WI: Iceland bought Greenland

Before the economic crisis the Icelandic economy was relentlessly expanding its bubble. The stock market grew 10 times in just a few years and Icelandic banks were buying up real estate, companies and foreign banks with basically fake wealth. Most bankers had no real world banking experience and just speculated like crazy.

What if instead of the wild and unfocused buying spree, the Icelanders get the idea that they should buy something with actual value: Greenland. Let's say Iceland throws money at Denmark and buys Greenland. Though their markets would crash later, Iceland would've expanded their territory by orders of magnitude.

What happens now? Do Iceland threaten to sell Greenland to the Russians to get international aid?
 

Deleted member 5719

The UN doesn't allow the purchase of inhabited territories, certainly not without a plebiscite.
 

Susano

Banned
The UN doesn't allow the purchase of inhabited territories, certainly not without a plebiscite.

Youre talking nonsense.

Not that the idea makes much sense (what would Iceland WANT with Greenland?), and of course democrattic societies would always make such things via plebiscite, but the UN has no say in such things.
 
It's "a lot of land" in principle, but in practice very little of it can be developed...unless they buy it on speculation of global warming!
 

Valdemar II

Banned
I don'ty know, what to say, you would a quite early POD to make this anything but ASB. Beside Greenland is completely worthless, beside Iceland of all countries I doubt they have the necessary money to buy, while richer per capita before the crash, Denmak is still much bigger both economical and in population, and in any timeline where Iceland is well of, it's hard to imagine that Denmark isn't.
 
I don'ty know, what to say, you would a quite early POD to make this anything but ASB. Beside Greenland is completely worthless, beside Iceland of all countries I doubt they have the necessary money to buy, while richer per capita before the crash, Denmak is still much bigger both economical and in population, and in any timeline where Iceland is well of, it's hard to imagine that Denmark isn't.

Ahem; Thule AFB... metals... uranium... presumed oil... Soviet, whoops Russian close to violate Danish airspace yesterday... :rolleyes:
 

Valdemar II

Banned
Ahem; Thule AFB... metals... uranium... presumed oil... Soviet, whoops Russian close to violate Danish airspace yesterday... :rolleyes:

Yeah yeah I know, I didn't mean to insult you and our Greenlandic countrymens, I mean from a settlement colonisation perspective. Beside Greenland is still a black hole from a economical perspective and will likely look like that for decades.
 
Yeah yeah I know, I didn't mean to insult you and our Greenlandic countrymens, I mean from a settlement colonisation perspective. Beside Greenland is still a black hole from a economical perspective and will likely look like that for decades.

Its allright; and as long as they don't do something about it I totally agree with your last sentence. And those fools doesn't seem to want to which is the really sad part of it!

But actually I thought you knew you'd hit that button! ;)
 

Deleted member 5719

Youre talking nonsense.

Not that the idea makes much sense (what would Iceland WANT with Greenland?), and of course democrattic societies would always make such things via plebiscite, but the UN has no say in such things.

Greenland is classified as a non-self governing territory by the UN, and therefore covered by resolution 1541, which states it is entitled to self-determination and, should it choose, independence.

Denmark and Iceland would be unable to complete the deal without consulting the Greenlandic electors, or they would face a security council resolution, which would condemn them, and probably pave the way for Greenlandic independence.

Though I agree, why would Iceland buy Greenland?
 
You can't just sell land anymore.
There'd need to be a vote in Greenland- do we join Iceland or stay with Denmark?
And no money would change hands, its entirely the Greenlanders choice.
How'd you'd get them in the position where they have to make that choice though is the hard part.

Hell, even back in the day such a sale wouldn't happen without other factors- when America bought land it was mostly at gun point (not nessesarily the American's gun but gun point nonetheless)
 
Were there any particular reason Greenlanders would object to being absorbed into the Icelandic political system as opposed to remaining part of Denmark?
 

The Sandman

Banned
So basically, instead of throwing cash at the Danes, start giving the Greenlanders moneyhats instead in the hopes of bribing your way to victory in the plebiscite. It would probably end up cheaper, relatively speaking.
 
So basically, instead of throwing cash at the Danes, start giving the Greenlanders moneyhats instead in the hopes of bribing your way to victory in the plebiscite. It would probably end up cheaper, relatively speaking.

That would cause international and domestic outrage.
 
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