Sidney Blumenthal, The Guardian:

“We’re not going to invade Greenland. We’re going to buy it,” Donald Trump reportedly told the annual black-tie dinner on 1 February of the private Alfalfa Club, an assemblage of prominent Washington figures, a number of whom he had publicly humiliated, and others he was investigating or suing. “It’s never been my intention to make Greenland the 51st state. I want to make Canada the 51st state. Greenland will be the 52nd state. Venezuela can be 53rd.” […] He went on. “So many people in the room I hate,” he said in a display of honesty. “Most of you I like,” he claimed. Then, at his peak euphoria, he flew off to Mar-a-Lago to plan his attack on Iran, which took place 27 days later.

[…]

Mark Carney, the Canadian prime minister, offered the most succinct critique of Trump’s intent to usurp the sovereignty of countries in order to make them turn over their wealth to him. Carney said: “Canada is a sovereign, independent nation. We are not a target to be bullied, nor are we a client state to be subordinated … We will not sign an agreement that sacrifices our basic sovereignty, undermines our legal system, or cedes control over our foreign trade to Washington.” He called Trump’s demands a “last-minute power play intended to reduce Canada to an economic subsidiary”.

Now, adopting his characteristic pose as victim, Trump claimed Canada had been “ripping off the United States for years” and were among “worst” nations to “deal with”.. “They feel entitled and will be entitled no longer … It’s time to teach Canada you can’t do this anymore…. Someone should get these clowns to fall in line.”

Carney replied that Canada was “at war,” and would adopt “counter-measures”, tariffs of its own. “America,” he said, “has changed … If Washington wants to trade, they must come to the table as equals.”

“When the Americans stop doing memes, stop throwing shade, stop trying to be tough, and start being serious about having those discussions, we can have those discussions,” said Carney. In the meantime, Trump’s outlandish exhibitions of triumphalism in the face of rejection and defeat echo the Marx Brothers more than they echo Marx and Lenin: “Hail Freedonia!”

The Guardian: Trump’s clash with Canada is his latest imperialistic embarrassment