The Cross of St. George

[poliphilo]

The streets are full of the Cross of St George (the English flag- red cross on a white ground.) It's plastered up in windows and it's flying from cars. I'm told this is because of some football thingy that's happening in Europe.  craftyailz  and I were saying how it made us feel uncomfortable because up until a few years back the Cross of St George was only flown by churches and far-right  groups like the National Front and The British National Party.  

I guess it's good that footie fans have wrenched the English  flag from the hands of the fascists. But to tell the truth any flag waving makes me nervous.  It's infantile;  it's divisive; it has no place in civilian life.  Flags belong on battlefields.

Comments

[archyena.livejournal.com]

I've always wondered why people in Europe are so concerned about flags. I can't even begin to understand European disgust with flags anymore than I can understand the hard-line "flag traditionalists" who know all the rules on their use. I think I speak for a lot of Americans in saying that we think flags are "neat" and we want to see more of them around, not just ours, but a great variety of flags from national flags to just colored banners to no particular purpose.

But still, I don't understand why Europeans get so concerned about flags.

[balirus.livejournal.com]

I like Eddie Izzard's explanation on flags and England:

We stole countries! That's how you build an empire. We stole countries with the cunning use of flags! Just sail halfway around the world, stick a flag in.

"I claim India for Britain." And they're going, "You can't claim us. We live here! There's five hundred million of us."

"Do you have a flag?"

"We don't need a bloody flag, this is our country you bastard!"

"No flag, no country! That's the rules... that... I've just made up!

[besideserato.livejournal.com]

I wholeheartedly agree with this.