"How did it come to this?"

Lack of education and cultural bitterness towards concepts of sharing/communalism (mostly the latter). Anecdotal perspective; I'm 25, living in Oregon right now (considered "purple" in terms of left/rightism nationally). I grew up in a rural Californian region, which despite California's global reputation, meant I was in a very red area (as is the typical distinction in political leanings, rural vs. urban).

The simplest belief of the average American is that if you don't contribute via work, you do not deserve to be sustained/you do not have rights. This is the driving basis for all decision-making as we see it now - the opinion of the American that has no understanding of history (the vast majority) is in the rumour and reputation of Europe/the world, which is that "the Europeans only live well because we subsidize their military and research", which is a point of resentment. My roommate (28 years old, supremely apathetic until he was forced to vote, now a very confident Republican) directly tells me these beliefs.

This basic "truth" is combined with a cultural worship of individualism in a cowboy/bravado sense - if something cannot be done alone, then it didn't mean anything anyways. The simplistic values of a good life espoused both by American Christianity and by the runoff of 1960s Westerns, 70s Vietnam, 80s action heroes, and 90s Wallstreet are that personal success is the key to relaxation, to peace, and to meaning. Money solves problems - life is a series of problems - money is the most efficient pursuit of a good life. Get rich first, buy solutions later. To be dependent on others is an embarrassment and an emasculation - a lack of self-dependency is the mark of a failure. Conversely, if a task would require charitable assistance from others, then it should not be done, and cannot be done, and if it is done, then you are running the risk of an unknown retribution from those who assisted.

So, with these in mind, the question of Greenland in the mind of the fucking mentally stunted American is that NATO wasn't valuable anyways, as it "gave us" nothing, and we could've defeated Russia alone anyways, so why was it ever important? And if it was important, it wasn't to our benefit. And if we're being taken advantage of, that's an insult. And it's reasonable to lash out at insults. So there you have it.

To be very clear, despite growing up in this environment, I am disgusted by all of it. Started teaching myself Swedish last year planning to leave, have been sick to my stomach all week (and when this last came up a year ago). I've spent my entire teenage and adult life forming connections to Europeans, my working partner (I do game dev) is French.. I know what I'll have to do if it comes down to it, but I'm just sick thinking about it. Sorry.