Latest news with #Denmarkification
Los Angeles Times
21-02-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Denmark isn't buying California. But if it did ...
Good morning. Here's what you need to know to start your day. California would become New Denmark if backers of a recent online campaign can get buy-in from the Nordic nation (and the cash). Dubbed Denmarkification, the recent petition aims to 'bring hygge to Hollywood, bike lanes to Beverly Hills, and organic smørrebrød to every street corner.' 'Rule of law, universal health care and fact based politics might apply,' it adds. Under this unserious proposal, Denmark would buy California for $1 trillion, effectively making us a Danish territory (similar to Greenland). 'Let's be honest – Trump isn't exactly California's biggest fan,' petition creator Xåvier Dutoit wrote. 'He's called it 'the most ruined state in the Union' and has feuded with its leaders for years. We're pretty sure he'd be willing to part with it for the right price.' Among the perks for Danes, according to Dutoit: Nearly year-round sunshine, unlimited avocado toast, and Disneyland — though that would be renamed 'Hans Christian Andersenland.' Dutoit, who is not Danish himself, told me he launched the satirical scheme 'purely to make a point about how absurd Trump's claims to [buy] Greenland really were.' I know what you're thinking: This is asinine. I agree and I'm here for it. We could use a little dumb fun right now. And since the current administration is either incredibly serious or seriously joking about acquiring Greenland (and Canada), I'm taking the opportunity to be seriously unserious about the Golden State joining the Kingdom of Denmark. But how do actual Danes feel about this? I asked Hazel Alva, a comedian and activist born, raised and currently living in Copenhagen, Denmark's capital city. While the petition isn't getting much traction among Danes, she told me the international reception has been encouraging. 'A lot of people are scared and it's important to connect over it in a humorous way,' Alva said. Denmark is a famously happy nation. It's held a close second to Finland for years in the annual World Happiness Report, which ranks countries based on the level of happiness reported by their people. The U.S., meanwhile, didn't make the top 20 last year. And a 2023 survey from the Public Policy Institute of California found fewer adults in the state reported being 'very happy' compared with previous surveys, and more said they were 'not too happy.' Does Alva worry we'd bring Danes down? She shared a joke from her comedian friend and American expat Abby Wambaugh: 'The reason we're so happy and having a cozy time in Denmark is because we don't have to worry that if we go to the hospital, we'll be in debt for the rest of our lives.' 'If we could bring public health insurance to California, then I think the happiness rate could go up for sure,' Alva said. Another dilemma: Acquiring California would boost Denmark's population and GDP to among the world's largest faster than you could say 'så er den ged barberet.' Would California's supermajority change Denmark more than Denmark would change California? That's a real risk, Alva said, though she's optimistic that the Golden State culture and Nordic way of life would meld more than clash. 'I feel like a lot of the stereotype of Californians and people in L.A. is the flakiness — people are very chill and don't stick to their times,' she said. 'Whereas a lot of both Danish and Nordic people in general are very on time. Maybe we could both learn from each other there. Danes could be a bit more relaxed and Californians could be more on time.' Here's more from my seriously unserious conversation with Alva about the fictitious land deal (edited for clarity and brevity). Ryan: Would we still be California? Because we love being Californians. Alva: We would add the extra Danish letters. Instead of California, it would be 'Califørnia' and it would be 'Løs Ångeles.' The Danish language is a lot of just pretending you have potato in your mouth or pretending you just had a bit too much to drink. You would just have to have a bit of a slur in your speech whenever you said names of cities or states. I visited Copenhagen briefly in late 2022. The bike infrastructure was incredible. Nothing like that here. I have been there (Los Angeles) and tried to ride a bike as well. It was really dangerous. How quickly could you get our bike infrastructure up to Danish standards? One of the reasons Denmark has such great bike lanes is because we used to have the trams in the middle of the road, then they got removed. So we had all this extra space to make really big bike lanes, which is fantastic infrastructure. Maybe in L.A. we just remove like half of the car lanes and then people just have to drive less. There'd be better buses, better public transportation and a whole car lane could just be for just bikes. Would Solvang be our new capital city since it's already super Danish? Or is Legoland the obvious choice? Wait, is there a Legoland in California? Yeah, there's a Legoland near San Diego. I think Solvang could just expand and take over all of California. Then you can have all the fun. Solvang has all these fun Danish treats and foods that are all mixed together. And then it could just be a really fun cultural confusion. I think it'd be amazing. Would we have to get a new governor? Someone with Danish heritage, like Viggo Mortensen or Mads Mikkelsen? Even Scarlett Johansson could work. Mads Mikkelsen could do it. He's definitely got the accent down. I think it should be him. That makes sense. You also have a royal family in Denmark. Would Californians be subjects of the Danish crown? We had the same Queen for many, many years … but she abdicated last year, which was historic. A lot of Danish people really panicked when she decided to give up the throne to her son. It was a very dramatic ceremony — and it was really funny, because the only thing that happened was that they signed some papers and someone sat in a chair and it was very quiet. Basically, as far as I understand, the role of the royal regents in Denmark is they have to put a signature if a big law is made. And if they refuse to sign, then they just can't be king or queen anymore. So it's kind of pointless … [It's] a big time mascot role. I was reading about Janteloven. Can you describe that for me? It's a word to describe the Danish culture that Danes can be very modest. You're not supposed to speak very highly of yourself or think too highly of yourself in public. Whereas one of my friends compared it to America, [where it's] very much in school that you get told like, you can be the president, you can be an astronaut, you can be all these things. In Denmark the culture is more to not try and outshine your neighbor too much. People get a bit shocked if you have news that's a bit too good or you talk a bit too highly of yourself or you dress very loudly. Well, that would be a big culture clash. Do you think it'd be better if Danish people were a little more like Californians in that regard? Or do you think California should bring it down a notch? I definitely think that there could be more forwardness or expressiveness [among Danes] and that maybe some Americans could also calm down a bit. But I also think there's strength in both … being modest and calm, and being very loud and expressive. It would just be an interesting mix. Children's Hospital Los Angeles keeps limits on transgender care amid challenges to Trump's order When it comes to elevating livelihoods, a CSU degree is tops in California Beyond 'Emilia Pérez': Inside 7 of the nastiest Oscar campaigns in history What else is going on Get unlimited access to the Los Angeles Times. Subscribe here. Frustrated with crowded resorts, more skiers risk avalanche hazards in backcountry. Despite the obvious risks, there has been a steady rise in the number of people heading to the backcountry to 'earn their turns' in recent years. One reason is the eye-watering cost of lift tickets: A single day of skiing at Mammoth can cost as much as $219 this season. 'Another is the crowds: Despite the high cost, standing in a lift line on a holiday weekend can feel a lot like staring at taillights in rush hour on the 405 Freeway,' Times reporter Jack Dolan writes. Other must reads How can we make this newsletter more useful? 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Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘This is our Brexit': Danes are taking Trump's Greenland threat seriously
Many have dismissed Donald Trump's plans about buying Greenland as farcical and unworkable – but not the Danes. The unprecedented threat has sparked fear in Denmark that this is their 'Brexit' moment. Even if Mr Trump's designs on Greenland come to nothing, and the punitive tariffs he has threatened to impose on Denmark do not materialise, they are anxious that his comments have inflamed the territory's independence movement. Lawmakers are scrambling to get the message through to Washington, fearing that their prime minister cannot stand up to the impetuous president. Xavier Dutoit, a Dane who works for a European campaign group, came up with an outlandish scheme while listening to a 'loud American tourist' hold forth about Greenland at a bar in the Philippines. 'That American didn't seem to grasp how unhinged and absurd it was for any country's president – especially in a stable democracy that the USA claims to be – to offer or threaten to take over another sovereign country's territory,' Mr Dutoit told The Telegraph. From that chance encounter came 'Denmarkification' – a plan to crowdfund $1 trillion for Denmark to purchase California from the US. The negotiating team charged with buying the Golden State will be led by Denmark's finest, Mr Dutoit claimed: Lego executives, and the cast of the Scandi noir Borgen. He readily admits that the scheme is ridiculous, but there is a serious point at the nub of it. He wants to show 'how absurd Trump's claims to Greenland really are' and demonstrate that the territory is not for sale. 'Denmarkification', it turns out, is popular in the US – or at least in California, where residents of the deep blue state seem to like the idea of jettisoning their Republican commander-in-chief in favour of a Scandinavian social democracy. 'Even though it was intended as a joke, the very idea of injecting some hygge, rule of law, facts-based politics and Danish pastries seems to appeal to a lot of Americans,' Mr Dutoit said. He insisted there was a 'serious deal on the table' for Mr Trump. 'He stops his colonial extension, I stop my campaign and we all go back to playing legos.' Mette Frederiksen, the Danish prime minister, had a fiery phone call with Mr Trump where she refused to contemplate the sale of Greenland, while the US president refused to be distracted by offers of more military exploitation and mineral exploitation. 'The Danes are now in crisis mode,' one source told the Financial Times, while another said Copenhagen was 'utterly freaked out by this'. Some Danish politicians believe their prime minister's hands are tied by the need to maintain diplomatic relations with Mr Trump, and fear the Republican is not getting the message. Aaja Chemnitz. a Danish MP, last month opted to release a joint statement with Lisa Murkowski, a Republican senator and frequent critic, warning that Greenland was an 'ally, not an asset'. 