I'm Daniel Davis. Well, Greenland has enjoyed some unusual time in the spotlight. Earlier this month, President Trump said he wanted to buy the mostly frozen island and then canceled a trip to Denmark when the country's prime minister called the idea absurd. Well, if all of that has piqued your interest about Greenland, you're in luck today. We have an exclusive interview with Greenland's foreign minister to Washington.

Plus, patriotism, religion, and having kids. are now less important to Americans than in the past. We'll unpack the revealing new survey. And if you're enjoying this podcast, please be sure to leave a review or a five-star rating on iTunes and encourage others to subscribe. Now on to our top news. Iran's president has signaled new interest in talks with the United States as his country's economy continues to reel under crippling sanctions.

In a speech on Monday, President Hassan Rwani reckoned with the need to find a solution to his country's economic crisis, saying, quote, if I knew that going to a meeting and visiting a person would help my country's development and resolve the problems of the people, I would not miss it. We have to negotiate. We have to find a solution, and we have to solve the problem, end quote. While President Trump seemed open to that, appearing at the G7 meeting in France, here's what he said Monday at a press conference.

Their inflation is through the roof. Their economy is tanked entirely. the sanctions are absolutely hurting them horribly. I don't want to see that. I don't want to see that. They're great people. I don't want to see that. But we can't let them have a nuclear weapon.

Can't let it happen. So I think that there's a really good chance that we would meet. At the G7 summit, President Trump was also asked by a reporter what he thought about climate change. Here's what he said about the U.S.'s approach via CNN. We're the number one energy producer in the world. Soon it will be by far the number one. It's tremendous wealth. And LNG is being sought after all over Europe and all over the world,

and we have more of it than anybody else. And I'm not going to lose that wealth. I'm not going to lose it on dreams, on windmills, which, frankly, aren't working too well. I'm not going to lose it. So, Josh, in a nutshell, I want the cleanest water on earth. I want the cleanest air on earth. And that's what we're doing. And I'm an environmentalist.

A lot of people don't understand that. I have done more environmental impact statements probably than anybody that's, I guess, I can say definitely, because I've done many, many, many of them. More than anybody that's ever been president or a vice president or anything even close to president. And I think I know more about the environment than most people. I want clean air. I want clean water. I want a wealthy country.

I want a spectacular. country with jobs, with pensions, with so many things. At the G7, Trump was the only world leader who didn't attend a meeting on climate change per the Hill, among the seven nations represented at the G7. The Trump administration did send another senior official to represent the U.S. Well, China's top trade negotiator says he wants to re-engage the United States through calm negotiations, according to the Chongqing Morning Post, a state-owned newspaper. Vice Premier Liu Ha was speaking at a tech conference.

in the city of Chongqing. He said he opposes the escalation effort in the U.S.-China trade war and wants to resolve disputes through dialogue. Those comments came days after President Trump announced an additional 5% tariff on $550 billion worth of Chinese goods in the U.S. China had just announced its own retaliatory tariffs on $75 million of U.S. goods. Representative Sean Duffy, a Republican congressman from Wisconsin, is stepping down in September citing family responsibilities.

The congressman, who is expecting his ninth child with wife Rachel Campes Duffy, wrote on Facebook, recently we've learned that our baby, due in late October, will need even more love, time, and attention due to complications, including a heart condition. With much prayer, I have decided that this is the right time for me to take a break from public service in order to be the support my wife, baby, and family need right now, end quote. May, Duffy posted an ultrasound of the new baby, writing, God isn't done with our family yet. Our entire family is excited to welcome baby number nine to the crew this fall. Rachel said it best, we aren't crazy, we are just full of hope for

America's future. Duffy was first elected in 2010. Well, it seems President Trump isn't alone in wanting to buy Greenland. Senator Tom Cotton penned an op-ed in the New York Times on Monday backing the president's idea. The Arkansas Republican wrote, quote, The acquisition of Greenland would secure vital strategic interests for the United States, economically benefit both us and Greenlanders, and would be in keeping with American and Danish diplomatic traditions, end quote. He also warned that China was eyeing Greenland,

saying that it had tried to purchase a U.S. naval base in Greenland in 2016, and then tried to build three airports on the island. He said those failed, thanks to intangeload. hence lobbying from the Trump administration. Well, speaking of Greenland, today we have a special exclusive interview with Greenland's foreign minister to Washington, in New Tech, Holm, Olson. I had the chance to speak with Olson earlier this summer about the historic ties between the U.S. and Greenland

and what a closer relationship could mean. That interview right after this. If you're tired of high taxes, fewer health care choices, and bigger and bigger government, it's time to partner with the most impactful conservative organization in America. We're the Heritage Foundation, and we're committed to solving the issues America faces. Together, we'll fight back against the rising tide of homegrown socialism, and we'll fight four conservative solutions that are making families more free and more prosperous.

