My ex from Norway mentioned how unusual it was that so many places and people here fly our flag (USA), so I was curious to hear what it’s like for others here on the fediverse.
I’m from Spain, it’s not uncommon unfortunately, but that’s because the flag is appropriated by the right and far right and if you see someone with one you can be 90% sure of the type (homophobe, anti abortion, bullfighting supporter, climate change denier, etc etc)
Could say the same about Germany
Everything except bullfighting goes for Croatia too, mostly.
The problem that the origin of our flag is dated in 1785 but because we were under the Dictatorship of Franco for 40 years, young people identifies the flag with that regimen (extreme right). But not everydody things that way 😏 🙄
It has become that way in the US.
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Flying your country’s flag soft implies that you like your country, liking your country soft implies that you support and enjoy the status quo of your country. Conservatives seek to preserve the status quo. Therefore, conservatives and supporters of the status quo will always have a greater connection to the flag than those who are marginalized in the same country.
Patriotism and nationalism have a strong association, independent of how people opposed to nationalism feel about it. Why would we want to adopt a symbol that is even loosely associated with nationalism or suggests contentness with the status quo if we want to significantly change the status quo?
I disagree progressives flying the flag enables the hate of the right. In fact, I feel the opposite; flying the flag normalizes nationalistic tendencies instead of making you look like an obsessed weirdo.
Wanted to add to this, a couple other reasons why progressive-minded people wouldn’t want to fly the flag:
There’s inherent colonial symbolism in the 13 stripes on the flag, and flying it also can be seen as a celebration of colonial conquest over native lands.
If liberals regularly fly the flag, leaving only left-wing people who dislike the US as the only people not flying the flag, not flying the flag will actively become a political statement, placing a target on their backs, and becoming a reason to antagonize people just living their lives.
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To change what it implies, to change what it’s associated with, to change what it symbolizes.
The phenomena I describe is much broader than the US and the current time period. It has existed across time and cultures, implying that there are broader factors at play than the opinions and behaviors of contemporary US culture. Flag waving nationalism is damn near universal. Americans only differ by how universally people feel the need to wave the flag.
My greater point is that you can’t change what the flag symbolizes by having different opinions and flying the flag. Symbols are just that: symbols. To change what the flag means you must either change what the US does or change the flag. Embracing national symbols only emboldens nationalism if your nation isn’t diametrically opposed to nationalism.
“That’s ours, we own it and it represents our values. See it flying everywhere? That’s because we own this nation, we’re the one’s in charge here, not you”
This is quite literally true and always has been. You don’t see flags representing the Lakota or Seneca nations anywhere, and the 13 stripes are a direct hat nod to the European colonization wiped them out. The state will not stop systematically repressing indigenous, black, or other marginalized peoples if progressives suddenly start identifying with the flag. It will just make progressives look supporters or useful idiots to that state oppression.
Why would I want to prevent right-wingers from taking sole ownership of something intended to represent a state with long history of right-wing violence, slavery, and military interventionism? They can have it. It’s as perfect of a symbol for right-wingers as any other. Should we fly the swastika to reclaim it too?
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I am from Germany and no one is raising a flag. Except he is a Nazi. Or it is soccer World Championship.
My country is a former colony of an imperial power so it’s flown all the time to reinforce our feeling of sovereignty
Are you in the US? 😁
no
What about now?
no
It’s weirdly common in Denmark. People fly the national flag for birthdays, and some people even decorate the Christmas tree with flag guirlandes. It’s seen as an act of celebration rather than patriotism.
OP sounds strange to me I feel like all Scandinavians have their flag a lot, on birthday cakes and for graduations and such. I definitely experienced this in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark.
Yeah I see it all the time in Sweden. Not on cars so much but flagpoles and such especially when it is a nice day out
Unless it’s the world cup you’re assumed to be a shithead
can confirm
In the UK it’s very unusual unless it’s football or royal related. The union flag, the Welsh flag and the Scottish flag are ok most of the time but the England flag is seen as being a bit racist.
Would be nice if it was reclaimed from the football hooligan/EDL types, but the union flag serves well enough
I see people with their county flag outside quite a bit out in the sticks
Yeah, thinking about it I reckon I see county flag about the same as national flag in England.
When I went to Norway I counted the flags I saw. I forget the exact number but I saw maybe 6 in the week I was there. Come back to the US I saw at least 20 coming back from the airport.
I am from Philadelphia, PA, USA. Nobody in my neighborhood have a flag on their yard. I tend to see lots of flags when I travel through rural areas. People with pickup trucks seems obsessed with flags on their car.
Here in the UK flags are rare, I don’t think there is a single one in the entire village. I think people here on the whole, are intelligent enough to realise rallying behind a picture printed in a piece of cloth doesn’t really say or achieve much. It’s more something the ruling class encourage to distract you from their meddling in/with your life.
We beat our bout fascism early on (or so I thought) and some flags harken back to that era
Very common in Mexico during September. Otherwise not that common but also not frowned upon. There’s no signficance behind it.
Why September?
September 16 1810, Mexico’s Independence Day from Spain.
UK here. A UK flag is only flown from govt buildings unless it’s some royal event or football but then it’s usually the individual national flag such as England, Scotland, Wales, etc
The union flag & the St George cross (Englands flag) were co-opted by the far right in the 70s so flying one outside of the occasions named above had other people mark you as a bit of a nationalist & to be weary of you.
You should visit Freiburg Im Breisgau for a nice confusing experience.
Northern Ireland is also part of UK. When I lived in the UK people would always ask me about northern Ireland because I’m Irish. My response: “It’s your country mate, not mine”
I am from western MA, USA. Other than outside of government buildings, I can’t recall when the last time I saw a flag was. Occasional flag bumper stickers are a thing, but actual, flying flags? Not really.
I lived in MD for a few years. The flag is everywhere. You can always tell someone from MD, no matter where you are, because the flag is incorporated into their clothing. I’ve never seen anything like it from anywhere else.
What does ‘MD’ stand for?
Mega Drive. OP lives in Green Hill Zone.
About 3 times a year I think
Here in the Philippines, it’s generally around only on government buildings and schools. Some establishments and residences may opt to fly the flag as well, but most of us just don’t bother at all.
Generally the flag doesn’t have any negative (or positive) connotations. Both the leftists and rightists see the flag equally.
