Are Trump's expansion plans too much?

[Lamb]

I was listening to the news yesterday and Trump had said things about wanting to expand our nation... acquiring Greenland, the Panama Canal, and making Canada the 51st state. Is there any good that would come out of all that? Is he being too ambitious?

 

[Frankj]

I was listening to the news yesterday and Trump had said things about wanting to expand our nation... acquiring Greenland, the Panama Canal, and making Canada the 51st state. Is there any good that would come out of all that? Is he being too ambitious?

In any negotiation, always ask for more than you want -or offer less than you will pay- and work toward what your real goal is from there.

You may actually end up getting what you ask for outright, but it's good to work from the standpoint asking too much or offering too little since it is easier to negotiate downwards after asking too much than it is to negotiate upwards after asking too little.

 

[Lamb]

In any negotiation, always ask for more than you want -or offer less than you will pay- and work toward what your real goal is from there.

You may actually end up getting what you ask for outright, but it's good to work from the standpoint asking too much or offering too little since it is easier to negotiate downwards after asking too much than it is to negotiate upwards after asking too little.

I hadn't thought of that. It's clever and a great talking point.

 

[tango]

I was listening to the news yesterday and Trump had said things about wanting to expand our nation... acquiring Greenland, the Panama Canal, and making Canada the 51st state. Is there any good that would come out of all that? Is he being too ambitious?

Given how liberal Canada is compared to the US I can't imagine a Republican president would want more liberals in the Senate. That alone would suggest he's not serious about Canada.

Controlling the Panama Canal might have its advantages but would also come with a lot of costs. Is he proposing to acquire the canal, the canal and surrounding land, or the whole of Panama? I suspect the Panamanians might have something to say about it rather than simply handing it over.

Greenland seems more likely than Canada. Even that's assuming he's serious and not just posturing.