Some of us have been watching the Arctic circle for years. The rest of you are just catching up.
When word came down about Greenland, I was already awake. 4:37 AM. Patton—my German Shepherd, trained in perimeter awareness—had been restless since 3:15. He knows. Animals sense arctic strength before humans do. I’ve written about this.
My phone lit up with messages from people who finally understand what I’ve been saying since 2019. One of them was my regional manager, asking if I’d seen the news. I didn’t respond. Some conversations are beneath the moment.
Why Arctic Strength Matters Now
The Arctic has been the soft underbelly of American defense for decades. I’ve made this point at three different pharmaceutical sales conferences, during the networking portions, when executives were too comfortable. They laughed. They’re not laughing now.
Greenland sits at the convergence of Russian, Chinese, and Canadian interests. Most people don’t know about the Canadian angle. I do. I’ve been tracking maple syrup futures since 2021—not for investment purposes, for pattern recognition. The numbers tell a story if you’re willing to listen.
Patton and I did a threat assessment simulation last March in the backyard. He covered the northern perimeter while I monitored satellite imagery on my phone. My wife came out and asked what we were doing. “Training,” I said. She went back inside. She doesn’t need to understand everything.
The Critics Don’t Get Arctic Strategy
Already the so-called experts are hand-wringing about “diplomacy” and “international law.” These are the same people who said my seventy-two-hour bug-out bag was excessive. It contains three liters of water, emergency rations, a solar charger, and laminated maps of every NATO member’s coastline. Excessive? Or prepared?
My neighbor Gary asked if I really think we’re going to “invade Greenland.” I told him the word “invade” reveals his weakness. Strong nations don’t invade. They secure. There’s no word for it in Danish because the Danes have never had to think this way. We do.
Gary nodded and went back to his garage. I could tell he was processing. Some people need time.
What Happens Next
The timeline is accelerating. I’ve updated my Arctic readiness binder—seventeen pages now, including shipping lane analysis and a hand-drawn map of Thule Air Base based on publicly available imagery and my own interpolations. My wife asked why the dining room table was covered in printouts. “Research,” I said. She made a face I’ve learned to interpret as respect.
This morning, Patton sat at the back door for forty-seven minutes, staring north. He’s never done that before. I recorded it. I don’t know what it means yet, but I’ve logged it in the pattern database. The Arctic doesn’t send warnings. It sends signals. Some of us are listening.
My regional manager called again about Q1 targets. I let it go to voicemail. There are bigger things happening. He’ll understand eventually. They all will.
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