The ultimate charade: rebranding a body of water.
On Feb. 9, President Trump signed an executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. When I first saw the news, my immediate reaction was indifferent. It didn’t change my life, and I didn’t feel like it changed anyone else’s. I didn’t quite understand the outrage, either.
Due to the two treaties the United States signed in 1978 and 2000, the U.S. owns about 44% of the Gulf. The body of water provides a major economic benefit as it harbors offshore drilling sites, shipping ports and fisheries. The coast attracts 20 million people each year, generating 19 billion dollars annually. Needless to say, it’s a vital asset to the U.S. economy.
A Reuters poll found that 70% of Americans opposed changing the name. I don’t think they actually opposed the name change, but were disgusted at the focus this administration is taking.
During a rally in California, Trump stated, “We are going to take inflation, and we are going to deflate it. We are going to deflate inflation.”
Well, we’re about two months into his presidency, inflation is holding steady at 3%, gas prices are rising and grocery prices haven’t improved, but I can’t blame Trump.
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The minute someone says they are going to deflate inflation, you should be concerned because it’s step one in collapsing an economy. If you were wondering, disinflation is how you maintain a stable economy.
Like most things, I find myself blaming the voters who sit mesmerized by political hacks lying to your face and distracting you from real issues. Simply put, we have bigger fish to fry.
If I were Trump, I’d be very happy with my decision. I doubt the next president will feel the need to change the name back, so he will forever be remembered as the reason we have a “Gulf of America.”
This will outlive the AP’s refusal to use the name because one day, they will cave in. The UK did not completely refuse to embrace the name change, saying that if it catches on in English-speaking countries, it will go along with it.
Of course, Mexico opposed the decision and even threatened a civil lawsuit against Google. No one needed a fortune teller to know such reactions would arise.
Despite the decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico, emphasizing toxic nationalist ideology that is so evident due, for example, to the rise of white supremacist propaganda, Trump continues to play the media for a fool.
Instead of in-depth reporting that informs readers to be less gullible, we are sold news coverage of a body of water most forget exists. Trump is nothing more than a ratings draw, revealing the media’s tendency to report sensational news over real news.
He’s a hack that abides by a formula used by PR teams nationwide. This is a low-intelligence method of delivering a message that he supports America over all else, and unfortunately, it works with some people.
As the rapper YG said in 2018, “Big Back, take Little Bank.”
Mohammad Tantawi is a 24-year-old mass communication senior from Smyrna, Tenn.
