[phantasmish]

The generous assignment of motivation is realpolitik anti-Russia + China stuff.

Less generous but probably true as at least part of the motivation, there’s the usual factor of US companies wanting to “invest” in a foreign country to extract natural resources.

One may guess at other, more-personal motivations for parties involved.

It, transparently, has dick-all to do with drugs.

[edit] ok technically the drug connection is the admin continuing to use that as an obviously-bullshit excuse to use powers they couldn’t ordinarily, and daring the courts to do anything about it. Same as justifying using emergency tariff powers against Canada over fentanyl. They’re counting on the courts to abdicate their power and responsibility to call bullshit on the admin’s lies when it comes to application of existing laws.

[echelon]

The DoD, which outlives any presidential term, is preparing for multipolarity. It wants to maintain power over the Western hemisphere while continuing to mind after its interests in Asia and Europe as best as it can. If America can maintain hegemony in the whole of the Western hemisphere, it's largely shielded from whatever happens in Asia, especially if future administrations continue to double down on isolationism.

Venezuela and even the posturing on Greenland are the DoD war gaming out a firewall from Chinese and Russian influence. They want to stop South American trade with our rivals, and especially prevent basing of foreign troops.

Greenland becomes a strategic part of this once global warming opens the North Sea to large volumes of shipping. It will become the major shipping corridor, and America wants complete control over it.

Not to mention all of the oil and gas exploration both of these countries provide.

Trump isn't thinking 30 years ahead. This is the DoD through and through. They think in terms of decades and centuries.