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Canada and Denmark using Google as Battleground
TedRiot writes "Canada and Denmark are fighting over Hans Island using Google as battleground. A quick search of 'hans island' revealed a paid advertisement with the banner headline: 'Hans Island is Greenland. Greenland natives have used the island for centuries.' The ad was linked to the Danish government's foreign affairs web page with the letter condemning Graham's visit. Toronto resident Rick Broadhead placed a Google ad and said the Canadian government needs to get with the times." Reuters has coverage as well.
Searching for "hans island" (both with and without enclosing quotes) returns nothing as described in the summary and articles.
The first hit is an over-2-year-old Maritime Affairs (Canada) articleexplaining why Hans Island is (or should be) Canadian Territory. (Actually an interesting read...)
The second hit is the Wikipedia article.
In fact, the supposed site(s) is nowhere in the first page of hits.
Or the second page.
The news hits refer to Google supposedly having these ads, but that reference is somewhat circular, since I can't find the paid advertisement, banner, or site in question anywhere on Google.
The sponsored (ad) links on the right sidebar include a Web Design ad, and the marginally entertaining:
Hans Island - Dispute
Why Worry about Hans Island When
What you need is an Ergonomic Chair
www.ergo4me.com
A search for "Hans Island is Greenland" returns nothing but...you guessed it, the news articles claiming there's a paid site on Google that says "Hans Island is Greenland." Likewise for "Hans Island is {Canadian|Canada}." Now, I'm not saying the articles are lying (and perhaps Google pulled the ads for some reason), but since this article is exclusively about how the battle for Hans Island is being taken to Google, and is entitled "Politics: Canada and Denmark using Google as Battleground", well, I'd love to see it.
Because I see nothing except someone pimping knockoff ergonomic chairs with eBay-style "searchsquatting".
And, amusingly, as I'm typing this article, I see more paid hits appearing. Google started with one. Then the ergonomic chair ad was added. Now, as I'm about to post, there is a "Hans Island is Canada" link...by vaginainstitute.com, a site apparently dedicated to, erm, researching vaginas.
i hope the danes and canada go to war over this..
with these two military powers squaring off somebody is bound to lose an eye
CRIPPLE FIGHT!!!!!
Canada being soft I understand, but Denmark? These people used to be Vikings, shessh!
I say the settle it with a friendly game of Risk and call it a day.
insert inflammatory anti-microsoft comment here
As a Canadian, I must admit I've never heard of this debate until now. I find it intriguing, but even more so is the nature of the argument. Now perhaps its just me, but does it not remind you of two siblings fighting over a small toy?
Except on a grander scale.
And all this time when they said "future wars will be fought by computer", I had a totally other idea in mind.
"He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lampposts...for support rather than illumination." - Andrew Lang
I wonder if the publicity (and slashdotting) forced the Google ad. over it's daily limit? (For those who don't know, when you buy a Google ad. you specify how much you want to pay for clicks per day -- go over that limit and your ad. doesn't appear.)
Hmmm...now to "research" the vaginainstute.com ad...
And let's not forget:
Hans island belongs to USA
40,300
Hans island belongs to Mexico
31,300
Hans island belongs to Britain
60,700
So much for that.
it is the surrounding waters that are important. If you own a tiny spec of an island, then you can claim 200km or economic sea waters around it. This area may contain oil, manganese nodules, fish, whatever. One example is a tiny little French island in the middle of the Canadian oil fields off the coast of Newfoundland. Canada doesn't want that to happen again. As the sea ice keeps melting, the northern tundra and sea passage becomes more important. Canada has to enforce its authority there.
Oh well, what the hell...
It sets a precedent.
Canada is arguing with the US about the Northwest Passage. The US claims it's international waters, and Canada claims it's within it's boundries, and thus internal waters.
Make a slip in international law once, and it may haunt you for all times. The maritime border between the Yukon and Alaska is under dispute, as is Canada's claim to the continental shelf in the Artic. Canada can't concede here, or it may have to concede elsewhere, when it's more important.
Of course, Canada has no ability to patrol it's northern border. The Canadian Coast Guard is a fine institution stuck with aging ships, few of which have ice-strengthened hulls.
A good description is here
In the spirit of french-fries becoming freedom fries, I ask all fellow Canadians to stop using the word danish for that flakey, overly sweet pastry, and instead use the term freedom-pastry.
Get your friggin' Hans off our island, okay?
--Rick "If it isn't broken, take it apart and find out why."
'Twas a bitter day, that day they came,
Canucks and Danes, both ready to say,
"This isle is ours, so piss off you jerks,
Or we'll Google and Slashdot the entire works!"
Well, Canada blustered, and Denmark stomped,
And some nerdie netizens submitted the lot,
To Google fine, that online star,
To win an island that could fit in a jar.
When it came to blows, aye those blows did ring,
As North Atlantic seals all gathered to see,
These crazy goddamn bastards fight for Hans,
The most ludicrous, uninhabitable chunk of land.
The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
As another Canadian recently returned to Canada, I can tell you why they're fighting over it -- however stupid the whole notion is.
We are fighting with the Danish over this to enforce our sovereignty. Unfortunately, like private arena disputes over copyright, failure to exert sovereignty means you effectively cede control over an area. Lose it if you don't use it, more or less.
We actually have a First Nations military unit dedicated to looking after our interests in remote northern communities.
You can read an entertaining article about the Canadian Rangers here.
========================================
Death will come, and will have your eyes
-- Pavese
This battle is not merely over tiny little Hans Island. It is part of the positioning of Arctic countries, including Canada and Denmark (via Greenland), for access to the Arctic Sea. The Sea is now clearly destined to remain navigable for most, if not all, of the year, due to Greenhouse warming that has melted over 40% of the previous Summer ice. At 9% melt per decade, already begun, many ohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northwest_passagef us will live to see the European "holy grail" of the Northwest Passage finally gained. The more national territory around the circle, the easier it will be for ships to travel under that nation's "protection". Subject to its rules and taxes, of course.
--
make install -not war
This is actually far more important than siblings fighting over a toy.
For one there is a natural resources issue. There are billions of barrels of oil buried along the north slope of Alaska and Canada not too far from this island.
Second, and possibly more importantly, there is a key territory issue. The polar ice caps are melting and it is predicted that within the next 50 years they will have melted enough to allow circumpolar shipping routes to open through the arctic. The country who controls the waters this route passes through effectively controls the route and will therefore own what will likely be the worlds most important shipping lane. (Europe to west coast USA, and Europe to China/East Asia) The idea here is that this route will pass within the territorial boundary marker of Hans Island. Denmark has far more to lose in this regard, because without Hans Island their westernmost border is Greenland which is nowhere near the upcoming shipping lanes. Canada on the other hand will probably get a piece of the pie either way.
They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty nor security
In case you are wondering where this is.
8 6&spn=0.015675,0.101435&hl=en
http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=80.827952,-66.6471
-molo
Using your sig line to advertise for friends is lame.
The Danes say the countries' history of friendly relations should not be subjected to periodic squabbles over a frigid rock barely larger than a football field just south of the North Pole.
At least it's accurate; they could have said something really stupid like "just west of the North Pole".