So I am starting a new website to defeat my pet peeve...

[Ottobon]

this thread made me think of elephant ears. mmm, tasty!

[H0nzik]

Originally Posted by Scott

No, not the most... not even close, but it is just an annoyance to me that people cannot take the time to show proper respect and follow the clearly published (and easy to find) rules governing how it should be flown. They find the time to buy a flag, and run it up the pole, but when it comes to taking care of it... well that is just too hard? My position is simple, either pay attention and do it the right way, or please just take it down. I am surprisingly nice in my approach by the way, not mean or angry in any way!

I stop when I have a free moment and make them aware of the issue, that is all. I figure putting a website up to bring a few other people together that might feel the same way might be an interesting way to go about it, and if it flops... oh well, but somehow, I think it will do just what I want it to. Of course, it is all about proper language and putting together a site that makes sense and it not some crazy whacked out thing ranting and raving about the issue.

You know what you do really slightly reminds of the kind, concerned citizens, usually part-time secret police agents, who, if you didn't display a soviet flag on a designated day, would ring at your door and kindly ask you, what could've possibly gone wrong that you didn't manage to display the flag of our liberators. And then they'd go report you to whoever could be bothered to cause you trouble.

And that video is just... Why do you have to bother small boys with all the ideologic stuff like that? It's just like the Hitlerjugend or the pioneers we had here, just the ideology is different.

And I agree that battered flags are cooler, just like dirty cars. They look like someone's been using them.

[jayhawk]

Originally Posted by H0nzik

You know what you do really slightly reminds of the kind, concerned citizens, usually part-time secret police agents, who, if you didn't display a soviet flag on a designated day, would ring at your door and kindly ask you, what could've possibly gone wrong that you didn't manage to display the flag of our liberators. And then they'd go report you to whoever could be bothered to cause you trouble.

And that video is just... Why do you have to bother small boys with all the ideologic stuff like that? It's just like the Hitlerjugend or the pioneers we had here, just the ideology is different.

And I agree that battered flags are cooler, just like dirty cars. They look like someone's been using them.

Please stop with the nazi / communist comparisons. It is getting weary and frankly, annoying.

[Scott]

So how do you non-Americans show pride in your country... or are you not proud?

[Lilleput]

Originally Posted by Scott

So how do you non-Americans show pride in your country... or are you not proud?

Behave in a respectful manner to reflect well on our home country.

[Scott]

Originally Posted by jayhawk

Please stop with the nazi / communist comparisons. It is getting weary and frankly, annoying.

I just ignore that stuff... I know the deal because I am the one doing it, and trust me I am not even close. This is still a to each his own kind of scenario, I just like to give it an attempt, and if I get told to piss off, then so be it. I think I said this once before, but I have only ever stopped at ONE private house... and I will tell the rest of that story when I get back later today... gotta roll!

[Scott]

Originally Posted by Lilleput

Behave in a respectful manner to reflect well on our home country.

I agree, but does that not include following the rules if you choose to fly your country's flag? ESPECIALLY if you choose to fly that flag outside of a business??

[fbc]

Originally Posted by Scott

I agree, but does that not include following the rules if you choose to fly your country's flag? ESPECIALLY if you choose to fly that flag outside of a business??

There's something about that statement that I find disturbing.

You will fly the flag as we say.

Again, it's no-one else's business. As for how I show pride in my country - I am very proud to be an Australian, but I don't feel the need to display that by flying a flag or by making any sort of a statement like that.

[H0nzik]

Originally Posted by Scott

So how do you non-Americans show pride in your country... or are you not proud?

I guess we're just proud about the things that are right in our country and try to improve things that are wrong and are done better elsewhere. There's no need to be uncritically proud of my country, just because it's my country.

[Lilleput]

Originally Posted by Scott

I agree, but does that not include following the rules if you choose to fly your country's flag? ESPECIALLY if you choose to fly that flag outside of a business??

People are free to express their views, and if that means displaying a tatty old flag, because their either lazy or hate America, it's all legal and their right to.

[teeb]

Originally Posted by Scott

So how do you non-Americans show pride in your country... or are you not proud?

Well, here I keep pointing out to people I'm Scottish and not English (which is a bit of a difficult concept amongst the French).

I wear my accent with pride.

I keep up Scottish traditions (such as first-footing on Hogmanay, using 'outwith' as often as I can, and Burns' Night); and on appropriate occasions I wear my kilt. With pride. And occasionally cold legs.

