Could one country just buy another instead of taking it by force?
Asked by
rojo (
24179
)
January 10th, 2017
Researching an earlier question, I came across this article in which the US is supposed to have offered to buy Greenland from Denmark.
Could this happen today? I realize that there are few countries owned by other countries at this point but who would you contact about purchasing another country you were interested in? Would it be cheaper than going to war? How would the sales price be split? Would the population benefit from the proceeds or only those in government? Could you have a vote and majority oks the sale then it goes through?
With the Global Corporate Takeover of the world is this something we may encounter in the future?
If it were an option, what country would you like your present country to purchase (be realistic, Norway could not purchase Russia but might be able to get a good deal on Finland or Monaco but Russia could probably afford Norway).
Observing members:
0
Composing members:
0
11 Answers
You mean like when the USA bought Seward’s Folly (Alaska in 1867 for $7 million) from Russia?
Or the US buying everything west of the Mississippi from France in the Louisiana Purchase?
Sure, @rojo, this could theoretically take place, but unlikely because the residents there (wherever) may have national pride, and they might not be happy with losing their national identity.
Or the time we bought the entire Midwest of the USA from France under the Louisiana Purchase agreement?
A hostile takeover in the boardroom sense and not the military sense?
I remember reading a novel, decades ago, in which the entire continent of Africa offered to sell itself to the United States. Needless to say, it was speculative fiction.
I’m not sure how we (meaning supposedly civilized nations) ever did convince ourselves that we had the right to traffic in entire populations and major land masses. Where did the idea ever come from that countries didn’t belong to the nations and peoples that occupied them? It seems to be a pretty old one, long predating any such transactions in North America, but it still seems bizarre to me that people would think either the occupation by troops or the colonizing by settlers would legally entitle one nation to another’s lands and resources.
IMO Belarus, Argentina, Jamaica, Belize, Venezuela, Greece and Ukraine have thought long and hard on this option.
It seems more ethical than the Church granting all lands south of the Canary Islands to Portugal, and then Spain and Portugal dividing up the New World between them.
You mean like what’s going to happen to Cuba?
I realize it has happened in the past. I am wondering if it could happen now.
@Call_Me_Jay who do you foresee purchasing Cuba?
Yes, they could. But protectionist and national security laws usually prevent it.
@rojo I see the possibility that Cuba could be an offshore venue for monied interests to engage in activity that isn’t possible under US law.
Kind of like it was before the revolution.
Kind of like Gitmo is an offshore venue for extra-legal US government action.
Though standing up against the US is a huge point of pride for Cubans. So maybe they won’t allow it.
^^They’ll allow it, but they will own controlling interest this time.
Answer this question 
Composing members:
0
