No Agenda Show – Episode 1835: “Greenland Gambit”

Hosts: Adam Curry & John C. Dvorak
Date: January 18, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, Adam and John take on the unfolding "Greenland Gambit"—the Trump administration’s push to annex Greenland—as the centerpiece of their signature media deconstruction. Against the backdrop of the upcoming World Economic Forum at Davos and shifting global alliances, they analyze the motivations, propaganda, and maneuverings of key players, while exploring the potential repercussions for NATO, Europe, and North America. The show also delves into AI disinformation fears, the evolution of Canadian trade policy, Alberta separatism, public displays of distress in the U.S., and the latest in the news media’s narrative shaping.

Table of Contents

• Davos & The WEF Week Anticipation
• Trump’s Greenland Gambit & Congressional Pushback
• Logan Act Accusations & Congressional Foreign Policy
• Media Narratives: Security, Tariffs, and NATO
• Greenland’s History, European Concerns & Canada’s Role
• AI Disinformation and the Global Risk Report
• Canada, China, and Alberta Separatism
• Public Crying Trend in Washington, D.C.
• AI Censorship, Deepfakes & the Amelia Phenomenon
• Iran & Venezuela: Geopolitics and Media Manipulation
• Veteran Segment: Listener Corrections & Internal Show Dynamics
• Notable Quotes

Davos & The WEF Week Anticipation

Main points:

• Adam is excited for “WEF Week,” calling it his “beat” and likening it to the Super Bowl of globalism.
• Discussion about the new leadership at WEF following Klaus Schwab’s departure—Sadia Zahid as managing director, with Larry Fink of BlackRock as co-chair.
• The annual WEF Global Risks Report flags geoeconomic confrontation, mis/disinformation, polarization, and environmental risks—AI-related concerns have notably risen ([05:02]).

Notable moment:

“All I know is I’ve got Davos fever. This is it, the Super Bowl. Davos fever. WEF week is coming.”
—Adam ([00:41])

Trump’s Greenland Gambit & Congressional Pushback

Main points:

• Trump openly raises the prospect of annexing Greenland for U.S. national security, floating tariffs on non-cooperating countries.
• Bipartisan congressional delegation visits Denmark/Greenland to “lower the temperature,” but most Americans oppose annexation.
• Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) stresses Greenland as an ally, not an asset; threatens Congressional checks on Trump’s ambitions ([10:00]).
• Trump’s defense invokes U.S. military bases, strategic interests in the Arctic, and a desire to avoid repeating past European blunders (e.g., Nord Stream 2) ([21:00]).

Notable quotes:

“Greenland needs to be viewed as our ally, not as an asset. When you ask the American people whether or not they think it is a good idea for the United States to acquire Greenland, the vast majority—some 75%—will say, we do not think that that is a good idea.”
—Sen. Murkowski ([10:31])

“As everybody knows… everything is for sale at the right price!”
—Adam ([19:10])

Logan Act Accusations & Congressional Foreign Policy

Main points:

• John argues the congressional trip is a Logan Act violation: only the executive can negotiate foreign affairs.
• Adam counter-questions whether negotiations are actually taking place; John insists even the optics are problematic ([11:20]).
• Discussion delves into the history of the Logan Act and inconsistent media outrage depending on political actors ([13:03]).

Notable exchange:

“This is a violation of the Logan Act. This is non-representatives of the U.S. government… This is a clear violation. They should all be indicted.”
—John ([11:50])

Media Narratives: Security, Tariffs, and NATO

Main points:

• Media highlights increasing European/NATO alarm as Trump threatens tariffs to force a Greenland deal.
• EU and France deploy token troops; Macron ties Greenland to wider Russian deterrence, referencing “no intimidation or threats.”
• Multiple reports describe Greenland as “mineral rich”—Adam and John mock the narrative and question its accuracy ([15:10], [16:41], [19:08]).

Notable quote:

“It always ends with ‘it’s minerals, it’s gold, it’s oil’—all the things it’s not!”
—Adam ([15:04])

Greenland’s History, European Concerns & Canada’s Role

Main points:

• Hosts delve into Denmark’s colonial abuses—forced sterilizations in Greenland up until 1992.
• EU’s opposition to U.S. annexation is pegged, in part, to control of trans-Atlantic trade and shipping lanes, as well as concerns about Canada's political trajectory ([30:06]).
• Greenlandic resistance cited, but John and Adam question who truly benefits from continued Danish sovereignty.

“Denmark has a terrible history with Greenlanders—forced sterilizations up until the 80s or the 90s... Denmark, this ran up until 1992!”
—Adam ([33:20])

AI Disinformation and the Global Risk Report

Main points:

• WEF’s 2026 Global Risk Report spotlights AI-fueled mis- and disinformation among top near-term threats.
• Adam and John deride media panic over “asymmetric information” and buzzword-laden rhetoric from officials and tech “Silicon Valley a-holes.”
• AI censorship and narrative control discussed, particularly around Grok and Gemini/ChatGPT (see later section).

