In today’s fast-paced global arena, President Donald Trump’s interest in acquiring Greenland isn’t just a shot in the dark. It’s a move steeped in strategic savvy and national interest, despite the knee-jerk reactions and raised eyebrows from the usual chorus of naysayers. For those who think America should sit tight on its current lot, it’s worth revisiting just what makes a nation powerful. Hint: it isn’t standing still.

Historically, America has never been shy about expansion. The Louisiana Purchase, the annexation of Texas, and the acquisition of Alaska were all bold moves that elevated America into the formidable nation it is today. Critics who wave off the Greenland proposal as folly might take a closer look at their own history books. Expansion has been the American way, improving national security and economic stability with each new endeavor.

Greenland, lodged securely in the Arctic and littered with untapped resources like rare earth minerals and vital fresh water, represents a treasure trove of potential. Its geostrategic importance is clear when considering current global tensions, especially with Russian and Chinese interests creeping closer to home. A presence in Greenland isn’t just about staking a territorial claim; it’s about strengthening America’s perch on the global stage. It’s about ensuring America’s future and securing a stronger defense posture. It’s what any serious power does.

And yet, the proposal has been met with scorn — largely by those whose knee-jerk reaction does not extend beyond the superficial. America’s critics say expansionism isn’t who we are anymore. Ironically, it’s who we’ve always been. This is a nation borne out of ambition, where exploration once defined our character and frankly, should define it again. If Americans push back against this notion, they risk denying the very ethos that turned a continent into a leader.

There’s also an intangible benefit often overlooked in these debates: the spirit and hope that come from exploring new frontiers. This intangible is dismissed by some as fluff, but history seasons wise leadership with vision. Expansion gives a nation vigor, promises new horizons, and can reignite the pioneering spirit that built America. It draws from the same well as the call to explore space. Frontiers, after all, aren’t just about land; they’re about ambition.

So when critics scoff at the idea of America acquiring Greenland, branding it outlandish or hegemonic, they miss the point. America’s strength has always been its boldness. The real danger isn’t in reaching too far, but in not reaching at all. With strategic, economic, and intangible benefits on the line, it’s about time America embraced its expansionist roots once more. After all, if history teaches us anything, it’s that standing still has never suited a mighty nation.