Summary

Rep. Dan Crenshaw criticized Apple Maps for not renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, as mandated by Trump’s recent executive order titled “Restoring Names that Honor American Greatness.”

Crenshaw’s complaint reflects broader conservative frustration, as tech platforms and the global community continue to use the original name.

Critics compare the move to past nationalist gestures like renaming french fries “freedom fries,” accusing conservatives of embracing identity politics and culture wars despite their political dominance.

The name change is unlikely to gain international traction.

  • Treczoks@lemmy.world
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    10 hours ago

    Real question here: It is titled “Restoring Names that Honor American Greatness.” - Has the Gulf of Mexico ever been named “Gulf of America” in any reasonable historical context, or is this just the usual made-up “fact” from Donald the Jester?

    • AbsolutelyNotAVelociraptor@sh.itjust.works
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      10 hours ago

      Actually, the Gulf of Mexico appears called like that around 1500 AD, when the United States were not even an idea of a nation. So no, it never was called like that because it was named centuries before the US existed.

      • Jerkface (any/all)@lemmy.ca
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        6 hours ago

        America is not “The United States” in the context of naming global features on a map. We have two continents call that, for example.

        • Sure, but the name Gulf of Mexico, actually named Golfo de México since it was a Spaniard who named it, doesn’t come from the country of Mexico, but of the Mexica civilization (aztecs for many but called mexihkah in nahuatl), the name comes from the even older name “seno mexicano” (seno meaning gulf or bay).

          If any, the other known name was Gulf of New Spain, but I suppose Turd would rather die than call it such name.

      • ShinkanTrain
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        8 hours ago

        In this vein, I’m ok with calling it Gulf of America, the (super)continent, so long as the denonym for people of the USA also changes, since it’s a continent.

        • Sir_Kevin@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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          3 hours ago

          Agreed, I’ve been trying to move away from the terms “America” and “American” when discussing specifically The United States or it’s people.

          Not doing so is often at insult to the majority of people living in the Americas.

        • callouscomic@lemm.ee
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          7 hours ago

          Agreed. We should no longer be referred to as Americans, and instead let’s call ourselves the Shitholes.

        • atzanteol@sh.itjust.works
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          7 hours ago

          It’s weird how people seem to think that demonyms should match the name of the country exactly…

          Should we also say “united kingdomer”?

          • callouscomic@lemm.ee
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            7 hours ago

            No. We say English, for England, and Irish for Ireland, and Scottish for Scotland, and Welsh for Wales. French for France. German, Germany. Italian, Italy. Japanese, Japan. Canadian, Canada. Australian, Australia. Brazilian, Brazil. Mexican, Mexico.

            I mean come on.

            • atzanteol@sh.itjust.works
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              6 hours ago

              “British” isn’t a thing?

              How colonial of you to determine that you get to tell other people what they should be called.

              • Saleh@feddit.org
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                6 hours ago

                British does refer to the English blokes though. Don’t call a proud Scotsman that you think him to be British.

              • frazorth@feddit.uk
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                4 hours ago

                “British” isn’t a thing?

                Not really, no.

                A Scott wouldn’t because it would associate them with England, a Welshman wouldn’t, because it would associate them with England.

                And I wouldn’t, because someone might think I’m Welsh or Scottish. 🤷

                • atzanteol@sh.itjust.works
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                  3 hours ago

                  "Well I’m going to call you british because you’re from the british isles. "

                  This is my point - you don’t get to define how others refer to themselves.

                  • ShinkanTrain
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                    26 minutes ago

                    That only makes sense if you also call every german person deutscher, every japanese person 日本人 and every Croatian person hrvat