"We need more sun, palm trees and skates": More than 200,000 Danes respond to Trump that they want to "buy" California

BarcelonaA group of citizens has launched a satirical petition in response to Trump's announcement that he wants buy greenland, the oil-rich island that is an autonomous region of Denmark. Through a website loaded with irony, they have collected More than 200,000 signatures to buy California and turn it into Danish territory. "Have you ever looked at a map and thought, 'You know what Denmark needs? More sunshine, palm trees, and roller skates.' We have a unique opportunity to make that dream a reality," says the petition's website, which is billed as a crowdfunding effort to raise $1 billion. "We're buying California from Donald Trump!" Among the fake rewards are a personalized thank you note from the Danish royal family to "your own private beach in Malibu."

The campaign's slogan is "Make California Great Again"Make California Great Again" is a rehash of the Trumpist slogan using the Danish alphabet. They even came up with a name for the new state, which they call "New Denmark." Metallica's Lars Ulrich, Viggo MortensenThe Lord of the Rings and a Viking named Sven appear as some of the initiative's "imaginary supporters."

They promise that buying California would bring Danes more solitude, more tech giants, and avocado toast for everyone. Californians could benefit from Danish culture: "We'll bring the hygge [a deeply rooted value in Nordic society that is a mix of well-being, relaxation and freedom] in Hollywood, bike lanes in Beverly Hills and smørrebrød [danish dish] on every corner. They also promise to transplant "the rule of law, universal health care, and fact-based politics" into the heart of America.

The website jokes about Trump's entrepreneurial spirit. "Let's be honest: Trump isn't exactly the biggest fan of California. He's called it "the most broke state in the Union" and has been having arguments with its leaders for years. We're pretty sure he'd be willing to get rid of them for the right price," they say. Recently, Trump and California Governor Gavin Newsom have had tense relations over the Los Angeles wildfire management.

The purchase of Greenland by the United States

The US president in December again put the idea of acquiring Greenland on the table, saying that the US would need to control Greenland "for economic security." A couple of days ago, Buddy Carter, a Republican representative from Georgia, added fuel to the fire by introducing a bill authorizing the purchase of the autonomous territory and renaming it "Red, White and Blueland" (in reference to the colors of the American flag).

The island is attractive to the United States for its energy resourcesThe territory of Greenland is believed to contain "approximately 31.4 billion barrels of oil equivalent" and about 148 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.