# The "Gulf of America"? Wth? Can you just change the name of a body of water? **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [January 7, 2025, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gulf-of-america-wth-can-you-just-change-the-name-of-a-body-of-water/1012683 "2025-01-07T18:54:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![outlierrn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/outlierrn/32/3005_2.png) [@outlierrn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/outlierrn)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2025, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gulf-of-america-wth-can-you-just-change-the-name-of-a-body-of-water/1012683/81 "2025-01-09T07:24:41Z")
What’s next, Trumpington D.C.? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2025, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gulf-of-america-wth-can-you-just-change-the-name-of-a-body-of-water/1012683/82 "2025-01-09T08:17:59Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Trump is definitely approaching this like a crooked real estate developer - he assumes Denmark will be “forced” to sell if he offers the right price, and that he can bring that price down by negging them. And like many stupid people, he doesn’t understand the difference between ownership and sovereignty. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2025, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gulf-of-america-wth-can-you-just-change-the-name-of-a-body-of-water/1012683/83 "2025-01-09T09:29:59Z")
The Persian/arabic Gulf is a good example. As another example, I guess our Argentinian doper (Hi, @Frodo !) could tell us a lot about naming an archipelago Islas Malvinas or Falkland Islands. Then there is the I-don’t-know-how-many-dashes line in the South China Sea, shown in some maps but not in others, or the color Taiwan is shown in maps, particularly in the background of talking heads, and what that does to your ability to broadcast in mainland China. Maps are a reflection of might. The USA, aka America in some quarters, is still mighty. Some people will deem it wise to do as trump orders. Some will snub him on purpose. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2025, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gulf-of-america-wth-can-you-just-change-the-name-of-a-body-of-water/1012683/84 "2025-01-09T10:19:10Z")
> [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > The Persian/arabic Gulf is a good example. As another example, I guess our Argentinian doper (Hi, @Frodo !) could tell us a lot about naming an archipelago Islas Malvinas or Falkland Islands. Israel calls the northeastern arm of the Red Sea the Gulf of Eilat; the rest of the world calls it the Gulf of Aqaba. Eilat and Aqaba are both cities at the northern end of the gulf. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2025, 10:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gulf-of-america-wth-can-you-just-change-the-name-of-a-body-of-water/1012683/85 "2025-01-09T10:51:17Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Trump is definitely approaching this like a crooked real estate developer - he assumes Denmark will be “forced” to sell if he offers the right price, and that he can bring that price down by negging them. > > It’s not going to work. That’s where the magic of tariffs comes into play! After all, we don’t import anything important from Denmark, except _checks notes_ ……something called Ozempic? > **[How Trump’s Greenland Plan Could Hit Ozempic, Legos and Hearing Aids](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/08/us/politics/trump-greenland-denmark-ozempic.html)** > > Putting tariffs on Denmark unless it cedes the island of Greenland could hurt access to a few key products, including popular medicines. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2025, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gulf-of-america-wth-can-you-just-change-the-name-of-a-body-of-water/1012683/86 "2025-01-09T11:09:11Z")
Forget Ozempic - a blockade on Lego would break the American public. Speaking as a parent, I can say that roughly 30% of total child care expenses consist of Lego purchases (for adults it’s about 20%). ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2025, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gulf-of-america-wth-can-you-just-change-the-name-of-a-body-of-water/1012683/87 "2025-01-09T12:07:33Z")
Coincidentally, Lego bricks are also known to emergency-care staff as causing 30% of foot injuries among parents with small children. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2025, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gulf-of-america-wth-can-you-just-change-the-name-of-a-body-of-water/1012683/88 "2025-01-09T13:31:56Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > Lego bricks are also known to emergency-care staff What about bone spurs? I only know of two people who use Ozempic: Trump and Musk. ---
**Author:** ![PhillyGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@PhillyGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhillyGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2025, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gulf-of-america-wth-can-you-just-change-the-name-of-a-body-of-water/1012683/89 "2025-01-09T14:51:18Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Forget Ozempic - a blockade on Lego would break the American public. Speaking as a parent, I can say that roughly 30% of total child care expenses consist of Lego purchases (for adults it’s about 20%). [No need to forget Ozempic](https://www.novonordisk-us.com/about/who-we-are/north-carolina.html): > [@](#): > > For more than three decades, Clayton, North Carolina has been home to Novo Nordisk’s first and largest manufacturing presence in the U.S. In those 30+ years, we’ve expanded nine times in North Carolina, invested nearly $6 billion dollars, built and upgraded two more facilities and gone from 50 employees to more than 2,500. Lego is building a factory in Virginia, and has one in Mexico. Beyond that, Denmark’s ability to defend Greenland against the U.S. is questionable. A U.S. land grab in Greenland would not necessarily result in Denmark refusing to trade with the U.S. ---
**Author:** ![JacobSwan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@JacobSwan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JacobSwan)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2025, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gulf-of-america-wth-can-you-just-change-the-name-of-a-body-of-water/1012683/90 "2025-01-09T16:02:44Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > a blockade on Lego would break the American public. And ruin Trumps plans for the Mexico border wall. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2025, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gulf-of-america-wth-can-you-just-change-the-name-of-a-body-of-water/1012683/91 "2025-01-09T17:13:28Z")
> [@aurora\_maire](#): > > I imagine someone told him that because of conditions in the future (but _did not_ say climate change) Greenland is going to be ripe for exploitation and making lots and lots of money. Of course, he wants in on that. At his age, I can’t believe he’s planning 10 to 20 years ahead. ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2025, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gulf-of-america-wth-can-you-just-change-the-name-of-a-body-of-water/1012683/92 "2025-01-09T17:32:15Z")
The rest of the World should start calling it _The Trump Gulf of Ignorance_. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2025, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gulf-of-america-wth-can-you-just-change-the-name-of-a-body-of-water/1012683/93 "2025-01-09T17:43:10Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > At his age, I can’t believe he’s planning 10 to 20 years ahead. A lot of people live into their 90’s, and some into their 100’s. And Trump may, on some level, think that he’s immortal; or that immortality will come along in time for him to buy it. But then, I don’t think that at this point he’s planning at all. I think he’s just making noises. And he may not be any longer able clearly to think _I’ll probably be dead before this plan works through enough to benefit me_. ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2025, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gulf-of-america-wth-can-you-just-change-the-name-of-a-body-of-water/1012683/94 "2025-01-09T17:47:03Z")
The ‘plan’ is immediate gratification. People are already falling over themselves on social media and on right wing news channels to say what a genius move it is. It’s already succeeded. Laudatory noises achieved. Whether anything else happens or not is a matter for later gratification, if any more can be squeezed from this particular topic. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanubv.2/32/3260_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUBv.2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUBv.2)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2025, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gulf-of-america-wth-can-you-just-change-the-name-of-a-body-of-water/1012683/95 "2025-01-09T17:47:39Z")
I hope no one, outside the Head Idiot In Charge and his mini idiots, will ever refer to it as Gulf of America. The media/ world at large should ignore this and all his other harebrained ideas. It’s about as embarrassing as George Costanza trying to make everyone call him T-bone. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2025, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gulf-of-america-wth-can-you-just-change-the-name-of-a-body-of-water/1012683/96 "2025-01-09T17:49:53Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > And Trump may, on some level, think that he’s immortal I don’t think it’s that specific, in terms of a rationalization of avoiding death. I think it’s simply that his overwhelming narcissism doesn’t allow him to imagine a world without him in it. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2025, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gulf-of-america-wth-can-you-just-change-the-name-of-a-body-of-water/1012683/97 "2025-01-09T18:46:18Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Breaking news For being the right-wing version of the Onion, and typically not as amusing, this list is pretty funny. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2025, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gulf-of-america-wth-can-you-just-change-the-name-of-a-body-of-water/1012683/98 "2025-01-09T18:49:09Z")
> [@penultima\_thule](#): > > Ah well, scratch an American and you’ll usually find a hegemonist. Oh yes indeed, “America bad”! Such insight. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2025, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gulf-of-america-wth-can-you-just-change-the-name-of-a-body-of-water/1012683/99 "2025-01-09T18:55:44Z")
Speaking of making up names for things, the Weather Channel routinely assigns names which have no official validity to storms, yet people and news outlets follow like sheep and use those names (“Look out for Winter Storm Hubert!”). (gets off soapbox) Conceivably, the Trump administration can just refer to the “Gulf of America” in all its official pronouncements, while everyone else rolls their eyes and mocks. ---
**Author:** ![aurora\_maire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aurora_maire/32/328_2.png) [@aurora\_maire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aurora_maire)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2025, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gulf-of-america-wth-can-you-just-change-the-name-of-a-body-of-water/1012683/100 "2025-01-09T21:29:42Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > At his age, I can’t believe he’s planning 10 to 20 years ahead. They just keep telling him it will happen in two weeks. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gulf-of-america-wth-can-you-just-change-the-name-of-a-body-of-water/1012683.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-gulf-of-america-wth-can-you-just-change-the-name-of-a-body-of-water/1012683.md?page=6)