Friday, October 26, 2007

U.S. Military renames Persian Gulf to "Arabian Gulf"....it's all in the name


Let's call it "Gulf of Central Command", or simply the "Gulf of America". Let's recognize the reality of the complete occupation of this invaded body of water by the 100-plus warships and missile-armed nuclear submarines, the bases and the Air Warfare School. K Darbandi, Iranian-American scientist and former member of the Islamic Republic opposition.
Ahh the beauty of semantics. The United States military has urged her troops to refer to the "gulf" as the "Arabian Gulf", not the "Persian Gulf". Hmm, what brought about the change of name? Apparently it has been deemed illegal, wrong, and blatantly historically inaccurate to refer to the "gulf" as Persian. Sure..whatever. Let the "re naming game" commence.

According to the Asia Times Online,
Iranian officials and Iranians in general are very sensitive about the term "Persian Gulf" as the official and recognized name for the waterway separating Iran and the Arabian peninsula. They are upset when Arab states or journals do not cite it as such - particularly when the term "Arab Gulf" is used. And yet a far smaller number of Iranians appear concerned that human activities could turn that object of national pride and diplomatic contention into a filthy pool of toxins.
The U.S. is in bed with the U.A.E. and if they want the "gulf" referred to as "Arabian", so be it...the U.S. will oblige her,
Various branches of the United States armed forces have issued directives to their members to use the "Arabian Gulf" when operating in the area. This is claimed to be due to increased cooperation with Arab states of the Persian Gulf, but also to follow local laws that ban the use of "Persian Gulf". In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), which consists of seven emirates - Abu Dhabi, Ajman, Dubai, Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Sharjah and Umm al-Quwain, public use of the name "Persian Gulf" is illegal.

The nationalistic sensibilities of the UAE's ruling families do not go much beyond waging this nominal jihad. The name of the body of water is most important to Arab nationalism, but what is actually in the water apparently is not a matter of national concern: the UAE ports host more US Navy ships than any other port outside the US [1].
.....
Since the Gulf War of 1991, Jebel Ali port in Dubai has become crucial to US naval operations in the Gulf; it is the safest liberty port in the region and the only harbor in the Gulf deep enough to berth an aircraft carrier. [5] And the showcase UAE army, originated by the British-educated top brass, is a major financial lubricator of the military industry in the United States. [6]

US policy towards this super-wealthy stain of inequality and inhumanity is clear from the manner in which US institutions, from its military to its universities, play the naming game.
in reference to 19th century German dialectician-philosopher Friedrich Wilhelm Hegel....
The prevalent utterances on both sides of the Gulf naming game, to some racist, to others nationalistic, are manifestations of this common, demagogic, abstract thinking: to distract people of the region from thinking in real and concrete terms. So let's raise the question again: Is this an "Arabian" or a "Persian" Gulf? To get real, let's ask: What is the real character of this Gulf? Let's turn the naming game from abstraction to concreteness, flip it on its head and then play.

Why don't we call it the "Hindu Gulf", or the "Gulf of The Unknown Worker"?

Let's call it "Gulf of Central Command", or simply the "Gulf of America". Let's recognize the reality of the complete occupation of this invaded body of water by the 100-plus warships and missile-armed nuclear submarines, the bases and the Air Warfare School. But then, the old British name for the UAE was Pirate Coast, so how about "Gulf of Captain Hook"? In this way, American children's culture is memorialized as well.

Playing the inverted naming game, thinking of the Filipino domestic workers raped by Arab desert princes, and evoking an Iranian suggestion, "Islamic Gulf", and using a Koranic term, let's call it: "Gulf of a Thousand and One Kaniz [10]"! It is exotic, real and Islamic.
...
let's call it "Gulf of Little-Big Sheikhs"!
I like the last...the "Gulf of Little-Big Sheikhs" with America's arsenal of war in tow. Do you see the rhetoric increasing? The war of words is in full swing. America is headed towards war with Iran. Hell, this week Bill Kristol even showed up on Fox News spewing his war monger crap out every chance he could. Where was he for the last month? I assume devising his "echo chamber" neo con WWIII or IV press strategy. Yesterday, it was the Qods Force..today the entire "gulf". What will the next "shock and awe" be named? Stop the insanity. Don't let the neo conservatives "sell" US another "lemon".

George W. Bush has invaded 'Absurdistan'

Same Player. Different Scandal.

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