I don’t understand this weird American obsession with flag. I was looking at some photos of Trump’s rallies. Flags everywhere - on shirts, hats, glasses etc. And this bizarre cult of the flag - “it cannot touch the ground” etc.
At the end of the day the flag is just a piece of cloth. If you worship any flag or take offense to any flag, you need to get a life.
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Only to the American haters such as yourself obviously
Buddy of mine visited after some time in the army and I had to stop him from beating some other dude’s ass because they accidentally let their flag graze the ground barely, I’ll never understand loving the symbol of the people you supposedly joined up to protect over the ACTUAL FUCKING PEOPLE themselves. Thankfully, that behavior and the PTSD he got from being in the middle east for a while seem to have subsided.
I guess he got ptsd bc he participated in event of “military”. This event is characterised by idiots with flags tryin to kill other idiots with different flags in favor of some rich guys competition againt other rich guys. maybe he just mistaken this dude with the ‘other idiot’? Dunno.
I don’t disagree, seeing his (thankfully temporary) transformation into maximum chud massively changed my opinion on the military.
Good to hear he is fine right now! Anyway ptsd is a bitch and we should help ppl with it. Everythin gold for youand your friend!
I’m no nationalistic fanatic of the flag, but is it really so difficult to understand that the flag is a symbol?
Obviously each flag, be they for nations or other groups, represents more than just a piece of cloth to many people. Taking offence at someone else’s identifying with what a flag symbolizes is not okay. But, I tend to look skeptically at worship of any kind of idol, be it flag, cross, or text. That still doesn’t mean it’s okay to hate or persecute people for their beliefs, even if they appear silly to you and as long as they don’t hurt others.
One group can demonstrate their respect for the nation by physically following some rules around the flag and others can demonstrate their loyalty to their ideals of the nation being violated by flying the flag upside down or burning a flag.
A flag or banner is not just a piece of cloth, never has been.
you’re absolutely right, and reminds me of the George Carlin bit, hopefully I’ve remembered it right:
“flags are symbols for the symbol-minded”
IMHO human beings are more important than stupid symbols. If you don’t respect humans and their non violent choices, the symbol lost all its meaning, especially the one about being the “land of the free”.
IMHO human beings are more important than stupid symbols.
At no point did I make anything close to a claim like this. In fact I very clearly stated that hurting others was NOT OK.
Very well put.
And nationalism is astonishingly thinly veiled racism.
"There are two types of patriotism, although sometimes the two are mingled in the same breast. The first kind one might call nationalism; nationalists believe that all other countries are inferior in every respect and that one would do them a favour by dominating them. Other countries are always in the wrong, they are less free, less civilized, are less glorious in battle, are perfidious, prone to falling for insane and alien ideologies which no reasonable person could believe, are irreligious and abnormal. Such patriots are the most common variety, and their patriotism is the most contemptible thing on earth.
The second type of patriot is best described by returning to the example of General Fuerte. General Fuerte did not believe in ‘my country, right or wrong’; on the contrary, he loved his land despite the faults that he could so clearly see and that he labored to correct. It was his frequently stated opinion that anyone who supported his country when it was so obviously in the wrong, or who failed to see its faults, was the worst kind of traitor. Whereas the first kind of patriot really glories in his own irrationality and not in his country, General Carlo Maria Fuerte loved his country as a son loves his mother or a brother his sister."
–Louis de Bernieres, ‘The War for Don Emmanuel’s Nether Parts’
The national flag. What a weird American obsession.
In the UK we call them “flag shaggers” and they are laughing stock.
If you are not trolling and you genuinely don’t see the difference between occasional flag use and everyday cult typical for the USA and for the far right in other countries, you may be even slower than you appear from your comments here.
You seem unaware you’re drunking on yourself here by parroting me.
Zealots are the problems, not the entire population, as I’ve said.
You’re not one of those “readers”, huh?
Did you know that someone lapping you doesn’t mean you’re ahead of them?
You should really try again, that was embarrassing for you.
Real funny on this side, though.
Zealots are the problems, not the entire population, as I’ve said.
You are not the sharpest tool in the box, are you?
In other nations flag cult is limited usually to the far right. Everyone else is using flags sporadically - football events for example.
In the USA flag cult is an everyday occurrence applicable to the most of the population: flags in classrooms, on houses, everywhere. With their bizzare customs “not touching the ground” and other shit. Cult of a piece of cloth.
Do you get it now? If not try to read again. Slowly.
In the USA flag cult is an everyday occurrence applicable to the most of the population: flags in classrooms, on houses, everywhere.
It’s not even close to everywhere, it’s mostly sporting events and the right weirdos
As for the flag not touching the ground: that’s flag code, military rules. Again, only the right cares
You’re being incredibly condescending about something while knowing 0 about it
"This was the beginning of what historians called ‘the cult of the flag,’ an almost religious feelings that the Americans have for the stars and stripes.”
https://time.com/4805114/flag-day-2017-history/
" The rare chance to wave the flag for a reason that had nothing to do with a political statement or a military campaign was irresistible for Americans who began putting the flag pattern on everything from breakfast waffles to garbage trucks. "
Yeah, perfectly normal 🙄
I’m so curious why you think repeating what I said and explicitly agreeing with me, makes you so “sharp”?
