Flying the flag

Callistemon

growstuff with respect, you seem obsessed with Hitler for some reason.

Equating the Union flag with the swastika is very, very odd indeed.

I disagree 100%. It's not odd at all.

If you can't see the parallels, you really should try Specsavers.

How rude.

Gwyneth
There are times in this ever changing world ,echoed by friends and relatives, when it does no harm in being reminded 'who we are' .What better way than the National Flag.

you really should try Specsavers.
Although, yes, I need to but they're shut!!! Lockdown??

?

I can’t equate the Union flag with the swastika. However much I try.

Now if that German classroom had the German flag in it I’d not have a problem. Would you? Inclusive for all, rather than being divisive by using a political symbol.

Not the same thing at all.

The Guardian is fine with it - fear not!

www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/mar/19/flag-of-convenience-why-ministers-cant-get-enough-of-the-union-jack

On fire tonight growstuff. ???

Lucca

Has anyone here got a flag in their living room?

Actually I do right now . It’s a small tabletop version of the City flag and it’s related to a challenge I took part in last year. We decided to go the whole hog and plant a flag at the virtual summit.

For those ( mercifully few) posters, who fear that government ministers who have their own country’s flag in their office /home office will shortly lead to the march of jackboots down Pall Mall, Whitehall and Downing St, I would say, take a few deep breaths, followed by a nice strong cup of tea and an early night.

Flying the flag - seems like desperation to me. Are they trying to evoke that elusive 'wartime spirit' again and hoping we have very short memories?

No problem with it at all. I think it is a bit sad when a bit of nationalistic pride is knocked. You have a good country. ??

Is the swastika flag the same as a national flag? I don’t think it is. The swastika was the flag of a repugnant political party, the Nazi party, not the same as the German flag at all. Not like the Union flag either. I wouldn’t want to see it in classrooms, that’s American culture, not British. I don’t care if politicians have a Union flag in their zoom calls. It all seems like a storm in a teacup to be honest.

I do think many people think BBC presenters disrespecting the flag were out of order. Were they mocking the flag? I don’t know because I didn’t see it. Isn’t there more important news to be discussing on morning television?

nanna8

No problem with it at all. I think it is a bit sad when a bit of nationalistic pride is knocked. You have a good country. ??

Thanks nanna8. I think we have a pretty good country too. There are a great many places in the world I wouldn’t want to live in. Britain’s good for me, whichever government is in power.

Daisend1

Gwyneth
There are times in this ever changing world ,echoed by friends and relatives, when it does no harm in being reminded 'who we are' .What better way than the National Flag.

Well, I know who I am. I don't need a flag to remind me.

I am British. I have been British all my life. All 70 years of it. I have never felt anything but British.

I feel very sorry for those whose sense of 'who they are' is so fragile that they need to be constantly reminded of it by a charlatan parading in front of a flag.

I don't have any problem at all with people wo have been in the habit of flying their national flags for a long time. The Welsh and the Scots are very welcome to do so. I don't find that in any way sinister. But the current outburst of flag waving by the government is disgusting.

lemongrove

For those ( mercifully few) posters, who fear that government ministers who have their own country’s flag in their office /home office will shortly lead to the march of jackboots down Pall Mall, Whitehall and Downing St, I would say, take a few deep breaths, followed by a nice strong cup of tea and an early night.

Do go back to sleep, lemon. I'm sure that you'll really enjoy it when it happens.

Callistemon

growstuff with respect, you seem obsessed with Hitler for some reason.

Equating the Union flag with the swastika is very, very odd indeed.

It's not the flags she's equating, it's their purpose.

I feel very sorry for those whose sense of 'who they are' is so fragile that they need to be constantly reminded of it by a charlatan parading in front of a flag.

Exactly this MaizieD. I know exactly who I am and what my allegance is. I don't need a bit of fabric to tell me.

It seems to me that it's the right wing of the Tory party posing in front of the national flag (in their homes) to show how patriotic they are. Even Martin Daubeny (briefly an MEP better known as an editor of GQ magazine) has two in his living room or study and it just looks stupid. They're just like sheep. (or worse) One does it so the others don't want to be left out. It's nothing more than posturing.

GagaJo

On fire tonight growstuff. ???

Do you approve of the choice of photographs GagaJo?

I've looked back at some photos. The Irish, French, German, American leaders all have their own national flags at press conferences. Please can someone explain what is so awful about the Union flag.

We had a free election in 2019 and will have another one in 2-3 years. We are not living under a dictator. Hell I'm mid 60s and never yet had an MP I voted for. But I'm not a mardy arse who can't accept a democratic vote.

Well said Marmardoit.

Mamardoit excellent post ?

Iam64, other countries had empires and didn’t behave any better than we did, but don’t see that as a reason to sneer at their national flag.
Dislike of the flag is a very English thing.

Marmadoit It's not a democratic vote when the party that wins has gained less that 50% of the vote cast. There's only been two instances I think in the last 70 odd years when the party in govt has actually had a majority. Estimates here I'm afraid. I did quote accurate figures few weeks ago on a different thread but don't have time to look them up again.

It's not the flags she's equating, it's their purpose.

Absolutely, MaizieD!

I think growstuff is getting muddled between flags of a country (and every country has its own flag) and that of a party such as that of the Fascist Party led by Hitler, which took precedence over the national flag as the republic became a one-party state.