“They seem to be very worried about mis and disinformation from AI technologies.”
—Sadia Zahid, WEF ([05:02])

Canada, China, and Alberta Separatism

Main points:

• Canadian PM Mark Carney announces tariff relief on Chinese EVs (limited real effect), seeking to appease both farmers and eastern auto workers.
• Adam and John highlight China’s limited economic leverage over Canada, with over 75% of Canadian exports going to the US ([38:58]).
• Alberta independence movement heats up—Adam plays a Global News report about massive turnout for a separatist petition; speculation swirls about Trump’s real designs on Canada and North America ([41:43], [43:50]).
• Producer-provided scenario: U.S. would back Alberta independence, send troops for “order,” and use the chaos as pretext for greater regional control ([43:50]-[46:02]).

Public Crying Trend in Washington, D.C.

Main points:

• Hosts discuss a trend—tracked over six years on Reddit—of young adults sharing their favorite public places to cry in D.C. (e.g., Lincoln Memorial, Watergate steps, Union Station).
• John and Adam link this phenomenon to urban malaise (“self-induced struggle sessions”), mental health, and identity-driven performativity on social media ([64:41]).
• Speculate that it’s symptomatic of broader political/cultural demoralization.

Notable moment:

“It’s like a self-induced struggle session on social media—which is a very lefty communist thing…”
—Adam ([66:34])

AI Censorship, Deepfakes & the Amelia Phenomenon

Main points:

• Recent uproar over Elon Musk’s Grok AI and its ability to create deepfake images; countries ban the app after explicit images circulate.
• Adam and John argue “safety” and “abuse” narratives are being weaponized by the establishment to target Musk and restrict emerging AI platforms ([82:45]-[87:42]).
• AI cannot provide “positive” profiles of certain people (e.g., Nick Fuentes), reflecting political bias in AI training data ([74:43]).
• The hosts discuss the viral “Amelia” AI avatar in Britain, meant as an anti-far-right campaign but turned into a right-wing meme—demonstrating memetic warfare and the establishment’s loss of narrative control ([97:18]-[104:10]).

“If you don’t want your picture manipulated… don’t post your pictures. That is the answer.”
—Adam ([91:24])

Iran & Venezuela: Geopolitics and Media Manipulation

Main points:

• Iran: John Bolton criticizes Trump for not seizing the “opportunity” to intervene during Iranian unrest. Adam and John mock the interventionist narrative, note regime-change playbooks, and highlight potential MI6 involvement behind opposition movements ([147:13]-[151:23]).
• Venezuela: Robust coverage of U.S. strategy—CIA Director Ratcliffe holds historic talks with Venezuelan leadership; U.S. economic pressures at work; discussion on how awards like the Nobel Prize may signal regime-change narratives ([158:06]-[164:50]).
• The hosts stress how special interests, regime-change operators, and old alliances (e.g., MI6) frame foreign affairs for their ends.

Veteran Segment: Listener Corrections & Internal Show Dynamics

Main points:

• Adam and John address listener feedback regarding content “recycling” from Adam’s other podcasts (notably, “We Get to Do This”).
• Honest, comedic airing of their creative tensions and running jokes about show structure, credit, and audience preferences ([126:19]-[133:37]).
• Reflective discussion on how the show’s dynamic would change if they were in the same studio—and how podcasting practices have evolved over nearly two decades.

Notable Quotes

• On Davos/Globalism:
  “You know they kicked out Klaus Schwab? He’s gone. Which is kind of sad, because he set the tone and it made you feel groovy.” —Adam ([04:06])

• On Congressional Foreign Policy:
  “This is a violation of the Logan Act… They should be all thrown in jail.” —John ([11:50])

• On Strategic Assets:
  “I always love how they throw in minerals… all the things it’s not.” —Adam ([15:04])

• On Disinformation & AI:
  “They seem to be very worried about mis and disinformation from AI technologies.” —WEF ([05:02])

• On Memetic Warfare:
  “Back to Davos—they are deathly afraid of what is now possible with AI… mnemonic warfare. They’re losing mnemonic warfare.” —Adam ([104:05])

• On Special Relationships:
  “When do we start with that ‘special relationship’ nonsense? When did that start? …We were captured.” —Adam ([167:00])

• On the show’s value:
  “We are creators of value. We are convinced… that what we do has value.” —Adam ([109:00])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Davos & WEF Report: [00:41] – [08:08]
• Greenland Gambit + Congress: [08:08] – [14:41]
• Logan Act Discussion: [11:20] – [13:43]
• Tariffs, NATO, EU Reaction: [15:04] – [22:19], [16:41]
• Canada/Greenland/Shipping: [30:06], [41:43] – [46:02]
• Alberta Independence Scenario: [43:50] – [46:02]
• Public Crying and D.C. Malaise: [63:35] – [69:45]
• AI Censorship, Deepfakes: [80:09] – [98:11]
• The Amelia Phenomenon in UK: [97:18] – [104:48]
• Bolton on Iran & Intervention: [147:06] – [151:23]
• Venezuela, Special Ops: [158:06] – [165:01]
• Meta Show Reflection: [126:19] – [133:37]

Tone & Style

• Sarcastic, irreverent, and improvisational, often punctuated by comedic asides (“Nobody wants your sled, give me your sled, it’s all over!” — Adam, [53:33]).
• Critical of mainstream and alternative media establishments, with frequent lampooning of jargon and buzzwords (“asymmetric information,” “D.E.I. hire,” “bellicose rhetoric”).
• Deep skepticism about state/media actors, heavy emphasis on geopolitical history and inside baseball.

This summary captures the rich, discursive journey of Episode 1835—complete with cynicism, historical callbacks, and a relentless pursuit of what's really going on behind the headlines.