‘Pax Silica’ and Pursuit of Greenland Give Shape to Trump’s Imperial AI Ambitions

From the ascension of emperor Augustus in 27 BC through the death of Marcus Aurelius in 180 AD, historians say the Roman empire enjoyed a period of relative peace and prosperity known as Pax Romana. Now, the Trump administration says it intends to organize the AI age the way Rome ‘organized’ the ancient world. Access to critical minerals underlies these efforts.

In December, the United States Department of State launched “Pax Silica,” a diplomatic initiative to organize a coalition of countries in order to establish a “new economic paradigm” built on “secure supply chains, trusted technology, and strategic infrastructure,” including such things as rare earths, semiconductors, and data centers. And now, President Donald Trump is ratcheting up threats to take control of Greenland, in part on the strategic rationale that it holds substantial critical minerals deposits.

The growing urgency to secure critical minerals is consistent with Trump’s stated intention “to achieve and maintain unquestioned and unchallenged global technological dominance,” which the administration and its patrons believe is crucial to securing American security and economic prosperity.