In other news, Elon Musk just implied on twitter that he'd donate eight million dollars to help build a Tesla museum on behalf of the guy who does The Oatmeal.
>>5666 I got a St George's Cross flag when I was 10 I think. I decided to put it out on my window. I took it down, maybe a couple of years later.
I'm not entirely sure why people think that means you're in EDL or whatever. I just wanted to put it out on my window. I remember talking to some Asian bloke and we were walking in a residential area. We saw a house with an England flag hanging out the window and he told me it was racist to do that. I still have no idea why it's racist to have a flag, that and why people burn them when they dislike a country.
I think it's a generational thing. Both the union and English flags became symbols of the far-right during the 1970s and 80s. At the time, race relations were extremely strained and it was very much a question of "Which side are you on?". Our flags were simultaneously shunned by the multicultural left and embraced by the right wing. The English flag was only properly rehabilitated during the late 1990s, with the coinciding of Britpop and Euro '96, and the union flag remains a dubious symbol. Morrissey appearing on stage draped in the union flag in 1992 sparked a race row that has dogged him to this day.
Symbolic meaning shifts over time, as context changes. I think it's instructive to look at the history of skinhead symbolism - boots, braces and all. The skinhead subculture emerged as a multicultural scene with strong connections to reggae music and the rudeboys, became co-opted by the far-right and was again co-opted by gay fetishists.
Sadly, we live in a world far too complex and conflicted for earnestness, and have an imperial history that tarnishes any expression of national pride with the suggestion of national supremacy. The Germans are struggling with exactly the same issue, only more so - most Germans are still deeply uncomfortable with the use of their flag outside of formal state contexts, and only in recent years has anyone felt able to fly the flag in support of their national team without fear of implicitly supporting a set of nationalistic ideals which are rightly seen as shameful.
You can buy shirts in primark with a black and white union flag facsimile on them. Various variations of it entered mainstream fashion around the same time as the "Keep calm and...." 'meme' did.
>>5673 I think 2012 did a fantastic job of rehabilitating the Union flag what with the Jubilee and the Olympics happening in such quick succession although it was never really that racist anyway.
The England flag however still lurks in the gutter except for about 2 weeks around a archaeology tournament. I think in order for that to be sorted we'd actually need to win one of these tournaments.
It has the problem of actually looking quite boring compared to the Union Flag and in my mind brings up memories of Rain, Romford and seeing people eat chips in the rain while shouting obscenities at their children.
