By 
Following South Korea’s campaign to rename the Sea of Japan to the Korean-favored ‘East Sea’, the United States is set to do the same. While the rest of the world may call it the Pacific Ocean, the United States will simply call it the ‘West Sea’. The Atlantic Ocean will be referred as the ‘East Sea’ as well, which may cause some confusion.
The United States Board on Geographical Names (BGN) has ruled that “while the international community has the right to continue using the historical terms ‘Pacific Ocean’ and ‘Atlantic Ocean’, we feel it is our right to rename these bodies of water in whatever way we want. Besides, these waters have been washing up on American shores for hundreds of years – isn’t it time to change the name?”
Read the rest at Chris In South Korea.
8:53 am on September 22nd, 2010 1
Why is Europe considered a separate "continent"?
9:32 am on September 22nd, 2010 2
Not much surprised at American Imperialists.
9:37 am on September 22nd, 2010 3
Kushibo 1, For the past five centuries, "western civilization" dominated the world. Though that era is now ending, some of its consequences endure. Here we are, exchanging comments with the Roman alphabet! The word "continent" i.e. containing or holding back, meant shore, the land holding the sea back. Constantinople (Istanbul) on the Bosporus, became the capital of the Roman Empire in the fourth century CE. The Bosporus has two shores, one European, and the other Asian. Centuries later, in the age of exploration, it was understood that not just a local shore but a vast land mass holds the sea back. So those land masses came to be called continents. But Europe's status as a continent had become traditional, and it maintained that status because of its curltural dominance. Of course, today, we can look at a globe and see that Europe isn't a continent in the modern sense; it's just the western peninsula of Asia. But the people of Africa and Asia still call their continents by the names of Roman provinces which were tiny parts of them — "Africa" was in Tunisia and part of Algeria, while "Asia" was western Turkey.
4:37 pm on September 22nd, 2010 4
Kushibo #1. Glans #3 is correct that Europe is considered a separate continent because of Europe's importance in world history. The term now used is 'Eurasia' which is geologically correct. The dividing line between Europe & Asia are the Ural mountains. The Ural mountains were formed in the Devonian period as a result of a collision between an ancient supercontinent & a continent so in fact at one time they were separate(over 200 million years ago). It could certainly be argued that India is a separate continent since it is on its own continental plate. The Himalayas are a result of the Indian plate ramming the Eurasian plate & the land being pushed up. Google 'plate techtonics' for a better explanation than I can give. Geologist believe that the eastern part of Africa is splitting away from the rest of Africa & in millions of years will be a separate continent & that there will be a new ocean between the two.
11:06 pm on September 22nd, 2010 5
Aren't you guys so smart
Europe, politically speaking, has been a continent separate from Asia for quite some time. Seeing as how geography will be different in millions of years, I'll let your great x 100,000 grandchildren name them something new.
12:37 am on September 23rd, 2010 6
The two big ponds. To the east is the Atlantic and the west the Pacific.
3:54 am on September 23rd, 2010 7
I wish there would be a continental split along the Rio Grande. It would go along way to solving our illegal immigration problem. Well we do have a lot more nuclear weapons than we need, maybe we could tunnel down 30 miles or so along the Rio Grande, put the nukes down there then detonate them. I wonder if that would do the trick. A bad side effect would be that everytime somebody who lives there takes a dump that it would glow in the dark.
7:23 am on September 23rd, 2010 8
#3 Glans – "Kushibo 1, For the past five centuries, “western civilization” dominated the world. Though that era is now ending, some of its consequences endure."
I would like to know how this era is ending?
11:13 am on September 23rd, 2010 9
While we are having fun outlining an America-centric world, China is serious about reasserting it's claims to the South China and East China seas.
But I'll play along. Do the Canadians and other North and South Americans even care anymore that we claim the sole moniker as "Americans"? Can we go ahead and finally rename the West Indies to the East Indies?
