Do you respect your country's flag?

[teh_gunslinger]

Like you, I don't give much for flags. I remember when I was in 2:nd grade (8-year-old grade) and we were making our own flags. Turns out half of the class had made more cooler flags than the ones that exists now.

And yeah, I didn't get offended or mad that our flag was burned because of a neighbors fault. (Evidentially, not sarcastic)
It just hit the news laughing stock. For me anyways.
Always fun when these foolish things happens.

PS: The Queen? Really? Did they go that far for a picture?

I agree about it hitting the laugh out loud button.

And yes, they wanted a formal apology from our queen (and the Norwegian king as well. They seem to be a bit hazy on geography down there.). They also burned a couple of our embassies (and a Norwegian consulate IIRC). So they were pretty pissed about a cartoon that implied that Islam was connected to violence. I guess the best way to prove the cartoon wrong is by burning flags and embassies. That's deffo gonna show them western devils that we are not violent.

It appears that in all honesty they couldn't comprehend that a monarch had no power. I imaging that you guys have much the same arrangement regarding the monarchy as us?
What I mean is, your king couldn't do anything even if he wanted right? Had it happened in Sweden I mean.

 

[Kathinka]

as shaw said it, "Patriotism is, fundamentally, a conviction that a particular country is the best in the world because you were born in it? "

it's an idiotic concept for insecure people, who need to feel better about themselves for some discrepances..

 

[Spitfire175]

Yes. I do. I tend to lean a bit to the nationalist side, in a non-totalitarian, totally accepting every other nationality and just-not-hating-my-country -style. So the flag of Finland holds a special place in my heart. Seeing it just makes me happy to live here.

Funnily enough I have the Scottish St. Andrews flag on my wall. And the Union Jack stapled to the inside of my car's roof. It confuses many people.

 

[Rainboq]

In reality, I couldn't care less about my county's flag, its just a piece of fabric

 

[era81]

I have bled and killed for my country's flag and would die if need be.

 

[Dexiro]

I can't imagine many people in England respecting their flag, or noone i know cares about it at least.

Burn it, tear it to shreds, whatever. It's a bit of cloth, the only bad thing you're doing by destroying it is wasting the money you spent on it.

 

[soapyshooter]

The ole' red, white and blue isnt what it used to be. It used to symbolize freedom, nowadays you see the American flag and all that comes to mind is partisan bickering and getting nothing done.

 

[Mr Wednesday]

Nope, a "country" is an outdated tribal concept.

....surely "tribe" would be an outdated tribal concept. The country is a fairly complex evolution of the tribe.

Perhaps still outdated, but fundamentally different.

 

[DocRoe92]

Damn right i do, i have an english flag in my bedroom window, not cos of the footy, but in protest to the idea if banning st. georges day parades because it might upset other faiths!!!

 

[Danistuta]

I don't respect national borders, let along national flags. Like Bill Hicks once said, it only signifies where your parents fucked. Segregating people by nationality creates rivalry which in turn can create conflict. "War for territory" - props to those who recognize the song lyric

 

[SenseOfTumour]

On a related note, the question of burning flags came up on QI, one of the UK's greatest TV shows.

Question: Which country burned the most US flags in 2007?

Answer: The US

Of course, to be fair I should offer up the additional information.

The U.S. Flag Code states, "The flag, when it is in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display, should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning".

As such, organisations such as the American Legion and the Boy Scouts burn thousands of stars and stripes every year.

Personally tho, when I see someone burning a flag on TV, I just think 'you're a bit of a twat' not 'ooh I bet that country is really bad!'.

As for personal opinion, I'm with Bill Hicks, even tho I'm a Brit...
'My daddy died for that flag!'
'damn, that sucks man, I bought mine'
'He fought in Korea for that flag!'
'What coincidence, mine was made in Korea!'


it's just a flag, if someone burns it, I'll get another, if I've got money left over after buying donuts/beer/porn.

Personally the idea of fighting for a flag, well you may as well fight for your dad's speedo on a stick. Fight for your country, your friends, your family, your culture and your freedom, but not because some guy said your flag is under attack.

EDIT: also, being from Britain, I'm part of a collection of countries who all seem to hate each other anyway, or at least hate England, who hates itself enough for all of them. Add to this that it annoys the hell out me when pedants point out about it not being the union jack unless it's being flown at sea, and how often the union flag is displayed upside down.

IF you don't want people to screw up displaying your flag, either make it completely symmetrical or not at all, the union flag is so close to symmetrical that it's no wonder people get it wrong.

 

[iLikeHippos]

Like you, I don't give much for flags. I remember when I was in 2:nd grade (8-year-old grade) and we were making our own flags. Turns out half of the class had made more cooler flags than the ones that exists now.

And yeah, I didn't get offended or mad that our flag was burned because of a neighbors fault. (Evidentially, not sarcastic)
It just hit the news laughing stock. For me anyways.
Always fun when these foolish things happens.

PS: The Queen? Really? Did they go that far for a picture?

I agree about it hitting the laugh out loud button.

And yes, they wanted a formal apology from our queen (and the Norwegian king as well. They seem to be a bit hazy on geography down there.). They also burned a couple of our embassies (and a Norwegian consulate IIRC). So they were pretty pissed about a cartoon that implied that Islam was connected to violence. I guess the best way to prove the cartoon wrong is by burning flags and embassies. That's deffo gonna show them western devils that we are not violent.

It appears that in all honesty they couldn't comprehend that a monarch had no power. I imaging that you guys have much the same arrangement regarding the monarchy as us?
What I mean is, your king couldn't do anything even if he wanted right? Had it happened in Sweden I mean.

I didn't know they threatened Norway for action too That just made my day.

Still, the smile went of about the Embassies. Burning flags is one thing, but an act of violence and terror never makes a cause right, no matter what.

But, what can I say? The country did have laws resulting in amputation. (Steal a grape and they go CHOP!)
Must have left behind SOME level of violent behavior to their youngs.

And yeah, same goes for Sweden. The royal regime has absolutely no power but to fill in material for the press.

 

[John Wedge]

Meh, flags are just a symbol. Sure I'll stand up to defend the laws and rights of this country; specifically the right to be free, and I think that anyone who tries to go up against us should be utterly destroyed for even daring to have a go! But the flag itself? It's a piece of cloth. Having said that, the Union Flag is a pretty funky design from an aesthetic point of view, and I have a canvas with an old, semi-soiled looking one. But that's just because it's a cool image!

 

[Deadlock Radium]

In Norway, I think it's illegal to use a normal flag every day, but on days like the King's birthday and other special days, many people raise their flags.
But you can use one of these all year:

Spoiler

It's just like a normal flag, just not as wide and squared.

But I do respect my nation's flag, on the 17th of May, we sing the national anthem and look at the flag. At other times, meh, we don't use it.

 

[Harlemura]

I live in England, but when I was little I preferred the Welsh flag because there's a dragon on it.
That view hasn't changed much over the years.

You can put together how much I respect flags.