But we can't do it without you. Please join us at heritage.org. I'm joined now by Unitech Holm Olson. He is the Minister of Greenland in Washington, D.C., representing Greenland in the United States, Minister, thanks so much for joining us. Well, thank you for having me. So, Minister, growing up, I had a round globe in my room, and whenever I looked at it, it said,

when I looked at Greenland, it said in brackets Denmark. Before we get into some of the policy issues, I'm just curious, can you explain the historical background to that and Denmark's relationship to Greenland? Yeah, I mean, you know, for many years, Greenland was a colony of Denmark, and now we're in the process of, or we've been in the process the last 40 years,

actually, of building. building up kind of our own nation. And so we're in a long-term process of getting more and more autonomy and eventually, you know, the issue of independence will come up. So, and I mean in the meantime, you know, we have a law that regulates the relationship between Greenland and Denmark. And in that, we can open up representations abroad and deal with the issues that we have control of because we have We have a large degree of autonomy today. So that's why Greenland opened up a representation in Washington, D.C. five years ago.

And yeah, so we kind of broadening and diversifying also our relations with other countries. So you've been in Washington for about five years now, I believe. What are some of the main issues that really dominate the relationship between Greenland and the United States? Well, I mean, Greenland and the United States have a long-standing history. I mean, Greenland is actually geographically part of the North American continent. So, you know, ethnically, linguistically, in many ways, we part of the North American continent. And the U.S. have had military bases since World War II in Greenland,

and because Greenland played a important role in that respect and also throughout the Cold War, You know, and then, so it's been very much for many years, you know, kind of dominated by that aspect of, you know, the military kind of security, which is still important and actually gaining importance as, you know, even as we speak today. But we also have, or we want to, you know, also diversify our relations. There's a large scientific interest in Greenland by the U.S., you know, and we also want to develop both the cultural trade and economic ties between the U.S. and Greenland. So basically, you know, we want to build that, what we already have and expand upon that. Now, is Greenland officially part of the European Union by way of its relationship to Denmark, or Or is it sort of outside the EU? Actually, you know, Greenland was the first country to leave the European Union.

Really? Yeah. So the Grexit. That was the first. Exactly. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, that's great. Yeah.

We were members when Denmark joined in 72, but we didn't have a choice, basically. So after we gained home rule in 79, we took up the issue of membership and had a referendum in 82. And with Majority said, you know, that we want to leave the EU. I mean, at that time it was a European, called the European Economic Community, but now the European Union. So we left it officially in 1985, actually, because, you know, the principle of that decisions should be taken by the people most affected by it, you know, should apply, you know, because a large degree of issues of importance to green and were taken by Brussels. Yes. This series, for example, which is the most important industry for us.

We wanted to regain control. So I think, I mean, issues like that are something that's also important to, you know, the Heritage Foundation. And, you know, it's supporters, you know, that decisions that affect, you know, people should be taken. you know, in close proximity. Yes. Yeah. So I'm curious also about the Cold War. I know the North Atlantic was kind of a critical place.

You know, a lot of Soviet and, you know, U.S. naval operations happening close to Greenland. What was it like for Greenland during that time? Well, I mean, at that time, you know, we, it was a very different time, I think, you know, for Greenland. I think not only Greenland, but also the Arctic plate and, you know, important. role in the defense of the U.S. and it still does, you know. So at that time we didn't have this developed, you know, autonomy. So, you know, things were, we weren't involved as much as we are today. So, I mean, we don't remember those times, you know, with great affection because we want to be involved in whatever interest and decisions that affect us, you know. So

that we have achieved today. But, I mean, these issues are gaining more prominence again. You know, the maritime issues of between Greenland, Iceland and the UK, the so-called, the gap, you know, and Russian activities there. And also Russia and China has been identified as the most, as the most challenging nations affecting the U.S. interests. So we're seeing, I think, increased activity and interest by the U.S. in what's going on in Greenland, but also in general, I think, in the Arctic.