You think the US is the only country that doesn’t want their flag touch the ground?
You are comedically ignorant.
Every time you try to make a point, you copy what I said and repeat it back to me as if I didn’t say it first.
It’s flattering, but you are mixing up how clever you think you are with how ignorant and misguided you are.
Fuckin hell, don’t forget to breathe while you are typing 🙄
If you are forgetting to breathe while you’re typing and still think you’re ahead of the curve, I’ve diagnosed your problem as cerebral hypoxia.
It would definitely explain your trouble here.
Gotta tell ya, dude- it’s actually no different in the U.S. You’ll see our flag on all of those products and more:
It’s just that the people who throw big fits about the flag (who also use things like flag napkins) don’t realize the hypocrisy. They will happily eat greasy fried chicken off of that plate and wipe the grease off of their mouths with that napkin and wad it up and throw both of them in the trash will then turn around and talk about someone disrespecting the flag.
In Spain, unless it’s for a sports event involving a national team, nobody except fascists show the kind of devotion the Americans show for the flag. Most of the time, people don’t go wearing a flag or carrying one everywhere. Unless they are fascists.
These fascists are protesting against police brutality! Gross!
These disgusting fascists are having fun learning about history and being creative!
Oh look! You found one instance I’m which people were protesting and using the flag against police brutality. Have you ever been in Spain? If you find someone wearing a flag outside an event (ok, not only sports but sometimes also demonstrations) it’s a fascist. In America, people wear them every day, have them in their house, even in their car. They worship the flag. People in Spain don’t. Unless they are fascists.
I’m not going to comment about the second pic because there’s not even a single Spain flag there.
In one second I found a direct counterexample to your claim that all people enthusiastic about the Spanish flag are fascists.
“People in Spain don’t. Unless they are fascists.”
but
“people were protesting and using the flag against police brutality”.
Yes, I have been to Spain.
Spain has legal protections for its flag like the US, some zealots worshiping their flag like US zealots do, and the same clothing decorations with their national flag that the US does.
You’re talking about specific jingoistic fervor, not a nationwide obsession.
Some people take nationalism too far.
Zealotry is not country-specific.
In America, people […] worship the flag. People in Spain don’t. Unless they are fascists.
No, no. You have it right. It’s the same in both places.
I’m as far from a flag shagger as you’ll get; but slapping the union flag on the roof of a Mini isn’t about patriotism, it’s about the selling point of how the UK, and specifically London, was the epicentre of cool in the ‘60s. In this case, the flag is merely a design that represents something else.
This isn’t running it up a pole every morning to prove how much you love your country.
Preaching to the choir.
Extremists are the problem, not cars.
One of their points is that only Americans have branded their clothing and accessories with the flag; those examples show that isn’t true.
Yeah, true. But two of your examples appear to be sporting events, where it’s very, very common to find people waving their national flags. That’s not really product branding, that’s just how it is.
Preaching to the choir, that’s just how it is.
I’m sorry but I’ll take offense to the Nazi Flag.
The flag is just a symbol for the country, and the country is something are can be proud of if you have nothing else worthwhile to form your identity around.
Coming from a country that doesn’t have this sort of thing it’s really weird as an outside observer. Students have to swear allegiance to the flag every morning too which is the sort of thing I would imagine happens in north Korea or dictator states.
That flag worship thing always seemed like a weird cult thing to me. I suppose Americans might not see it that way since they grew up with it.
if everyone is doing it, it’s not a cult ;-)
Wait til you learn about the Texas Pledge!
Fascism.
So a while ago an American who moved to the Netherlands asked about the proper way to store the Dutch flag.
The consensus was: put in a little plastic bag from a supermarket and shove in the back of a random closet.
What else would you do with a flag anyway? Assuming you even had a flag to begin with.
A flag is a symbol. Words aren’t just a bunch of letters, there’s social meaning in the unique message conveyed.
But yes, that nitpick aside, it’s absurd nationalism at play. When someone burn the flags and books of my political alignment, I couldn’t care less. Sure, it’s an offensive gesture to burn a symbol, it’s not crazy for someone to get mad at a burned bible or national flag. But at the end of the say, I see it as no different to someone saying ‘America sucks’, which is pretty common.
And the weird nationalism is pretty internalized to the point where it’s just normal to most Americans. They point to the nationalist displays of other countries like ‘Cult of Personalities’ elsewhere and don’t notice their local fixation with Washington and the rest, or reciting a daily oath to their flag, or flying them everywhere constantly all the time. But from an outsider perspective, those rituals are just… concerning. It’s ingrained nationalist propaganda.
If you worship any flag or take offense to any flag, you need to get a life.
This I disagree with. A flag is a symbol, it represents concepts. And some flags can represent, among other things, “I want you killed” (consider the Nazi swastika being flown today). I think it’s reasonable to be offended by a flag representing an offensive idea.
But a national flag flown by the world superpower? It’s a bit fragile to flip out over that, isn’t it?
Worshipping is a weird thing, but I think flags of all countries should be respected as it’s a signature of a nation’s independence.
No flag no country https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_9W1zTEuKLY
Every flag is a piece of cloth that people project their ideologies on to. To say it is only a piece of cloth misses the point of why various flags are important to various people.
When Fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross
There is no when. Fascism is already here.
