4 ms·

It’s nothing special. If I visit Google Maps (France) then the channel of water between France and the UK is labelled ‘Manche’. If I visit Google Maps (US) the

It’s nothing special. If I visit Google Maps (France) then the channel of water between France and the UK is labelled ‘Manche’. If I visit Google Maps (US) the same body of water is labeled ‘English Channel’. The real notable event is the official change of name by the US government, not the follow on regionalization of maps.

mahmoudhossam 2y ago
Funnily enough my home country uses the French spelling for this despite it being a former British colony.
GJim 2y ago
> The real notable event is the official change of name by the US government Correct. Also this is a very politicised name change. Ergo, in the USA it will be embraced by supporters of the orange one, whilst everybody else in the USA will continue to call it "Gulf of Mexico". As this was clearly done to stir up controversy, I can't think of anything more ridiculous. The job of a head of state is to unite a people, not divide them.
- nailer 2y ago
  > Ergo, in the USA it will be embraced by supporters of the orange one, whilst everybody else in the USA will continue to call it "Gulf of Mexico". Most Americans support ‘the orange one’. There was a poll conducted on this quite recently.
  - viciousvoxel 2y ago
    This is actually not true: just under 50% of votes went to GOP. Additionally, only 64% of the voting-eligible population voted, so it was more like 32% of the adult population voting GOP. "Everybody else" represents a larger population.
    - nailer 2y ago
      Asides from the GOP winning the popular vote, you seem to be counting people that didn’t vote as opposition rather than nulls.
      - oneeyedpigeon 2y ago
        [According to Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_United_States_presidential_election https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_United_States_presidentia...), the parent is correct: Trump won 49.8% of the vote.
        jfengel 2y ago
        It's close enough to "most" that I think it's worth rounding up in most conversational contexts. This isn't some minority view committing a coup. This is a pretty-damn-near majority using the electoral process to give itself a thumb on the scale to win. It may not be "what America really is", but it's also not not who America really is. It's fair to say that this is who the world should continue to expect us to be, and that we'll continue to think that this is a democratic country. (Not just that 49.8%, but a large majority, even most of those who oppose the present government.)
        viciousvoxel 2y ago
        I disagree that it is close enough to "most". When I read/hear "most" in conversation I think a super-majority. Even if it was a simple majority at 51% I'd think using "most" is a bit pedantic but I wouldn't argue the usage. I completely agree with your later points -- my point was that that is not only who we are, and Trump winning doesn't mean everyone else now has to hold their tongues.
        nailer 2y ago
        You may or may not be right but don’t cite wikipedia. Wikipedia themselves tell you not to do this. My point re: most Americans voted for the President is Trump winning the popular vote. Which is shown on Wikipedia, but I’m not going to cite it. :)
- pjc50 2y ago
  > The job of a head of state is to unite a people, not divide them "Head of state" is very much a job where you get to define your own mission and duties, including "sell cryptocurrency to suckers" and "sow division to exploit". Defining internal and external enemies is a very effective technique for retaining power.
  - GJim 2y ago
    > "Head of state" is very much a job where you get to define your own mission and duties King Charles III, all his modern predecessors and all other European Royal heads of state would rather disagree with that statement! As would the constitutionally elected presidents of most other countries of the world. The citizenry would get rid of them if they thought otherwise. Royals included.
    - pjc50 2y ago
      > The citizenry would get rid of them if they thought otherwise. No means of getting rid of a sitting president, other than impeachment (which isn't going to happen either) or, you know, the other one.
    - jfengel 2y ago
      Without meaning to Godwin the discussion, do you know what other constitutionally elected leader made it his mission to sow deep, deep, deep division within his country?
silverquiet 2y ago
> France You mean Surrenderland? I anxiously await whatever new moniker our leader comes up with for your country, but that's my bet.

mahmoudhossam 2y ago

Funnily enough my home country uses the French spelling for this despite it being a former British colony.

GJim 2y ago

> The real notable event is the official change of name by the US government Correct. Also this is a very politicised name change. Ergo, in the USA it will be embraced by supporters of the orange one, whilst everybody else in the USA will continue to call it "Gulf of Mexico". As this was clearly done to stir up controversy, I can't think of anything more ridiculous. The job of a head of state is to unite a people, not divide them.

nailer 2y ago
> Ergo, in the USA it will be embraced by supporters of the orange one, whilst everybody else in the USA will continue to call it "Gulf of Mexico". Most Americans support ‘the orange one’. There was a poll conducted on this quite recently.
- viciousvoxel 2y ago
  This is actually not true: just under 50% of votes went to GOP. Additionally, only 64% of the voting-eligible population voted, so it was more like 32% of the adult population voting GOP. "Everybody else" represents a larger population.
  - nailer 2y ago
    Asides from the GOP winning the popular vote, you seem to be counting people that didn’t vote as opposition rather than nulls.
    - oneeyedpigeon 2y ago
      [According to Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_United_States_presidential_election https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_United_States_presidentia...), the parent is correct: Trump won 49.8% of the vote.
      - jfengel 2y ago
        It's close enough to "most" that I think it's worth rounding up in most conversational contexts. This isn't some minority view committing a coup. This is a pretty-damn-near majority using the electoral process to give itself a thumb on the scale to win. It may not be "what America really is", but it's also not not who America really is. It's fair to say that this is who the world should continue to expect us to be, and that we'll continue to think that this is a democratic country. (Not just that 49.8%, but a large majority, even most of those who oppose the present government.)
        viciousvoxel 2y ago
        I disagree that it is close enough to "most". When I read/hear "most" in conversation I think a super-majority. Even if it was a simple majority at 51% I'd think using "most" is a bit pedantic but I wouldn't argue the usage. I completely agree with your later points -- my point was that that is not only who we are, and Trump winning doesn't mean everyone else now has to hold their tongues.
      - nailer 2y ago
        You may or may not be right but don’t cite wikipedia. Wikipedia themselves tell you not to do this. My point re: most Americans voted for the President is Trump winning the popular vote. Which is shown on Wikipedia, but I’m not going to cite it. :)
pjc50 2y ago
> The job of a head of state is to unite a people, not divide them "Head of state" is very much a job where you get to define your own mission and duties, including "sell cryptocurrency to suckers" and "sow division to exploit". Defining internal and external enemies is a very effective technique for retaining power.
- GJim 2y ago
  > "Head of state" is very much a job where you get to define your own mission and duties King Charles III, all his modern predecessors and all other European Royal heads of state would rather disagree with that statement! As would the constitutionally elected presidents of most other countries of the world. The citizenry would get rid of them if they thought otherwise. Royals included.
  - pjc50 2y ago
    > The citizenry would get rid of them if they thought otherwise. No means of getting rid of a sitting president, other than impeachment (which isn't going to happen either) or, you know, the other one.
  - jfengel 2y ago
    Without meaning to Godwin the discussion, do you know what other constitutionally elected leader made it his mission to sow deep, deep, deep division within his country?

silverquiet 2y ago

> France You mean Surrenderland? I anxiously await whatever new moniker our leader comes up with for your country, but that's my bet.