'Of course, a businessman turned president would be interested. But Greenland is not for sale,' they said, arguing that 'the future will be defined by partnership, not ownership'. Anders Vistisen, a Danish MEP, delivered a blunter message in a brief speech to the European Parliament in January. 'F— off, Mr Trump,' he said, prompting a rebuke from the Parliament's vice-president. Mr Vistisen, in an interview with The Telegraph, said that the reaction to Mr Trump's plan to take over Greenland among Denmark's political elite was a mix of confusion and paralysis. The US, a close ally who has acted as a longstanding guarantor of its security and intelligence, suddenly appears to be embarking on a land grab. Denmark has deferred to Washington on security matters since the Second World War, and suffered significant casualties when it participated in the US-led invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, Mr Vistisen said. 'There is a profound sense of betrayal… we have been very good allies to the Americans and been very accommodating to its needs,' he continued. 'I think many politicians really don't know what to do, how to deal with this. There doesn't seem to be that connection between the Danish political elite and the Republican party.' Mr Vistisen believes Mr Trump wants to be the first commander-in-chief in decades to expand the US' territory – like Andrew Jackson, whose portrait was recently returned to the Oval Office. Some Danes fear that Mr Trump, by questioning Denmark's legitimate claim to Greenland and driving a wedge into the Kingdom, will inflame its independence movement. Hans Mortensen, a Danish journalist, compared the situation to Brexit, suggesting that the territory's elections in March would be dominated by calls for seceding from Denmark that could end in a permanent split. 'The demand for an indicative referendum in Greenland could very quickly become a central issue in the election campaign, and if that happens, it would appear that we are on a one-way street,' he wrote. For Mr Vistisen, the depth of Denmark's relationship goes well beyond Brexit. Britain only joined the EU, or EEC as it then was, in 1975, whereas the Vikings crossed to Greenland around AD 985. More than a thousand years later, the Danes fear there is another invader on the horizon – except this time he's from the US. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. 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Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Should Denmark buy California? A new petition says 'ja,' and proposes a price tag
A new online petition is proposing that the country of Denmark buy California for a trillion dollars. The man behind the push, Xavier Dutoit, started the "Denmarkification" website to make the pitch that the Scandinavian state should buy the Golden one, initially convincing many on the internet that, while the petition was unlikely to succeed, it really was gaining massive traction with hundreds of thousands of signers. "Have you ever looked at a map and thought, 'You know what Denmark needs? More sunshine, palm trees, and roller skates.' Well, we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make that dream a reality. Let's buy California from Donald Trump!" Dutoit wrote on the petition website. There are a number of pluses to a potential purchase, he argued, including avocado toast, tech dominance and Disneyland — though the latter would be renamed Hans Christian Andersenland, after the Danish author. ("Mickey Mouse in a Viking helmet? Yes, please," he wrote.) Trump might be convinced to sell the state because he "isn't exactly California's biggest fan," Dutoit wrote, noting his feuds with its leaders and history of critical comments about the state. Read more: In California's Danish outpost, Trump's desire to buy Greenland gets a collective shrug Trump has also repeatedly asserted that the U.S. should acquire control of Greenland, a self-ruling Danish territory between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans. Dutoit admits that the proposal is just a gag. It is unlikely that Denmark could successfully crowdfund the money to purchase California, let alone convince the U.S. to sell. The website is not even serious when it comes to the numbers — if the $1-trillion proposed price tag for "New Denmark" didn't already make that clear. Dutoit admitted that in reality, the petition has gotten thousands of signatures, but far fewer than the nearly 250,000 stated on the website. "Believe me, it's a fantastic deal. The best deal. People are signing up faster than you can say 'Rødgrød med fløde,'" Dutoit wrote in an email, referencing a difficult-to-pronounce Danish pudding. Despite his petition, Dutoit isn't even Danish. He's half French and half Swiss, which he says makes him eligible to be New Denmark's "Chief Pastry Officer." "Fortunately, my Danish friends didn't seem to be offended and some of them joined the team," he said. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Denmark would buy California from Trump in joke petition: '100% real ... in our dreams'