12:26 pm on September 23rd, 2010 10
Zilchy 8, the main thing already happened — the fall of the colonial empires. The West will continue to be a major force, but its dominance is fading. I hope you're young, so you'll have many decades to observe China, India, and Islam.
10:31 pm on September 23rd, 2010 11
Works for us, sucks to to be Aftican or European. I can hear the tour guides now, " And off to our West you will see the East Sea…" I have a feeling that this edict will work as well as the rest of Obama's "changes."
6:57 am on September 24th, 2010 12
Yup. West's dominance is fading fast. You guys had your fun in the sun. Now get use to the new realities.
8:55 am on September 24th, 2010 13
#4 We have always been at war with Eurasia.
10:24 am on September 24th, 2010 14
I propose these new names for the continents:
Africa – Firsthome
Asia – Bigland
Australia – Cangaru
North America – Roosevelt
South America – Bolívar
Antartica – Chill
12:20 pm on September 24th, 2010 15
Tom, who will this "new reality" revolve around?
I want to know who to call when help is needed.
Presumptuously speaking for the U.S. Military: We are tired of saving peoples a$$ only to have protest against us in return.
But I have been out for a while. Maybe the Military doesn't mind anylonger.
2:53 pm on September 24th, 2010 16
Retired GI 15, the new reality won't revolve around anyone. Various countries, businesses, and religions will be influential. A few individuals will be very important, too. There just won't be a "sole superpower", and the U.S. Military won't be saving a$$ and inflicting collateral damage, anyhow, not to the same extent as it has been.
3:08 pm on September 24th, 2010 17
Glans,
Where is Europe?
Do you want to keep it the same or is there an alternative name for it?
I propose
Europe – Clammeringtostayrelevant
6:36 pm on September 24th, 2010 18
ChickenHead 17, Europe is a satellite of Jupiter.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europa_(moon)
8:13 pm on September 24th, 2010 19
#16
When Yugoslavia came apart and atrocities started, then Europeans were squealing like little girls, "Please, please! somebody do something!" Until finally we had to step in.
When China decides to annex the Koreas, who 're ya gonna call?
Americans have a recurring urge to be isolationist, but "Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in."
11:06 pm on September 24th, 2010 20
Glans is just a bit delusional in his/her world view of things.
It takes a "superpower" to get the big jobs done. I'm all in favor of another Political/Military Power doing the job the U.S. is currently doing, and has been doing since WWII.
I am one of those isolationist that JoeC mentioned.
So Glans, who will take the place of America in Haiti earthquake relief? Who will take care of Korea? China perhaps? Yea, right! I would enjoy watching that happen.
No wait! I REALLY would. 
Basically Glans, you are a dreamer. An obviously uninformed dreamer at that. You throw out some generalizations to a specific question.
Try again.
Every time some country's neighbor gets belligerent, the U.S. gets an S.O.S. What religion or individual is going to be usefull for you then?
Personally, I would LOVE to see America say NO to those "good time friends" when they call. LET THE PEOPLE DIE! LET THE STRONG TAKE OVER THE WEAK! LET THEM SCREAM AND DIE! Not America's business.
Fock Haiti, let them starve. The same for Korea and their anti-Americanism. Let China take care of them. Not America's business.
Iraq and Afghanistan? You whine about collateral damage? My response would have been different. I would have given you something to whine about. No troops on the ground. Fouk the civilians. Bomb bomb bomb! Till nothing was left to bomb!
Home in time for dinner. Iran would be left for the next morning. Bomb bomb bomb. Home in time for lunch.
Who would/could stop America if it took on MY world view? Who is your Peace Maker Glans? Who would be the one to attempt to talk to a world power that didn't want to listen?
That is why you need a Superpower Glans. So. Who will it be? Who do you TRUST to save your a$$, rebuild your country and leave when requested to leave?
11:20 pm on September 24th, 2010 21
Glans,
"ChickenHead 17, Europe is a satellite of Jupiter."
That makes sense. Much of Europe followed Jupiter before.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jupiter_%28mythology…
And it is really no surprise that those creepy Europeans would follow something that came directly
from your anus.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uranus_%28mythology%…
Sometimes the world just makes sense on its own.