So you mentioned the possibility of Greenland becoming more independent from Denmark. Is a break-off? Is independence likely, you think, in the coming years? Is that something that – and how does Denmark – feel toward that. I think, I mean, it might not come, you know, tomorrow or next year or five years, but it's something that we are working on. It's kind of an end goal for us to take up that issue. But nevertheless, I think we always have close relations with Denmark because those ties are a couple of hundred years old. But I think it's too early to tell what kind of independence

we're talking about you know there's several forms of independence you know that you can explore and probably will explore so that's I think too premature to say at this point but but I mean but the goal is clear you know to continue to take over competences from Denmark to Greenland so we have a direct say of what it is or what kind of society it is that we want and that's been an I mean I mean It's going to be important politically, economically, and that's why we also have to develop our ties and relations trade-wise economically, also with countries like the U.S. Yeah, I wanted to ask about that. So you've been in Washington longer than Trump has been president. How has your relationship been with U.S. administrations and cooperating on that stuff?

Well, pretty good, actually. I think now we're pleased that this administration has, has taken such an interest in Greenland actually. And one of the things that the US is now doing is to open up its diplomatic presence again in Greenland. There was a consulate there from 1940 to 1953. So that's opening up again. And then, of course, Secretary Pompeo was supposed to visit Nook, but then there was

another crisis that prevented him from going there. So, but hopefully we'll have him visit Greenland at some point in the future. So, yeah, I think we're very pleased with this administration and what they're doing in relations to promoting U.S. and Greenland relations. Wonderful. Well, Minister Olson, I really appreciate your time and joining us today. Well, thank you for having me again. What the heck is Trickle Down Economics? Does the military really need a space force?

What is the meaning of American exceptionalism? I'm Michelle Cordero. I'm Tim Desher. And every week on the Heritage Explains podcast, we break down a hot button policy issue in the news at a 101 level. Through an entertaining mix of personal stories, media clips, music, and interviews, we help you actually understand the issues. So do this. Subscribe to Heritage Explains on iTunes, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcast. Podcasts today. American values are changing, according to a new poll released by the Wall Street Journal and NBC News.

And there's a stark divide between younger and older Americans, NBC News reports, quote, among those who are either millennials or Generation Z, which includes ages 18 to 38, only 42% rate patriotism as a very important value, while 79% of those over 55 say the same. Just 30% of the younger group cite religion or belief in God as very important, while 67% of the older group does. And just 32% of those under 38 years old call having children very important, while 54% of those over 55 agree, end quote. So, joining us to discuss is Thalia Rampersad,

who is our producer or one of our producers for The Daily Signal, who is 25 years old, still goes to church and generally does not fit our generation. But before we go to Philea, I'm going to go to Daniel, who also goes to church and is 27. So Daniel, thoughts. Yeah. No, it's interesting how all three of these, patriotism, religion slash belief in God, and having children precipitously declined among the 18 to 38-year-olds, like almost all together. And that's interesting.

It struck me because those three things, I think, think typically have gone together. Like typically in America, in America, like if you're patriotic, you tend to be more, you know, likely to be religious. And, you know, religious people do tend to have more children. And all of those are declining. And what I found interesting is along with that, the only area where millennials and Gen Z increased over, in their value over the previous generation was in tolerance for others. And that suggests to me, like, that's like the kind of thing that is replacing traditional religion. It's basically an ethical system. So even though younger people don't adhere as much to traditional religion, they still really care about what they think is

right. Even though it doesn't map on to a traditional religion, it's more this kind of tolerance and postmodern identity thing. So I don't know. I mean, that's not correlating. to having more kids and being more patriotic. But, you know, it just goes to show that when you remove religion, something is going to fill its void. One other interesting point, I think, too, is what we see as the breakdown of family and how a lot of the younger generations

aren't showing a much-needed respect to the older generations and looking to them for wisdom and guidance in terms of navigating the life that they're in right now and knowing that those people that have come before them have lived much more life and have so much more to offer them and just showing them a level of respect. I feel like we're losing that as well in the younger generation. Yeah, and I think what really struck me about this survey was, and they didn't directly pull in this, so this is my assumption. But I wonder if it's about an underlying sense of despair among many

younger Americans. I think not seeing children is important and we know the birth rate is dropping. And I think there's economic things, student loans, for sure, all that has an impact. But I also think people are worried about things like climate change. I think there's an attitude among younger, more progressive Americans to think that like not just climate change, but everything in the world is going horribly. And there's always all this drama on Twitter and like we're getting less woke and things are terrible. And like, why would you bring a child into such a troubled society? And I wonder if that sort of despondent mindset is also fueled by the lack of belief in religion and God. I mean, I think that those, I'm religious myself.