I just believe that flying the flag outside a private home is a rather token gesture. Yes, I'm proud of my country (although I'm not blind to its flaws). However I'm not going to shove a bit of cloth onto a pole just to say "I am proud of my country", I'd much rather be judged on my words and actions.

I've no problem with government buildings flying the flag, though...


edit - I think the difference in opinion here boils down to something simple. Americans, as a whole, are more patriotic and proud of their country. Look at the furore over "Obama-flag-lapel-pin-gate", for example. On the other hand, whilst 82% of the English are proud of their country, 78% think it's worse today than it was 20 years ago.

[D-Fence]

Originally Posted by Ford Prefect

The only time I´ve ever "flown a flag" was the one I had on my car for the entire duration of the world cup 2006. I have to say it felt nice. In Germany we still seem to have some complexes about the fucked up shit that happened 3 generations ago (which I don´t really feel compelled to feel any sort of guilt about), and it seems you can´t put a flag up without being associated with some form of right-wing politics.

I think there is nothing fundamentally wrong with being proud of your country, and I´ve always been a bit jealous of the easygoing attitude that many other nations have about showing this. I also think the american flag looks quite badass, it just looks pretty, no matter what you want to associate with it.

On the other hand, no offense, I hate it when people get all anal about these things. I grew up living in several different countries, and when I got shit from my teachers for not knowing the Mexican national anthem by heart, or (apparently) not paying proper respect to the star spangled banner, this really (and I mean really) pissed me off. I´m german, and if I´m gonna be patriotic (which I´m not) it´s gonna be for my own country, and not someone elses. I´lll respect the countries where I´ve lived or am currently living, no doubt, but don´t expect me to worship them as if they were my own.


I definitely have to agree, I mean if it´s some boy scouts going around offering people to fix them up with a nice new flag then that´s great, but come on, you actually go up to people to let them know that their flag flying method is not up to your standards??? Backflashes of Germany in the early 40ies anyone??? A flag´s a flag, and the specimens that have been flown with more pride than any others before have probably been the ones sporting some heavy burns, bulletholes, and perhaps even a good share of ocean water.

Totally agreed.

I think I will need to find my worldcup flag again, it had an awesome shape after it was on my roof antenna for ~8 weeks and I did ~5000km with it. It was triangular

[cvrefugee]

FINE!

[llpc60]

^ahhahaha FG is full of win today.

reminds me of the only neg rep I ever got = "Canada is a great country is Cuba you dumb Fuck"

lol funny =)

[Scott]

Originally Posted by cvrefugee

Who's the motherfucking piece of shit that gives neg rep and is such a fucking pussy they can't leave their name? Fuck you you fucking whore of a fucking person. YOU ARE IGNORANT IF YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT NATIONALISM IS! Educate yourself before you look like a total ass.

FUCK YOU!

Ok man..... perhaps a little tiny bit of perspective might help here... this is the INTERNET!!! (it was not me by the way)

Are you really going to get that fired up about it?

[llpc60]

Originally Posted by Scott

Ok man..... perhaps a little tiny bit of perspective might help here... this is the INTERNET!!! (it was not me by the way)

Are you really going to get that fired up about it?

SAYS THE MAN THAT HAS FITS ABOUT COOL FLAGS THAT ACTUALLY HAVE A HISTORY INSTEAD OF BEING PLASTIC AND SHINNY LIKE MY ASS

[Ford Prefect]

Originally Posted by D-Fence

I think I will need to find my worldcup flag again, it had an awesome shape after it was on my roof antenna for ~8 weeks and I did ~5000km with it. It was triangular

yeah, my flag was quite beaten up as well by the time the cup was over, as far as I´m concerned that makes it a lot more authentic than any new flag, even if it were hand-stitched by Angie M herself...

Originally Posted by cvrefugee

Who's the motherfucking piece of shit that gives neg rep and is such a fucking pussy they can't leave their name? Fuck you you fucking whore of a fucking person. YOU ARE IGNORANT IF YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT NATIONALISM IS! Educate yourself before you look like a total ass.

FUCK YOU!

jesus, calm down...

[cvrefugee]

Originally Posted by llpc60

^ahhahaha FG is full of win today.

reminds me of the only neg rep I ever got = "Canada is a great country is Cuba you dumb Fuck"

lol funny =)

What pisses me off is that they didn't even come up with a decent comeback, just "you are the arrogant one". Who said anything about arrogant? I called someone ignorant, not arrogant.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/arrogant

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ignorant