3:41 am on September 25th, 2010 22
Isn't the Jupiter moon in question Europa? (But I guess that does mean Europe in some European languages.)
Anyway, I think the reports of the death of America's influence are greatly exaggerated. The US has staying power as an ally and a productive nation because of its unique role as a non-territorial-seeking ally and as a fulcrum of innovation and invention.
And the regional players of East Asia know this and most prefer that the Pax Americana remain. (And maintaining it is good for America, which ultimately gains economic strength through trade.)
12:21 pm on September 25th, 2010 23
I find it funny that koreans and tom are so insistent about the naming of the Sea of Japan, when korea had NOTHING to do with claiming either sea. korea doesn't even deserve dokdo. how do you get something you were too weak to fight for? face it tom, your real problem is the fact korea is only free because the U.S. GAVE it to you. It just has to eat you every day that the only reason you can type on this board is because of the Americans, you really are a bitter pitiful powerless person in a little country that could never take care of itself. Korea could still be speaking japanese and using their japanese names. Or be speaking chinese. For sure there wouldn't be any korean, it's just too easy to dominate the two-legged animals that occupy the country.
GI and JoeC are right: The U.S. should get out of the rest of the world, let it go to crap then laugh when they cry for help.
1:13 pm on September 25th, 2010 24
The US government will continue to be influential, but so will many others. International business will be highly influential. Christianity and Islam will be globally influential, other faith traditions will be locally influential. Every ROK Drop commentator understands this, well, almost everyone.
But if we keep messing around, one day we're going to lose one of our big aircraft carriers. Then what? A big war of vengeance, or a humiliating retreat?
The long-suffering people of Iraq did not ask us to attack them. We brought their ancient Christian commnunity to the brink of destruction and turned Iran's worst enemy into its friend. Brilliant policy.
We're making a big mess of Afghanistan, too. Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and Franks failed to catch Osama bin Laden, and now the Taliban are regaining control in many areas, while the government we defend has cordial relations with Iran. Brilliant policy, started by Bush, continued by Obama.
3:40 pm on September 25th, 2010 25
#24 It's truly unfortunate but there are some folks you just can't reach. These peoples have been offered golden opportunities (at the US and allies expense). If they either do not have the will or prefer to live in a kleptotheocracy so be it. Or they can pull themselves up by the bootstraps, with our help, like Japan and Germany. Of course the Japanese and Germans were capable of reading more than the Koran from the get go. Perhaps they are just fated to being permanent human refuse. Let it be written, let it be done.
8:14 pm on September 25th, 2010 26
Glans said (translated) But BUSH! But but BUSH!!!
Got some news for ya Glans, It is now Obama's war. Unless of course you're saying that Obama only knows how to do what Bush showed him to do.
Bush has been out for a while now. For the record, Bush did not thrill me, but at least he had some Stones.
As for an aircraft carrier being lost, it is my hope that those responsible have death and fire rain down on them for days! MASSIVE collateral DAMAGE!! That would be (should be) the order of the day.
I will agree with you on one point. We should not defend any government. Let them stand or fall on their own. Cordial relations with Iran is a mistake. Only looks weak in their eyes. Bush and Obama were/are fools to act in this manner.
It is not respected. Some people only understand Pain. If you attempt to "reason" with them, it is doomed.
Point of order: America did not attack the Iraq "people". But you're smart enought to know that. So I can only conclude that you are simply spewing the liberal line for effect.
We didn't learn from Vietnam. Supporting the new government doesn't work. Will never work. The only course of action that has a chance for success is to just clean out the rats and let nature take it's course. If it is the wrong course, go back and clean it out again.
It seems we are in agreement on the majot issue. We shouldn't be there. You just include much hyperbole and liberl spewing.
6:51 am on September 29th, 2010 27
#23 Mr. Ambrose,
Yes sir, that about sums it up! You just stated what everyone should say more often. Let the real truth be a constant reminder!