Here's a guess. We Europeans got there first. We invented the modern nation. We've experienced the down side of nationalism for longer than any other group of people. In particular we went through two world wars.
But of course lots of Europeans love flags. Like I say, the streets of Britain are awash with them right now. The distaste for nationalism is a fringe thing- a elitist thing even. I'm not sure there is greater flag-phobia in Europe than in the USA. I mean, how would you prove it?
As for the way I feel personally it could be a generational thing. I'm a child of the 60s. We were the first post-imperial generation. Making fun of flags and uniforms (the paraphenalia of imperialism) was a way of coming to terms with Britain's vastly changed status in the world.
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Date: 2004-06-02 02:11 pm (UTC)But of course lots of Europeans love flags. Like I say, the streets of Britain are awash with them right now. The distaste for nationalism is a fringe thing- a elitist thing even. I'm not sure there is greater flag-phobia in Europe than in the USA. I mean, how would you prove it?
As for the way I feel personally it could be a generational thing. I'm a child of the 60s. We were the first post-imperial generation. Making fun of flags and uniforms (the paraphenalia of imperialism) was a way of coming to terms with Britain's vastly changed status in the world.