Summary

Pete Hegseth, Trump’s newly appointed Secretary of Defense, suggested military action could be on the table for securing U.S. control over the Panama Canal and Greenland.

In a Fox News interview, he warned that the U.S. would ensure “freedom of navigation” in Panama, while vaguely addressing Trump’s strategic interest in Greenland.

His confirmation hearing earlier this month raised concerns when he refused to rule out military action.

Critics worry his stance signals Trump’s willingness to provoke conflicts with allies over geopolitical ambitions.

        • gravitas_deficiency@sh.itjust.works
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          7 hours ago

          In point of fact, one of the core elements of Taiwan’s strategic defense plans is “we will melt our chip foundries to slag with a shitload of thermite and explosives if the CCP invades and it looks like they’ll win”. It’s frankly a great tactic to get other developed nations to give a shit about your sovereignty: underwrite large portions of everyone’s economy.

      • Maggoty@lemmy.world
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        16 hours ago

        A lot of shipping has actually been going around the long way. Ships are simply large enough that they get more profit from that than from being small enough to fit in the Panama Canal.

      • Trilobite@lemm.ee
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        8 hours ago

        They would lose the income if the USA invaded anyways making them rebuild it would be a good fuck you

    • P00ptart@lemmy.world
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      18 hours ago

      That would be far more dangerous to billions of people than you imagine. Because the Pacific and Atlantic oceans are not at the same sea level there. Hence the need for the stages of flooding and draining to go from one to the other.

      • Machinist@lemmy.world
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        17 hours ago

        Dangerous to billions? I don’t think one ocean empties into the other like pulling a plug in the bathtub.

        • Maggoty@lemmy.world
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          16 hours ago

          It absolutely would cause a level change. The locks are 85 feet up. So if the lake remains connected and the locks are all opened it would drain out. See? Level change. :)

          But yeah definitely doesn’t work like the other guy thinks it does.