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Learn Before You React: What History Can Teach Us About Civil Discourse
In an era where reactions travel faster than reflection, our public discourse has suffered. We’ve developed a concerning habit: seeing a headline, forming an instant opinion, and broadcasting it to the world — all without taking time to understand the context or history behind the issue.
Let me share a recent example that perfectly illustrates this phenomenon.
The Greenland Episode: A Case Study in Reactionary Commentary
When news broke about potential U.S. interest in purchasing Greenland, social media erupted with mockery. Comment sections filled with jokes about “real estate deals” and accusations of colonial thinking. Late-night comedians had a field day.
What most commenters missed, however, was the rich historical context behind this interest.
The United States has actually maintained a strategic interest in Greenland since 1867 — the same year Secretary of State William Seward negotiated the purchase of Alaska from Russia (initially derided as “Seward’s Folly” before proving invaluable). In fact, the U.S. has made several serious inquiries about purchasing Greenland over the decades, including a formal $100 million offer in 1946 under the Truman administration.
