Make no mistake, I found out some unfortunate (and yet unsurprising) facts about how the Danish treated the indigenous population of Greenland and would absolutely support Greenland becoming independent if that's what they chose (or even part of America if that's what they choose), I'm not under the illusion that the Danish did anything but invade and colonize Greenland.
My lib colleague however was wondering why Greenland doesn't belong to America as it's closer to America; his first thought wasn't 'why isn't Greenland independent', nor (going along the lines of which country it's closest to) why isn't it Canadian, but instead why isn't it American. My colleague coincidentally doesn't believe he's been heavily propagandized, he believes he's reached his opinions organically. He doesn't even stop to wonder why he's thinking 'why isn't this landmass or that landmass American'. This guy despises Trump, and yet on a matter he didn't care about several weeks ago he's now finding himself agreeing or at least seeing some common ground with Trump on.
The libs are a lost cause. Some folks here say they were libs once but the difference is that because you were rational, or because you lacked knowledge you were libs; most libs on the other hand won't let new information or objective thought change their views (and I know you guys hate the idea of objectivity, but I mean it in the sense of asking/wondering from a neutral position on matters; a neutral view on Greenland would either lead to supporting them being independent (if they wish it) or supporting them being part of America PROVIDED they wish it). Just flat out expecting this place or that place to belong to America is....well, Imperialism, and this view is coming from a place of instinct at this point.
Libs might be smug imperialist dipshits it is actually a good question. Why does a small insignificant potato country hold the sovereignty over the world's largest island?
Scandinavian settlers from Iceland and Norway founded colonies in Greenland in the 980s, and by 1261, the Norse inhabitants submitted to the Norwegian king. Although these Norse settlements disappeared by the 15th century, the Danish-Norwegian monarchy maintained its claim to Greenland.
This claim was reinforced through missionary and colonization efforts beginning in the 17th and 18th centuries and diplomatic recognition by other nations in the 20th century.
In 1814 Denmark found itself in the losing side of the Napoleonic wars and was forced to cede Norway to Sweden in the treaty of Kiel. As a consolation prize Denmark was allowed to keep Norway's North Atlantic colonies, including Greenland.
Increased Arctic exploration meant that Danish sovereignty over Greenland came into question. A good argument could be made that large parts of Greenland, having next to no population and no presence of government authority, fell into the category of terra nullus, leaving the areas up for grabs for other western powers. In response the Danish government worked to secure diplomatic recognition of Danish sovereignty over Greenland from other nations.
The United States recognized Denmark's claim to Greenland in 1917 as part of their purchase of the Danish West Indies.
Norway, having gained independence from Sweden in 1905, had initially accepted the Danish claim to Greenland but when colonial authorities decided to exclude foreign nationals from Greenland in 1931 they responded by sending settlers and claiming eastern Greenland as Norwegian territory. The two states agreed to settle the dispute at the Permanent Court of International Justice, the predecessor of the present-day ICJ. In 1933 the court ruled in favour of Denmark's claim to sovereignty over all of Greenland. Since then the so-called Sirius Patrol of the Danish military has travelled up and down the coast of east Greenland each year to establish the presence of the Danish state and keep the Norwegians out.
During World War II, Greenland functioned as a de facto U.S. protectorate while Denmark was occupied by Germany, but formal Danish sovereignty was never relinquished. After the war the US made a secret offer to buy Greenland for USD 100.000.000. Denmark rejected the offer but granted the US access to the Thule Air Base and has happily accepted the de facto American military occupation of Greenland ever since.
In 1953, Greenland was incorporated into Denmark as a county, and its people were granted Danish citizenship. A series of efforts to modernise and develop Greenland followed, often done with little consideration for Greenland's culture and needs and with little respect for the indigenous Inuit.
Greenland has since moved toward greater autonomy, with home rule established in 1979 and expanded to self-rule in 2009. While Denmark retains control over foreign policy and defense, Greenland's government can take over all other areas of policy. Greenlandic is the sole official language although Danish is still used in many places. Greenland has the right to declare independence under both Danish and international law. Today, Denmark’s sovereignty over Greenland is internationally recognized, as is the right to self-determination for the people of Greenland.