I think that one, you know, you see, as Augustine says, this is, you know, not the eternal city, but the earthly city or whatever he calls it. City of man. City of man. Thank you. It's been a dozen years since I've read Augustine. But also I think that, you know, I frankly look at recent history, and I believe that, you know, the prayers of many and John Paul II played a huge role in communism. in much of Europe. And I think that that gives me such hope, even when I see things in the world, I don't believe that if I put all our trust into our human species, I don't think I would have

this hope. But yeah, I just think more big picture here, I think this is very concerning for the United States as a cultural thing because it shows people aren't super patriotic. And I think there's a way to be patriotic where you acknowledge, hey, the U.S. hasn't been perfect. But it has brought a lot of good into this world and we should talk about those things and admire those things. And I think a lack of, you know, belief in religion and, yeah, not having kids. I don't think there's anything. I mean, it's one thing on an individual level, but I think as a society, if you see this sort of decline as we're seeing, I think it suggests despair.

Well, it makes sense that people would have less kids if they don't believe in God or traditional religion, right? I mean, because part of the reason that Christians have kids is they believe that they should get married and have kids, that that's something you should do. I mean, even you, like, you're Catholic. You guys don't even believe that you should try not to have kids. Like, you should have as many as you possibly can. That's not exactly right. I am perfectly stating your view.

No. Okay. It's not exactly that from the record. Okay. But you're a larger point. But yes, like, like, we believe that we are inherently wired and oriented toward reproduction. and, you know, God's plan is to have us to, you know, from the beginning was to link up in marriage and to have kids through that. And so that's just part of the created order.

And, but if you believe differently, you have different ideas about all of that. If you believe that human beings are really more of a stain on the earth and the earth itself is really what's sacred. And, you know, we need to serve the earth and, like, you know, going beyond just environmentalism, but actually, you know, bordering on. on being subservient to the earth as human beings, that kind of flips the traditional Christian notion on its head, which is that we should steward the earth, but ultimately we're supposed to have dominion and govern the earth and populate it.

Yeah, and I would, just to clarify, I would just say as the Catholic, the church's position is certainly very supportive of children, but it calls on the couple to discern that prayerfully and seriously, and then I'm not going to get into the methodology, but it's not just have a bunch of kids and call it a day. Thank you for the correction to the record.

But I mean, at the same time, you know, I thought that was interesting the way you phrase that. Because, of course, also the Catholic Church has a long tradition of, you know, for the most part, priests and nuns not getting married. So it's not like having children is the only way to lead the Christian life in our understanding. But I think the broader point you make, I certainly agree. But I also think, you know, just like looking at what Representative Duffy said, you know, when he announced the pregnancy of his ninth kid citing his wife, you know, this show is like saying about how we have hope in America.

Like, you want kids because you think, hey, it is so wonderful to be alive. And that doesn't mean that everything is perfect or everything is great, but life itself is a gift. And I think that, yeah, as I said, I think despair and maybe materialism are really hurting the current young adults. And if you believe that human beings are not just a drain on the earth, but are actually agents of positive influence that, I mean, that. this again comes from your view of what human beings are which comes down to your religion and the way you understand the world and if you believe that human beings at their best are designed to alleviate suffering and to actually improve the world rather than just be a drain on it than that again you're going to be more willing to have kids absolutely and i think um you know i mean pro lay for sundaens make this view of course um you know how do we know the person with the answer to you know this and that crisis wasn't aborted or something something like that. But even

though that's a rather political prism through which to put it, I think it's important to realize there may be problems we can't solve now that the people of the future might be able to. And yeah, they're just can't be, I don't know, maybe we all end up living on different planets. Who knows? I mean, like overpopulation, all this stuff.

Like there are ways to work this out. Well, and one other frightening thing too about this is the fact that because there's no moral basis or grounds on on value specifically, these people, while they don't want to have kids, this generation, they don't want to have kids, there is going to be a generation after them, and they are going to influence it one way or another, and the fact that they're veering away from values and solid

principles and religious principles is frightening, because then what is that next generation going to lean on? Right. And I think it's also scary from the patriotism perspective, because it's sort of like, well, if you don't see the good in America, if you don't, see what makes, you know, our project so special and so unique, yeah, you're not going to fight to keep America or at least keep America to stay this unique. And that obviously has huge ramifications. Good place for us to leave it. Thalia, thanks for joining us in this segment. Thanks for having me. And we will leave it there for today. Thanks for listening to the Daily Signal podcast brought to you from the Robert H. Bruce Radio Studio at the Heritage

Foundation. Please be sure to subscribe on iTunes, Google Play, or SoundCloud. And please leave us a review or rating on iTunes to give us any feedback. We'll see you again tomorrow. The Daily Signal podcast is executive produced by Kate Trinko and Daniel Davis. Sound design by Lauren Evans and Thalia Ramprasad. For more information, visit DailySignal.com.