A not-so-serious plan for Denmark to take California off the hands of the United States is gaining some pretty serious online traction. The tongue-in-cheek campaign, which claims to be "100% real ... in our dreams," comes as President Donald Trump and his allies have made it abundantly clear that his interest in purchasing Greenland is definitely not a joke. Ever since Trump took office in January for his second term, the president has ramped up rhetoric on the U.S. taking over the Arctic island, a semi-autonomous Danish territory – potentially with military force. Now, an online petition made up by a self-described "lifelong progressive campaigner and activist" is circulating on the website Denmarkification, hitting back at Trump's proposal. "Have you ever looked at a map and thought, 'You know what Denmark needs? More sunshine, palm trees, and roller skates,'" the petition says. "Well, we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make that dream a reality. Let's buy California from Donald Trump!" The petition even makes the case that, at the right price, Trump would be more than willing to part with the blue state, which overwhelmingly backed his opponent, Kamala Harris, in the 2024 presidential campaign. "We're pretty sure he'd be willing to part with it for the right price," the petition says. The satirical petition is filled with all sorts of silly reasons why Denmark would want to buy California and rename it to New Denmark, including its tech dominance and abundance of both sunshine and avocado toast. The petition even proposes to rename Disneyland as "Hans Christian Andersenland," a reference to the Danish author behind 'The Little Mermaid' and numerous other fairy tales. The website lays out its plan to acquire California by crowdfunding $1 trillion, 'give or take a few billion,' and sending in its best negotiators, including Lego executives, to purchase the state. "We'll even throw in a lifetime supply of Danish pastries to sweeten the deal," according to the petition. "As for the will of the citizens? Well, let's face it – when has that ever stopped him? If Trump wants to sell California, he'll sell California." The campaign boasted that nearly 220,000 had signed on as of Wednesday morning. The idea for the humorous campaign appears to be the brainchild of Xåvier Dutoit, who has no official ties to Denmark, according to a response from the email address listed on the website. Dutoit, who claimed to be half-Swiss and half-French, told USA TODAY in an email that he had the idea while he was at a bar with friends and "overheard a rather loud American tourist discussing Donald Trump's bid to buy Greenland from Denmark." "That American didn't seem to grasp how unhinged and absurd it was for any country's President – especially in a stable democracy that the USA claims to be – to offer or threaten to take over another sovereign country's territory," Dutoit said in an email. So, Dutoit started the campaign as a "lighthearted" way to point out what he viewed as a diplomatic absurdity. The petition was merely meant to entertain his friends, but has since gone viral. It was not immediately clear how Dutoit planned to use the information of those who signed the petition or what his next steps may be. Users should always be careful when providing information like name, email and phone number to an unknown website. Trump has expressed interest in making Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, a part of the U.S. since his reelection in November. Trump, who has said his interest in the island is for national security purposes, has also questioned whether Denmark, which has controlled Greenland since 1814, has a "legal right" to the territory. He warned that if Denmark does not give up Greenland, the U.S. will "tariff Denmark at a very high level." Trump has also declined to rule out using the U.S. military to acquire Greenland. Greenland's Prime Minister Mute Egede, who has stepped up a push for independence, has repeatedly said the island is not for sale. Another Danish politician, Anders Vistisen, was a little more blunt in his rejection of Trump's aims. During a January meeting of the European Parliament in France, Vistisen, a member of the far-right Danish People's Party, told Trump to "F--- off" in his rebuke of selling Greenland. Trump's interest in buying the island has been deeply unpopular with Greenlanders and has left Americans divided. An opinion poll in January indicated that 85% of Greenlanders do not wish for their island to become a part of the United States, with nearly half saying they see Trump's interest as a threat. Just 6% of Greenlanders were found to be in favor of their island becoming part of the U.S., with 9% undecided. In the United States, a recent exclusive USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll found that half of Americans think Trump's plan is a bad idea. Even among those who think it's a good idea, the majority think it's unrealistic, the poll found. Trump's staunchest allies, however, have supported the president's plans for Greenland. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a recent interview that Trump's interest in Greenland is "not a joke" while supporting the president's assertion that the island holds national interest for the U.S. A Republican Congressman from Georgia also introduced a bill Tuesday to the House of Representatives that would rename Greenland as Red, White and Blueland. If passed through Congress and signed into law, the act would direct the new Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to oversee the change and implement it on official documentation and maps to refer to Greenland by the updated name. 'America is back and will soon be bigger than ever with the addition of Red, White, and Blueland,' Rep. Earl "Buddy" Carter, R-GA, said in a statement announcing his bill. 'President Trump has correctly identified the purchase of what is now Greenland as a national security priority, and we will proudly welcome its people to join the freest nation to ever exist when our Negotiator-in-Chief inks this monumental deal.' This article has been updated to add new information. Contributing: Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA TODAY; Reuters This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Joke petition for Denmark to buy California from Trump gains momentum
USA Today
12-02-2025
- Politics
- USA Today
Denmark makes satirical offer to buy California from Trump: '100% real ... in our dreams'
