Brody Week 11: The Limits of Political Power (?)
Screenshot of Google Maps
What are the true limits of political power?
We've seen many changes in our American society, specifically in the system that runs it. As most of you probably know, former, now current, president Donald Trump was inaugurated into congress a little under a month ago. During his first day on the job, he signed over one hundred executive orders. I want to restate, emphasize, that this was his FIRST day. Now, we're starting to see these changes take action.
Little note, this blog, while it isn't the intention, may have some biased statements, so keep that in mind while reading.
One of the things Trump stated he is going to change is the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. While this seems completely irrelevant to the many issues we face in our country, it does seem like a decision that would need to be discussed within the government and in public; something that would take time to put into effect. At the time it was announced, it seemed like just another thing a political leader says but will never enforce. However, just a few days ago, all major GPS apps changed the name of the enormous body of water.
It isn't the fact that the name was changed that shocked me; I was more surprised by how quick this decision took action. In my head, I was thinking this renaming of a region large enough to classify as its own ocean would have to go through multiple votes and be discussed with neighboring countries within the gulf. I didn't realize he had this much power to literally rename an entire region of an ocean.
So, I wonder what else he is capable of doing in his position, and what he will do over the course of the next four years. Are there other decisions he can put into practice simply because he wants to? Have past presidents had this kind of power?
Hey Brody. On Google Maps, Apple Maps, and Bing Maps you’ll probably see the name “Gulf of America” being used. I believe this only applies to users in the United States, and internationally these map services still display Gulf of Mexico as an alternative name. It’s a pretty strange change which I think will take a while to catch on with the majority of Americans, since we’ve already been calling it the Gulf of Mexico for so long. I think the executive decision to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico is a bit silly, since it really does not accomplish much at all. Rather than a stretch of power I consider it as the administration’s misuse of power.
ReplyDeleteHowever one interprets this change in name, it definitely sets a precedent for the future: that lots of unexpected changes are to be expected. Whether these changes end up being good or bad is something for time to tell, and we’ll see what ends up happening in the next four years.
I really enjoyed your blog as it explores an executive order which was glossed over compared to the rest of the president’s actions in his first few days in office. I always like it when blogs are cleanly cut into bit-sized paragraphs which are easy to read, and your blog perfectly embodies it. I also like the font color you used, it’s less harsh than black and makes the blog feel clean and modern. If there was one little suggestion I could make it would be to choose a better image. I can barely make out what the text in your image says, but I’m assuming that it says “Gulf of America.” I enjoyed reading your blog and look forward to what you have next week! Thanks!
Hello, Brody. Your blog poses really interesting questions about the limits of political power. Specifically, how quickly executive decisions can take effect. Your reaction to the Gulf of Mexico’s renaming highlighted a common concern and how much power a president truly holds. Similarity to you, I also thought that the speed of changes was surprising. I also really liked your acknowledgment of pre-existing bias was refreshing, and it encourages your readers to speak more freely. Your blog addressed the power within the executive branch is often times shocking and your blog really exemplified this. Your blog was really insightful and I hope to read from you more in the future!
ReplyDeleteHi Brody, I loved your take on this seemingly simple idea that Trump sent out an executive order for the Gulf of Mexico (or rather, Gulf of America I guess). Also, I enjoyed the title, the unasked question that I find myself asking often, something I'm honestly scared to address. Ever since his inauguration and having seen that he released so many executive orders, I decided that more or less, I would ignore Trump's work for the next few years. Considering I can't do anything to fix most of it, I felt that it would be most effective. But with even that little change to that body of water, I can't help but think that I too believe there would be a great deal of complication involving this executive decision. I guess that I better start asking myself that question you did in the title as well, simply because with an elect like Trump, I find myself scared (although this is just my opinion and no way am I endorsing anything). I think it is more interesting because we've reached that age where we can observe all the changes he makes, judge them accordingly. But I love how your blog captured the anticipation that can come in playing this waiting game, and how your image was supplementary to this idea of these political decisions manifesting in real life. I look forward to reading more of your work in the future!
ReplyDeleteHi Brody, thank you for covering this topic. I was intrigued by the curiously blank-looking Goggle Maps picture you selected for your blog, and when I clicked on it to read I was shocked that Maps actually changed the name of the Gulf of Mexico. Like you said, it really does sound like one of those braggy statements which are characteristic of certain politicians, but the fact that Google Maps, an app I use almost every day for checking bus timings and "exploring" the world when I'm bored, complied to the name change makes the power Trump wields seem frighteningly real. It is clear that President Donald Trump is not the sort of man who will sit in the office and do nothing; he has visions, unfortunately. But what I find scarier than Trump's ambition is the huge numbers of people who are just relieved that a president is taking action against *something.* You imply that his decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico is a misuse of political power. Actions taken purely to show off power may increase the faith that some people have in him as a president, however; it's a tricky situation. Aside from that, the rhetorical question you start your blog off with is pointed and thought-provoking, and I like how you open the floor for discussion at the end!
ReplyDelete*Google Maps TT
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