In a prankish response to President Donald Trump’s proposal that the United States buy Greenland, now an autonomous region aligned with Denmark, more than 200,000 Danish residents have signed a petition for Denmark to purchase California.
Meanwhile, a congressman introduced a bill to authorize the president to enter negotiations to acquire Greenland and to rename Greenland, “Red, White, and Blueland”. (True, I can’t make this stuff up.)
Perhaps William Shakespeare’s prince of Denmark, Hamlet, might offer words of wisdom for this international diplomatic conundrum.
To paraphrase Hamlet, Trump’s attitude toward the Golden State might be summarized, “There’s something rotten in the state of California.”
Trump has grumbled about California since his first term as president quarreling almost continuously over the last eight years with the Golden State’s elected leaders. During his first term as president, Trump saw 123 lawsuits filed against his policies by California. The state’s lawsuit tap has been re-opened now that Trump is in office again.
Trump may be tempted to unload California for Greenland in an even trade.
Hamlet might wonder, “To be or not to be,” about a deal for Greenland. Who knows? Greenland was under joint Danish-Norway jurisdiction for hundreds of years until Denmark took possession in the early 19th century. Political boundaries do change from time to time.
Trump says there are strategic and security reasons for acquiring Greenland, but why would Denmark want to buy California (even in jest)?
The proponents of the Danish petition talk about gaining sunshine and Disneyland, but do they have any idea how much Disneyland costs to visit?
California price sticker shock will not be limited to Disneyland. An online website that calculates this sort of thing claims that a one-bedroom apartment in the center of Los Angeles costs about 40% more than a one-bedroom apartment in the center of Copenhagen, Denmark’s largest city.
And the crime rate index in Denmark is considered low, in California the index is twice Denmark’s. Along with California’s sunshine, Denmark would have to take on the responsibility and costs of California earthquakes and wildfires.
The signers of Denmark’s petition might look upon California as a fixer-upper state in a prime location to be improved under Danish political philosophy.
What would Californians think of Denmark taking over the property deed? True, a majority of voters oppose Trump when he’s on the ballot and many California leaders seem to share the Danish philosophy that more and more government is a solution to problems.
But then there’s the issue of sticker shock going the other way in paying for Denmark’s welfare state.
Californians won’t embrace Denmark’s top individual income tax rate of 55.9%. Californian’s top income tax rate for the wealthiest residents is 13.3%. In the state famous for its tax revolt and still considered a high tax state, the Denmark level of taxation won’t play. As Hamlet would say, “There’s the rub.”
If Californians want a Danish influence they can go to Solvang in Santa Barbara County. Solvang is a slice of Danish culture where, as the city’s website says, “…you can drink, dine and shop like a Dane without ever leaving the California sunshine.”
There, international crisis solved.
Joel Fox is a Senior Fellow at Pepperdine University’s Graduate School of Public Policy