Denmark makes satirical offer to buy California from Trump: '100% real ... in our dreams' "We're pretty sure he'd be willing to part with it for the right price," an online petition circulated on the website Denmarkification jokes. Show Caption Hide Caption Danish politician to Trump's Greenland idea: 'F*** off' A Danish European Parliament member had strong language in response to President Donald Trump's idea of purchasing Greenland. A not-so-serious plan for Denmark to take California off the hands of the United States is gaining some pretty serious online traction. The tongue-in-cheek campaign, which claims to be "100% real ... in our dreams," comes as President Donald Trump and his allies have made it abundantly clear that his interest in purchasing Greenland is definitely not a joke. Ever since Trump took office in January for his second term, the president has ramped up rhetoric on the U.S. taking over the Arctic island, a semi-autonomous Danish territory – potentially with military force. Now, an online petition circulated on the website Denmarkification appears to be hitting back. "Have you ever looked at a map and thought, 'You know what Denmark needs? More sunshine, palm trees, and roller skates,'" the petition said. "Well, we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make that dream a reality. Let's buy California from Donald Trump!" The petition even makes the case that, at the right price, Trump would be more than willing to part with the blue state, which overwhelmingly backed his opponent, Kamala Harris, in the 2024 presidential campaign. "We're pretty sure he'd be willing to part with it for the right price," the petition said. USA TODAY left a message for an email listed on the website inquiring about who is behind the petition. Users should always be careful when providing information like name, email and phone number to an unknown website. Petition proposes Denmark purchase California The satirical petition is filled with all sorts of silly reasons why Denmark would want to buy California and rename it to New Denmark, including its tech dominance and abundance of both sunshine and avocado toast. The petition even proposes to rename Disneyland as "Hans Christian Andersenland," a reference to the Danish author behind 'The Little Mermaid' and numerous other fairy tales. The website lays out its plan to acquire California by crowdfunding $1 trillion, 'give or take a few billion,' and sending in its best negotiators, including Lego executives, to purchase the state. "We'll even throw in a lifetime supply of Danish pastries to sweeten the deal," according to the petition. "As for the will of the citizens? Well, let's face it – when has that ever stopped him? If Trump wants to sell California, he'll sell California." The campaign boasted that more than 200,000 had signed on as of Wednesday morning. Trump has expressed interest in buying Greenland Trump has expressed interest in making Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, a part of the U.S. since his reelection in November. Trump, who has said his interest in the island is for national security purposes, has also questioned whether Denmark, which has controlled Greenland since 1814, has a "legal right" to the territory. He warned that if Denmark does not give up Greenland, the U.S. will "tariff Denmark at a very high level." Trump has also declined to rule out using the U.S. military to acquire Greenland. Greenland's Prime Minister Mute Egede, who has stepped up a push for independence, has repeatedly said the island is not for sale. Another Danish politician, Anders Vistisen, was a little more blunt in his rejection of Trump's aims. During a January meeting of the European Parliament in France, Vistisen, a member of the far-right Danish People's Party, told Trump to "F--- off" in his rebuke of selling Greenland. Trump's interest in buying the island has been deeply unpopular with Greenlanders and has left Americans divided. An opinion poll in January indicated that 85% of Greenlanders do not wish for their island to become a part of the United States, with nearly half saying they see Trump's interest as a threat. Just 6% of Greenlanders were found to be in favor of their island becoming part of the U.S., with 9% undecided. In the United States, a recent exclusive USA TODAY/Suffolk University Poll found that half of Americans think Trump's plan is a bad idea. Even among those who think it's a good idea, the majority think it's unrealistic, the poll found. Bill proposes renaming Greenland to 'Red, White and Blueland' Trump's staunchest allies, however, have supported the president's plans for Greenland. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a recent interview that Trump's interest in Greenland is "not a joke" while supporting the president's assertion that the island holds national interest for the U.S. A Republican Congressman from Georgia also introduced a bill Tuesday to the House of Representatives that would rename Greenland as Red, White and Blueland. If passed through Congress and signed into law, the act would direct the new Interior Secretary Doug Burgum to oversee the change and implement it on official documentation and maps to refer to Greenland by the updated name. 'America is back and will soon be bigger than ever with the addition of Red, White, and Blueland,' Rep. Earl "Buddy" Carter, R-GA, said in a statement announcing his bill. 'President Trump has correctly identified the purchase of what is now Greenland as a national security priority, and we will proudly welcome its people to join the freest nation to ever exist when our Negotiator-in-Chief inks this monumental deal.' Contributing: Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA TODAY; Reuters
